Long live Particle Physics April 27, 2006
Posted by dorigo in astronomy, internet, news, physics, politics, science.3 comments
The National Academic of Sciences released yesterday a 140 pages document titled "Revealing the Hidden Nature of Space and Time". You can download a copy at the web page of the committee, following this link:
http://www7.nationalacademies.org/bpa/EPP2010.html
Basically, a large committee, mostly composed of scientists - not only particle physicists, but almost exclusively from the US - got together during the last couple of years to discuss a 15-year plan for particle physics at the TeraelectronVolt scale, with the quite explicit aim, if you read beyond the apolitical title, of bringing back in the hands of the United States a leading role in Particle Physics in the forthcoming years.
Do not be scared by the length of the paper - most of the meat is intelligently placed at the beginning, where important points are stressed in boldface. Let me quote a few:
"Given the globalization of particle physics (and with Europe investing twice as much as the United States and Japan investing nearly half ot the US annual budget for particle physics), identifying a compelling leadership role for the United States was not simple. Since the unfortunate (sic -TD) demise of the Superconducting Super Collider in the early 1990s and the subsequent stagnation of support for US efforts in particle physics, the US program has lacked a long-term and distinguishing strategic focus that would give it a competitive and distinctive position within the worldwide effort in particle physics."
Then a list of strategic principles is given. Interesting, but one gets the impression of reading a marketing plan from microsoft of something alike.
On page 18:
"Strategic Principle 2: the US program in elementary particle physics should be characterized by a commitment to leadership within the global particle physics enterprise."
On page 20, however, I was pleased to read that Fermilab will not die:
"Strategic Principle 6: A strong and vital Fermilab is an essential element of US leadership in elementary particle physics. Fermilab must play a major role in advancing the priorities identified in this report."
Action items are the most interesting. Let me just summarize them below:
- Action item 1: help realize the physics potential of LHC
- Action item 2: launch R&D for the international linear collider (ILC)
- Action item 3: show the teeth and claim the ILC has to be on US soil
- Action item 4: think at synergies between particle physics and astrophysics research
- Action item 5: study the neutrino with international collaborations
- Action item 6: put less emphasis (and money) on precision measurements seeking physics beyond the SM (such as g-2 or lepton flavor violation searches).
An interesting reading…
Anxiously waiting… April 27, 2006
Posted by dorigo in astronomy, personal, science.1 comment so far
Just a quick post - I have no idea if you care about it a bit… But there is a tentative delivery date for my new telescope, set for next Saturday, May 6th!
It would work fine for me, because I have to leave on the 8th for Chicago and will then be there until the 14th… I really hope Romano Zen manages to put together the last bits of the scope.
For those who have no idea of what I am talking about, see previous posts on the dobsonian telescope:
http://dorigo.wordpress.com/2006/03/24/a-16-dobsonian-reflector-on-its-way/ is the original post where I announce my order of the 16" dobsonian…
http://dorigo.wordpress.com/2006/03/30/splitting-hairs-and-stars/ is where I discuss some construction details
http://dorigo.wordpress.com/2006/04/19/one-week-to-go/ describes my eagerness to get the instrument
http://dorigo.wordpress.com/2006/04/20/still-two-more-weeks/ expresses my scorn at the still long wait
http://dorigo.wordpress.com/2006/04/22/star-party/ discusses an observing session with an instrument of similar characteristics to the one I ordered, owned by a friend.
Only the good die young… April 27, 2006
Posted by dorigo in news, politics.12 comments
…And the bad keep bugging us until they are 90.
The attention of media in Italy is focused these days on the forthcoming election of the presidents of the two parliament chambers, Camera dei Deputati and Senato della Repubblica.
These two chairs represent the two most important institutional charges after that of Presidency of the Republic. The role of chamber president is not just institutional, though: one can do a lot of politics from that chair, and steer the political agenda of the government very effectively.
While for the Camera dei Deputati (similar to the US Congress) Fausto Bertinotti (see picture on the left) will have no problem getting elected, being able to count on the unanimous consensus of 344 center-left congressmen from the center-left on a total of 630, trouble is in sight for the election of the president of the Senate.
Here the center-left, who have only a very narrow majority (158 to 156 seats, not counting the lifetime senators who are evenly split) have nominated Franco Marini, and the opposing right parties have found a tough opponent in Giulio Andreotti - who is 87 years old, and has plagued Italy for decades. Andreotti enjoys sympathies from a few of the new senators of the center-left coalition, and the risk of him being elected is not negligible.
In case of parity between Marini and Andreotti, a baroque law establishes that the older contendent will be elected. Another point in favor of Andreotti, hardly possible to take that away from him: whoever can the center-left deploy who is older than 87??
Andreotti (see picture on the left) has been a leading figure in Italy's politics since the post-war years. A dominant figure in the italian Democrazia Cristiana (the center-right block of conservatives who governed Italy from 1948 until 1993 and forced the communist party at a never-ending opposition), he had his feud and got most of his votes in the south, where his aides were quite contiguous with mafia bosses - let's just mention Salvo Lima, one Andreottian sicilian politician who was killed by mafia hitmen because he was not keeping his promises with the padrino…
Andreotti had to withstand a very long trial for alleged participation in the killing of a journalist, Pecorelli, who was battling Andreotti using his newspaper. He also was on trial for his contiguity with mafia (famous was his participation in happenings with mafia bosses), and came out clean of all accusations, but - as whomever knows about italian justice will confirm - judiciary truth and reality are sometimes two different things.
Andreotti is now 87. He is sure to make life impossible to the center-left government if he were put in charge of the Senate. It would be an anomaly to have him elected. But Italy is the country of anomalies these days. So I launch an appeal here…
Giulio, please step down and retire to a peaceful end of your life. You recently cashed a clearance of all accusations in your trials - you had expressed the desire of getting that before your death, and you did. You governed us for 40 years with doubtlessly high and low points. You are close to die, Italy needs fresh air. Please leave us alone now.
