Volume II Issue 6
June 2006 |
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 Nanogenerators
May Spark Miniature Machines
 Researchers
at the Georgia Institute of Technology have crafted tiny nanowires that
generate electricity when they vibrate. Just like the quartz crystal in
a watch, the zinc-oxide nanowires are piezoelectric, which means bending
causes them to produce an electrical charge.
Only 20-40 billionths of a
meter in diameter, each fiber partners with millions of others to form a
nanogenerator capable of producing significant amounts of energy from
the slightest activity. According to the researchers, motions from body
movement, the stretching of muscles and even the flow of liquids should
be able to generate electric charges in the wires--perfect for
implantable medical devices, "smart" apparel and a variety of other
applications.
"There is a lot of
mechanical energy available in our environment," said Zhong Lin Wang, a
Regents Professor in the School of Materials Science and Engineering at
the Georgia Institute of Technology. "Our nanogenerators can convert
this mechanical energy to electrical energy. This could potentially open
up a lot of possibilities for the future of nanotechnology."
Find out more...
Precollege
Summer Programs & Camps
 Precollege
summer camps that focus on science, mathematics, technology or
engineering can provide students with great hands-on experiences working
on activities that explore how these fields have an impact on the
world. Many universities that offer accredited engineering programs
also offer programs in the summer for high school students. They range
in degree focus, but they all provide students with a great chance to
see first hand what it might be like to work in a field of interest.
Some professional
societies and corporations also offer summer experiences for precollege
students. Examples are the IBM EXITE Camps, Microsoft DigiGirlz
Program, and the Society of Manufacturing Engineers' Science, Technology
& Engineering Preview Summer Program. The Sloan Career Cornerstone
Center offers a state by state listing
of some summer programs, but be sure to check with local universities or
businesses for other ideas.
Find out more...
Career
Planning Tips
 All
career plans are subject to change as life seldom runs along a
predictable path. Career plans must be flexible to account for changes
in market needs, the economy, globalization and overseas competition,
company priorities, and required job skills. All can affect what your
current job consists of, and what it might be in the future.
The best advice may be
to embrace a positive, flexible, forward-looking attitude. Be prepared
for the next job, whatever and wherever that may be. Downsizing,
layoffs, and gaps between projects can transform into positive growth,
new opportunities, and expanding skills if flexibility is part of your
career plan. Other considerations for your career plan may include:
- Personal
interests and values
- Skills you have;
skills you need
- Personal goals
for the next 5, 10, 25 years
- Financial needs
or goals
- Preference for
large or small company or work environment
- Geographic
preferences
- Goals for growth
(skills, experiences, finances, personal)
Career management does
not end once you secure a job; it is a life-long effort. Once you are on
the job, take control of your career. Seek advice from managers,
mentors, peers and colleagues, but keep control of your own career. Only
you can decide what paths and choices are best for you. You need to
discover what training and education will increase your value and your
satisfaction.
Find out more...
Degree
Profile: Biology
 Biologists
study living organisms: how they grow, reproduce, and interact among
themselves and with their environment. In modern biology full
understanding of a process requires integrating studies at many levels
of organization: populations, individual organisms, organ systems,
cells, and molecules.
Biologists carry out
research in universities, government laboratories, and industry. The
research may be "basic," exploring a fundamental question to further our
understanding of life processes. Such research may be in the laboratory
or "in the field." Research may also be "applied," seeking to develop a
new or better drug, a new vaccine, or a way to conserve an endangered
species, for example. Biologists in universities teach in addition to
conducting research. Most biological scientists are further classified
by areas of focus.
 Careers
are available in Biology at all preparation levels (bachelor's,
master's, and doctoral degree), but the nature of the jobs change with
additional preparation. The Sloan Career Cornerstone Center offers more
information about biology and
several major specialty
areas within biology including: Biochemistry, Bioinformatics and
Biostatistics, Biophysics, Cell and Molecular Biology,
Ecology/Environmental Science, Entomology, Genetics, Immunology, Marine
and Aquatic Biology, Microbiology, Neuroscience, Nutrition and Food
Science, Pharmacology, and Physiology.
Find out more about careers in
biology.
Industry
Brief: Bechtel CA Power Plant
 In
2001, work began on the 1,000-megawatt Mountainview natural gas-fired
power plant in Redlands, CA. It was one of a number of new facilities
intended to ease the energy shortage that had caused rolling blackouts
throughout the state that year. The crisis passed, however, and by 2002,
the construction boom was over. Power companies ran into financial
difficulties and the owner of Mountainview announced that it would not
finance continuation of the project. In April 2002, the project was
halted with construction only 15% complete.
The team at Bechtel refused to abandon hope that the project could be
completed. In March 2003, InterGen, a Bechtel-Shell joint venture,
purchased the project. A year later, it sold the project to Southern
California Edison, which announced that construction would go forward.
But, when workers re-entered the site, they found the modern equivalent
of a ghost town. Weather had taken its toll on the landscape,
earthworks, and existing foundations. The Bechtel team had to put
together a plan to get the project moving again, including some rework.
They also faced logistical challenges of expired permits and revamped
regulations. Then record storms hit the area! These are the type of
challenges teams of engineers and others have to face and work through.
Construction also had to be accomplished while protecting wildlife,
including hawks and other birds that had taken up residence at the site.
Working with a biologist chosen by the project's owner, Bechtel put
together a program that discouraged new nesting and allowed the project
to progress without disturbing active nests. It's all part of the effort
that brought this project back to life.
Despite everything, the project progressed so well that, less than a
year after work resumed, the crew was able to energize Unit 3 --
switching its power supply from Bechtel's construction project
transformers to permanent transformers. Orville Cutright, Bechtel's
project superintendent, points out that "We hit our target to the day."
Find out more about
the project...
The
Impact of Physics
 As
the American Institute of Physics prepares to celebrate its 75th
anniversary, physicists think about how much their science has evolved
and how far it has expanded into new territory. What have been the most
important events in physics during this relatively short period of
time? AIP senior historian and physicist Spencer Weart suggests two
discoveries which took place in the early 20th century that have had
tremendous influence on how we not only see and understand our world,
but also how we live in it. Quantum mechanics and Einstein's general
theory of relativity, he says, have laid down the "new physics" of our
age.
Quantum mechanics is the name given to the development of new rules of
physics applicable to matter and radiation at an atomic level.
Application of these principles has led to development of such devices
as lasers, the atomic clock, magnetic resonance imaging, the electron
microscope, transistors, computer chips and high-speed communications
with fiber optics.
In the general theory of relativity, Einstein determined the
relationship between space and time, while considering the effect of
gravity. Applying general relativity enables us to do such things as
predict, with incredible precision, the position of the planets and
other objects in space. Einstein's theories ensure the precision of the
Global Positioning System. GPS helps users determine their precise
position on Earth by relying on a network of satellites that each
contain atomic clocks to synchronize their signals with one another.
 Unfortunately even these two theories are incompatible with one another.
They fail, for example, when scientists combine them to explain behavior
inside black holes. Combining these two modern pictures of the universe
into a "unified" theory is one of the major challenges still facing
physicists, says Judy Franz, Executive Officer of the American Physical
Society.
Find out more about careers
in physics...
Mathematical
Imagery
 The
American Mathematical Society has developed a new website exploring
Mathematical Imagery. The
site includes albums of math-inspired and mathematically generated
works, links to online galleries and museums, and to other resources
about mathematics and art.
The connection between mathematics and art goes back thousands of years.
Mathematics has been used in the design of Gothic cathedrals, Rose
windows, oriental rugs, and mosaics. Geometric forms were fundamental to
the cubists and many abstract expressionists. Dutch artist M.C. Escher
represented infinity, Möbius bands, tessellations, deformations,
reflections, Platonic solids, spirals, symmetry, and the hyperbolic
plane in his works. Mathematicians and artists continue to create
stunning works in all media and to explore the visualization of
mathematics -- origami, computer-generated landscapes, tessellations,
fractals, anamorphic art, and more.
Find out more
about careers in Mathematics...
Career Cornerstone News is a publication of the
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