What's New for Sep 20, 2002

WHAT'S NEW   Robert L. Park   Friday, 20 Sep 02   Washington, DC

1. INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION: "HOUSTON, WE HAVE A PROBLEM."  If
you don't get the answer you want, the theory goes, just appoint
another panel.  It's not working.  The latest look at the ISS as
a place to do scientific research is by a National Research
Council panel.  The Task Group on Research on the International
Space Station found just what all the other panels found: 1) The
ISS is not shaping up to be a world-class research facility, 2)
the scientific community has shown little interest in using the
space station to conduct research, and 3) NASA's primary goal for
the use of the Space Station has never been made clear.  This may
sound shocking for a research facility that's expected to eat up
more than $100B, but it shouldn't be a surprise.  As long ago as
1990, the Advisory Committee on the Future of the US Space
Program, headed by Norm Augustine, called for drastic rethinking
of the Space Station: "We do not believe the space station can be
justified on the basis of the science it can perform" (WN 14 Dec
90).  Almost the same words were echoed in a statement adopted by
the Council of the American Physical Society (WN 25 Jan 91).  The
biologists made the same point (WN 17 Jul 98).  But it was
France's Space Minister, who said it all: "It is expensive, it no
longer makes people dream, and is has no scientific value."  He
said he would not be surprised to see it scrapped (WN 26 Jun 98).

2. WEAPONS DETECTION: MORE COMPLICATED THAN WE (OR ABC) IMAGINED. 
Last week's WN told the story of ABC News "smuggling" a mock bomb
into the country.  The "bomb" contained 15 pounds of depleted
uranium (DU).  WN scoffed at suggestions that that this was a
"perfect mock-up."  WN pointed out that U-235 in highly enriched
uranium (HEU)is more radioactive than U-238, which is strictly
true, but more expert readers gently suggested there was more to
the story.  Gamma rays from 235 are of much lower energy, and
most are absorbed by the uranium itself.  So DU is more easily
detected than HEU?  Probably not.  Most HEU is contaminated with
U-232, a highly radioactive isotope with a daughter that emits an
easily detected gamma.  So HEU is more easily detected than DU?  
Not necessarily.  The U-232 contamination comes from the use of
reprocessed uranium.  South African and Pakistani HEU is produced
from virgin uranium and should contain no U-232.  Our thanks to
Steve Fetter for educating us on the realities of life in 2002.

3. WHERE NOW?  SLAKEY COMPLETES THE ASCENT OF THE SEVEN SUMMITS. 
Physicist Francis Slakey, our colleague in the Washington Office
of the APS, has returned from his 12 Aug 02 summit of Carstenz
Pyramid, Irian Jaya, Indonesia, the highest peak in Oceania.  He
has now climbed the highest mountains on all seven continents,
one of only 70 climbers in history to have done so.  In that
unstable region, the obstacles of the climb paled before the
hazards of bribing his way through bands of armed civilians.

THE UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND and THE AMERICAN PHYSICAL SOCIETY
Opinions are the author's, and are not necessarily shared by the
University or the American Physical Society, but they should be.