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Bringing Science to Life: Second Talk in
Public Lecture Series
By Kate Metropolis
Why do thousands of researchers from universities and industry come to
SSRL each year? SSRL gives them a way of seeing real things at the level
of individual atoms, and what they see helps to design therapeutic
drugs, investigate living cells and viruses, and study pollutants and
exotic materials.
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Herman Winick will explain
how to see a molecule using an accelerator.
(Photo by Diana Rogers) |
Herman Winick, assistant director of SSRL
and professor emeritus of applied physics at Stanford and SLAC, has been
one of the leading developers of synchrotron light sources for three
decades. At 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, April 27, Winick will explain in lay
terms what synchrotron radiation is, how it is made and how it is used
to illuminate both fundamental science and societal problems.
“Synchrotron Radiation: The Light Fantastic” is the second in the Lab’s
new public lecture series on science for the local community.
Winick joined the synchrotron radiation program here in 1973. He was
superbly well qualified for the job, having just spent the past several
months at Harvard identifying the weak points in the SPEAR proposal as a
reviewer for NSF. “I was shocked out of my mind when SLAC offered me the
position [leading design and construction],” he said.
In addition to keeping the Lab a leader in synchrotron light
capabilities for 30 years and writing more than a hundred scientific
papers, Winick has devoted considerable effort to the causes of human
rights and international scientific collaboration. He conceived the idea
of building a synchrotron light laboratory in the Middle East, with the
hope that giving Israelis, Palestinians and people of other
nationalities the opportunity to do world-class science together would
increase mutual understanding and the chances for peace. In January
2003, ground was broken in Jordan for the UNESCO-sponsored project,
called Synchrotron light for Experimental Science and Applications in
the Middle East (SESAME).
After the talk, attendees can enjoy refreshments and chat with
scientists who will be on hand to answer questions. Invite your family
and friends! To help promote the public lecture series or put up posters
in your community contact Emily Ball, Community Relations Coordinator
(Ext. 2620,
emily.ball@slac.stanford.edu).
For more information, see:
http://www.slac.stanford.edu/lectures |
