California Tech v. 116:12, January 28, 2013

The California Tech VOLUME CXVI NUMBER 12 PASADENA, CALIFORNIA TECH.CALTECH.EDU tech@caltech.edu JANUARY 28, 2013 From left to right: Antonio Rangel (Neuroeconomics), Jennifer Jackson (Geophysics), Paul Sternberg (Biology). -coursera.org; seismolab.caltech.edu; wfwins.org; respectively The Tech explores current research at Caltech LORI DAJOSE AAKASH INDURKHYA Contributing Writers of the undergraduate population cells to simulate the pressure iron other. This work was presented is able to conduct scientific experiences in the core. They found at TEDxCaltech: The Brain last research at some point during that iron's melting temperature was Friday. their studies here through the about 400K higher than earlier Caltech is consistently ranked as one of the top research institutions in the world, and for good reason. Nobel-Prize-winning faculty, state-of-the-art laboratories, and the innovative Caltech spirit contribute to the many opportunities for research. And this isn't limited to professors and postdocs: over 80% Summer Undergraduate Research experiments had shown, suggesting Fellowship (SURF) program. that the core may be hotter than That being said, it's good to scientists originally believed. keep up to date on some of the various exciting discoveries in various labs. In this issue Geophysics Jennifer Jackson and her team are coming closer to determining the precise temperature of our planet's core. Since the core is about 90% used iron, the diamond group anvil Neuroeconomics Researcher and professor Antonio Rangel is using cursor tracking information better understand consumer decision making. In experiments tracking choices between healthy and unhealthy options, the lab found that when making these decisions, a subject's cursor frequently moves towards one decision before settling on the Astrophysics Data from the Caltech-operated NASA GALEX (Galaxy Evolution Explorer) mission has been used to identify the largest-known spiral galaxy, NGC 6872, 212 million light-years away from our own Milky Way. It is more than five times the size of our galaxy, spanning more than 522,000 light-years. Scientists believe its large size is a result of a merger with IC 4970, a much smaller disk galaxy, and that the pair of galaxies may give birth to another smaller one. Biology Paul Sternberg's lab is making progress in understanding how predatory fungi their prey, specifically, nematodes. His studies show that the fungi respond to ascarosides, which is the chemical that nematodes use to communicate. In response to this chemical, certain strains of fungi can make adhesive networks to trap and devour the nematodes. However, what's interesting is that fungi only respond when they are "nutrient-deprived," or in other words, when they're hungry Whether one is applying for a SURF or simply a fan of science, there is always fascinating research happening at Caltech. NEWS ASCIT bylaw 7 amendment proposal News briefs from around the globe Helping readers burst out of the Caltech bubble FEATURE Kelsey James questions Obama's promises OPINION Two past Profs of the Month profiled SPORTS Caltech fencers dismantle UCl Need to know < 100 words about the world this week - topics sorted from good to bad by The Tech Eds French gay marriage rally 125,000 gather in Paris to support same-sex marriage bill [NYT] Bipartisan immig. reform & senators form bill granting amnesty with harsher regulations [Fox News] H5N1 studies resume 1 year self-imposed moratorium ends, confident in new precautions (Nature] Boeing still building Russian anti-gay laws Riots in Egypt Brazil nightclub fire 787 Dreamliners grounded by federal probe, remain in production [CNN] 20 detained after kiss-in protest outside of Duma in Moscow [Reuters] 33 Deaths in Port Said, state of emergency in three cities [BBC] 232 killed after fireworks at Kiss club in Santa Maria ignite building BBC] get paid up to $30 Replace: lars ($12) per term. 2 JANUARY 28,2013 NEWS THE CALIFORNIA TECH Write articles for the Tech ASCIT Minutes Minutes for January 24, 2013. Taken by Allika Walvekar Officers present: Diego Caporale, Matt Fu, Zach Rivkin, Pushpa Neppala, Mario Zubia, Puikei Cheng, Michelle Tang, Allika Walvekar Big T: We will be voting on the Big T amendment on Tuesday, in accordance with the bylaws. For the past Each Corporation member will be assessed few years, the Big T has been struggling to publish on thirty-six dollars ($36) for the Big I, payable on time due to lack of funds. This amendment allows them the days of registration at the rate of twelve dol- to continue to make high quality Big T's and to distribute them promptly (ideally before winter break). We encourage you to vote yes on this amendment, because if The California Tech With: the amendment fails, then the current format of the Big T As of 2013, each Corporation member will be will need to be changed. The changes could be as severe as assessed fifty-seven dollars ($57) for the Big T, the Big T only is published every 3-4 years. Caltech 40-58, Pasadena, CA 91125 advertising e-mail: business@caltech.edu culolai eman. leene canecr.eau payable the day of registration each term at a rate of nineteen dollars ($19) per term. The values Officer's Reports: Editors-in-Chief shall be adjusted in these bylaws each year by a Jonathan Schor Stanford Schor relative amount equal to the percentage change V.P. of Academic Affairs (ARC Chair: Pushpa): in the average Consumer Price Index through a SFC: Will send out an official announcement News Editor Sandhya Chandrasekaran majority vote of the Board of Directors. for the SFC this week. Option updates were sent to The Tech this week. Puspha is putting together a focus group Sports Editor Rationale: Amol Kamat with faculty members to get their perspective on the The current Big T dues cannot support an an- honor code. She is also in the process of making room nual yearbook, due to an increase in publication reservations for the option breakout sessions. costs and inflation. That was the main reason SFL: The first family style SFL this week went well that the 2006-2009 yearbooks were combined Option Fair: Option fair will be on April 5th. into one yearbook, and that our last few year- Pushpa is working on option teas with the MOSH, which books have been late. Currently, the student fee will hopefully be in February and March. Staff Moriah Bischann only covers half of the yearbook (approximately UGSS: WIll have our first undergraduate seminar Nina Budaeva $35,000 per year), which is not enough to cover series for Professor Tai in February. printing costs (approximately $66,000 per year). This would increase the student contribution to Director of Operations (Mario): Organized the In n' Out approximately $55,000 per year, which combined truck for the Big T & Phoneathon distribution. Handled with advertising revenue will be able to fully all logistics regarding the transport of the Big Ts. support the annual printing costs of the Big T in future years. Also, the dues would be updated Treasurer (Puikei): every year to account for inflation based off of Club Funding: Club sub-accounts officially set up, the Consumer Price Index. Each year, the BoD and club officers can send in club reimbursement forms would vote on a change, and the dollar prices now and the year would be the only thing to change Big T: The Big T staff really needs the Big T Circulation Manager Michael Paluchniak in the bylaws. amendment to pass to ensure quality Big Is in the future Ravisor years. Richard Kipling Institute of lechnology, Inc. The opinions expressed herein are strictv those of the Leuers and submissions are welcome e-mall submissions to tech@caltech.eau as plain-text alachments. Incruamn of the week be aoes accep contributions under special curcumstances. Ine cantors reserve une ment lo cull anu aoruze all submissions 1or au casun an wiltch won lemans propell rech can also do simple typeseting nation, please send mail to "Subscrip- ASCIT Bylaw Amendment Call to Order: 8:30 pm Proposal: Amendment to Article IX, Section 5 This year, the BoD pulled from reserves to allow the yearbook to be published, which is not a sus- \ Social Director (Michelle): tainable practice. If the yearbook is to survive in Big T & Phoneathon will take place on January its current form, the dues must be changed, and 27th. Michelle will cover all marketing for the event. so the BoD unanimously chose to propose this Planning on buying drinks and cups. amendment. Winter Wonderland: The winter carnival will happen on Friday Febuary 1st. Michelle ordered the ice *Approximation of the inflation rate of the past rink and it will be placed in front of Beckman auditorium. 20 years based off of the Consumer Price Index There will also be fake snow. from the U.S. Department of Labor http://www. bls.gov/data/inflation_calculator.htm * ftp://ftp.bls.gov/pub/special.requests/cpi/cpiai. txt Secretary (Allika): Continually working on updating Donut with the new minutes. With the new elections in the houses, will be updating donut with the new officers. THE CALIFORNIA TECH OPINION JANUARY 28.2013 3 Techerland: The genesis of heels for women and men NINA BUDAEVA Staff Writer "Ouch, my feet are staring to hurt" Chelsea complained to Lily. "Suck it up. No pain, no gain!" I heard Lily say. We were all in the bathroom taking a breather before going back out to a party going on in one of the lounges. "I can't just take them off, can I?" Chelsea asked? Lily didn't even answer. She just gave Chelsea silencing glare. "So unfair," Chelsea proclaimed. "We girls have to suffer on tottering heels and the guys just wear comfortable flat shoes all the time". "First of all, you don't know how comfortable guys feel in what they wear when they dress up," Lily explained in her usual way. "Second, there's a reason girls wear heels. Third, you have to practice wearing them. Otherwise, all of the magic that they might do for you will only make you look worse. There's nothing more stressful than watching a girl struggling with her shoes, or walking on bent knees because she doesn't know how to distribute her weight throughout the shoe correctly". I couldn't politely stay in the bathroom much longer without making my eavesdropping obvious, so I went out into the hallway to wait for some friends before returningto the party. While waiting, I thought about their conversation. My own feet were beginning to get tired, but I hadn't noticed this until Chelsea's whining. Now I realized just how much some people wear heels and how natural they feel to me now. feel lucky that I spent many years dancing in pointe shoes and many more years training my feet so that I could dance. I'm also grateful to my Mother who made sure I walked in heels correctly from an early age. And yet still, after long night of dancing, it is always a relief to take off those shoes and scrunch my toes. The pain Chelsea must be feeling, and the blisters she must begettingaftergoing out in heels for one of the first times in her life made me admire her courage and resolve. These thoughts made Juc forget about my own discomfort and I walked off quickly with my friends as they finally came down the hallway. As usual, the CULLdLCC to the lounge that held the party was lined necis with people leaning against the walls and anyone who entered or left the lounge had to get properly acknowledged by this crowd. There were two types of people here: thosewho were unsurewhatto do next and were nervously trying to read the body and facial cues coming from their companions, and those who were just a bit too jolly to handle the lounge itself. After finally making it into the lounge, we were joined by Victoria. King Louis XIV poses in his stylish four-inch red - http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/ Mingling with the crowd, I saw many people greeting each like long-lost lovers (although really, their social engines were just very well-oiled with that magical fluid that often drives many parties). "He-eyyyy, hey gurrrl!" Victoria and I got some sloppy hugs from girls wed never really talked to and I knew that the next day, they would pass us and not even make eye contact. Such is the confusing world of interactions.The next morning I woke up and the first thing I saw were my shoes lying on the floor by my bed. Immediately, I felt a slight numbness in my feet and then I remembered Chelsea's conversation with Lily. This got me thinking about why exactly so many girls resort to heels. They make us taller and slimmer, they make our legs seem longer, and they enhance the posture of girls who wear them correctly. And yet, is the discomfort they give to so many girls worth it? Clearly since they are a staple of so many women's wardrobes, their magic must be worth the sacrifice. I went back to the origin of high heels. For centuries the heeled shoe was a common form of riding footwear in the near east. The Persian cavalry wore heels in the 16th century in order to stand firmly in their stirrups when they needed to shoot in battles against the Ottomans. Europeans caught the Eastern bug and the fashionable members of the high society adopted Eastern fashions, including the heeled shoe introduced by the Persians who tried to collaborate with Europe to fight the Ottoman Empire. Eventually heeled shoes trickled down to lower levels of society, so in order to set themselves above the rest, high society began wearing higher heels. As impractical as they were on cobbled and muddy streets, high heels, along with other luxurious dress, became a symbol of the aristocracy. However, it was the men who wore the heels. These men appeared taller and mightier and often symbols of power were displayed on the backs of their increasingly high heels. The French King Louis XIV who was only 163 cm (5'4") wore 10-cm (4") heels. His were exclusively red expensive and militant color at the time. In the 1670's, the King issued an edict saying that only men of his court could wear red heels. This power-fashion spread throughout Western Europe. In 1661, England's King Charles Il who was not short at all (185 cm) was also seen wearing rather high red heels at his coronation. In the 1600's, the ladies started to adopt male fashions, and began by cutting their hair shorter and having more masculine fits. They emphasized broad shoulders with epaulettes (shoulder pieces originally used in the army as marks of rank). Theywould wear masculinehats, and even smoke pipes! Eventually they also adopted heeled shoes as part of their growing masculinity. By now, heels were a clear symbol of power and sophistication which the ladies eagerly made their own Eventually, they became a staple of the female wardrobe but faded out of male fashion, except of course for the much-loved cowboy boots and maybe some '80's rock concert costumes. Therefore, I can understand Lily's innate drive to wear elegant heels and Chelsea's determination to endure the temporary discomfort of these power symbols. These talons, as the French call them (French for "birds' claws"); are the very symbol of strength and power which is now graciously reserved for the ladies. We go, girls! So, I got up, got dressed, did my make-up, rubbed my sore feet, and slipped on a pair of day-time King Louis XIV heels to go out and get breakfast. Obama's inaguration speech leaves much to be desired KELSEY JAMES Contributing Writer On January 22, 2013, President Obama was sworn in to his second term as President of the United States of America. Many of my more liberally inclined friends urged me to listen to his inauguration speech; they assured me that his inauguration speech was far more liberal in tone than his first had been. They claimed that it was a sign that his second term would be what his first term should have been, now that reelection was out of the picture. Even if this is true, the very fact thatthisdegreeoflyingandduplicity is accepted by so many "liberals" who will claim in the very next breath that they support campaign reform, oppose corruption, and so on highlights merely one aspect of our incurably rotten and corrupt system of government. Still, I watched the speech. After all, perhaps hed promised that he would fight the erosion of personal liberties, or that he would put an end to the murder of innocent brown people overseas, and I could pretend to believe that he meant it this time for some reason. Or maybe he gave everyone in the audience a free puppy-who knows. The following taken from the New York Times' transcript of Obama's second inaugural 66 speech. "A little girl born into the bleakest poverty knows that she has the sallie chance to succeed as anybody else." This statement is so divorced from reality that it 1S insulting. The abstract image of a child growing up in poverty overcoming her circumstances to become a member of a higher class (how wonderful this idea of class, reducing the value of a living breathing human being to a convenient number to be slotted into an income bracket) is certainly an inspiring one, and it does occasionally happen. But does he really think were stupid enough to believe that Bill Gates child has the same set of opportunities that Jane Doe, our impoverished heroine, During the election season so blessedly long ago, my Facebook better. "We, the people, still believe that enduring security and lasting peace do not require perpetual war." I certainly believe that, which is why I have never sent drones into Pakistan and Yemen or brushed off the death of innocents in the name Still, maybe I could hope for incremental changes over the course of years, and ignore the racism and classism, the police beatings and homeless, the dead foreigners and suicidal soldiers that face us every day. After all, that's what America is about. 99 feed was bombarded with articles of fighting terrorism. Of course, about Romney's "47%" comments, this does not officially count as a implying that he hated the poor war; how could it? or, at best, was completely unable War, while it is horrible, implies to empathize. While this is almost that there are multiple sides, which certainly true, I would hesitate to each have a possibility of harming claim that patronizing them is any the others. In drone warfare, the worst the US could possibly do is to lose its shiny new toy, while many Pakistanis and Yemenis live in daily fear of being struck down by a foe they cannot touch. That is not warfare: that is slaughter. I was also unaware that the war in Afghanistan had ended As a conflict that has been going on for over 11 years, surely that is the definition of perpetual warfare. On the bright side, Obama did declare that gay marriage was just as valid as straight marriage. a shocking and bold statement in the year 2013. He also claimed we would "respond to the threat of climate change." Again, this declaration comes several years later than it should have, with every day of inaction harming the environment. Still, maybe I could hope for incremental changes over the course of years, and ignore the racism and classism, the police beatings and homeless, the dead foreigners and suicidal soldiers that face us every day. After all, that's what America is about. 4 JANUARY 28,2013 FEATURE THE CALIFORNIA TECH Meet the two previous Professors of the Month A brief profile of November's Prof of the Month: Joel Tropp SANDHYA CHANDRASEKARAN News Editor periodic checkpoints, such as his lecturing style, which was quizzes and problem sets, he commended covered the material in a steady, by a number of students. Professor Joel Tropp is no novice when it comes to teaching courses to Caltech students. Moving to Caltech in 2007 after finishing a postdoc at the University of Michigan, Tropp has taught six different courses over ten terms. He taught ACM/EE116, Introduction tO Probability and Random Processes with Applications, for the first time last fall and received several positive reviews from his students. As ACM/EE116 is a cross-listed course, Tropp had the additional task of catering to several different groups of individuals, each of whom had varied exposure to the covered material. However, by structuring his course around progressive manner. One student admitted, "The One student noted, "He has excellent pacing and an ability quizzes forced me to study over my to lecture without leaving any notes and the textbook before each question unanswered, clearly class, so the quizzes actually kept stating underlying assumptions for me up to date on the material and major results in probability." allowed me to learn the material In this manner, Tropp was able to really well" unify a class consisting of students Furthermore, the rigor of from a number of different fields. mathematical proofs expected by Aside from the strictly Tropp prepared the students to descriptive aspects of the course, fully understand and defend their Tropp's personable nature allowed answers on problem sets. the students to become more One student promised, "If you comfortable with the material at put a lot of effort into [the course], their own pace. you will be rewarded with a solid foundation [in] probability. As one student commented, "[Professor Troppl relates well Tropp's thoroughness and to students, and uses very well- forethought in structuring this prepared lectures. The problem course was evident early on from sets are well-thought out and he shows genuine care for our learning is safe to say that Tropp has made a sizable impact his students through this course. "One student praised, "All around, he's been one of the best professors I've had at Caltech, and he deserves to be recognized." It appears that many of his other students share that sentiment. Professor currently Tropp teaching ACM 113, Introduction Optimization, during the winter term. Aside from his academic and professional duties, Tropp is an avid traveller and frequents countries around the globe. - Provided by Joel Tropp A brief profile of Decembers's Prof of the Month: Jason Alicea SANDHYA CHANDRASEKARAN News Editor ProfProfessor Jason Alicea began his teaching career at Caltech this past fall term as the lecturer for Ph127, the advanced statistical mechanics course. Although he took on the course relatively late given his recent arrival, Alicea not only did the course justice, but also did so in such a way that primed his students to master and thoroughly enjoy the material. Much of this comes from the time and effort he spends dedicated to preparing and structuring his lectures prior to class. Alicea was also fortunate to have the fantastic course materials of previous course instructor Professor Lesik Motrunich to build upon. Nonetheless, the results speak for themselves. As one student commented, "All of his classes are very engaging, and you can tell that he spends a lot of time planning his lectures and making sure they are accessible to everyone in the class." Another praised, "His lectures are probably the best organized out of any math or physics class Ive taken so far. I've been using my notes I took in class more than the textbook, and the textbook for the class is one of the best textboo used here. He's also a ver lecturer and does an es job covering all of the ne material, and connecting to interesting physical phen that aren't explicitly part course curriculum." Alicea translates this meticulousness J0lo choosing suitable homework assignments AKE TAHO! - Provided by Jason Alicea that supplement the lecture material. Students noted that, "the number of units for the course is accurate, and the problem sets are instructive, SO the time spent on them serves just as well for learning the material as lecture does." Another aspect that students truly appreciated was Alicea's willingness to schedule make-up classes for students when he had prior commitments conflicting with scheduled times, "which is rare amongst Caltech professors," one student pointed out. But what it really comes down to at the end of the day is the excilemen Alicea feels towards the subject matter. His students explained, "He is also very enthusiastic about what he is teaching, and that makes me enthusiastic about the material He always answers our questions clearly and never makes us feel silly or dumb even when we do ask him redundant questions." His passion for physics invokes the very same in his eager students Although Alicea is new to the Caltech faculty, he is no stranger to southern California. Having earned his Ph.D. in 2007 from the University of California, Santa Barbara, in physics, Alicea was a Caltech postdoc for three years before taking on an assistant professor position al the University of California, Irvine in physics and astronomy. Now at Caltech, Alicea focuses his interests on condensed matter theory. His lab explores topological quantum computation, quantum Hall physics, and frustrated magnetism. Bonus comic! The humor section overfloweth. Acquired Taste by Dr. Z GMai box(1) (1) Man-girl party Other stuff Gogle transfer applications FEATURE THE CALIFORNIA TECH JANUARY 28, 2013 5 All Serious Physical Science Students A must read Caltech Library Foundations of Physics Study Spaces Joseph M. Brown Ph.D., Purdue University, 1952 The library is a good place to visit when you want to study. Whether you want to work collaboratively or independently, there is a study space that will meet your needs. • Group study rooms in the Sherman Fairchild Library (SFL) can be reserved online. • There is silent study space on SFL-2 • Millikan 7 offers lovely views from the study carrels • The branch libraries in Dabney, Cahill and North Mudd include quiet and unique work spaces. • Starts with basic Newtonian particles • Shows how hydrogen is formed • Derives conservation of mass, momentum, and • Shows what causes electric charge energy • Verives the strong nuclear torce • Shows how matter motion is accomplished •Derives Newton's equatons or moulon • Shows what causes matter waves and • Shows why Maxwell-Boltzmann gas parameters v, magnetism and Vm arranged as [(v,- Vm) /Ym]=(V37/8-1)= • Derives superconductivity 1/137.1 is fundamental to quantum mechanics • Derives the neutron and what causes • Shows how neutrinos develop 10° newton thrust nuclear decay • Proves that Newtonian particles can form • Shows exactly what a photon is • Shows what causes gravitation stable inhomogeneous states - the neutrinos • Shows how atoms are formed • Shows why fundamental angular momentum • Shows how stars are formed has one value -½ Planck's constant shows why photons decay with travel • Shows what produces the magnitude of the • Shows why matter we see was formed 1020 proton mass wedis deo Other books by Dr. Brown The Grand Unified Theory of Physics, The Neutrino, ISBN 9780971294462, 2004, $29.95 ISBN 9780971294479, 2012, $29.95 Thu rio structure euntied theory showing what the strally which is a counter example to the serine structure Which is a counter examble to the second The Chemistry and Mechanics of Human Aging, law of thermodynamics. The neutrino is a translating ISBN 9780971294486, 2008, $19.95 tornado-like stable flow pattern. of rosiy the cause orduced in DNA at Principles of Science, ISBN 0-9626768-0-2, 1991, $39.95 Photons and the Elementary Particles, ISBN 9780971294455, 2011, $29.95 The detailed structure of the photon is derived. presented Please email library@caltech.edu with questions, feedback or to suggest a book for purchase. See the destruction of age-old misconceptions of the Universe • Counter example to the Second Law of Thermodynamics is erroneous - see how to find the absolute speed of the earth • See the fallacy of the expanding Universe http://library.caltech.edu/ Basic search Basic Research Press Ieu cast ain stree Starkville, MS 39759 662-543-2844 www.oasicresearchoress.con Hard Back: $29.95 ISBN-978-0-9883180-0-7 Countdown to SFC: Update number three PUSHPA NEPPALA ARC Chair Applied Physics (Alexander These do not have to be taken 3. Introduce more COMSOL in Mouschovias, atm@caltech.edu) consecutively or in a fixed order and ChE103b. Changes to APh 17, 77, and can be satisfied with a "reasonable" 4. Make instructions for senior Given the upcoming Student Faculty Conference (SFC), the ARC and The Tech established a column updating the student body ongoing discussions surrounding curriculum changes. Approximately every month up until the SFC, updates from the option committees (comprised of both students and faculty) will be published here. 109 will be discussed at our next replacement. thesis accessible on website meeting. More information to follow at Determine whether An APh 125 is still possible but the SFC department can accommodate less likely. more graduate TAs. We are thinking of requiring Ph Bioengineeing (Malvika Verma, 12abc. If you have comments on this, please send them to me. with undergrads (sophomores and above) and Prof Niles Pierce and UCSB about ChemE computation Electrical Engineering (Jomya Lei, jlei@caltech.edu) Instead of a set schedule for the suggested core EE requirements, there will be suggested schedules depending on interest (circuits, signal processing computer engineering, biodevices etc). The core EE requirements will remain the same, but it might be in a different order. potentially having two project options in EE90 - one for single people projects and one for team Please feel free to email Pushpa (pneppala@caltech.edu) or the contact person listed alongside. ACM (Michael Zhang, zhang. michael.y@gmail.com) Fall term heavy so trying to move classes (ACM 10/11) to spring term Possible student mentorship program Proposal of unofficial "tracks" to help students choose elective courses Astrophysics (Gregory Simonian, gsimonia@caltech.edu) Specific Ph 3 requirement will be dropped. Ph 12 will be recommended, but not a requirement. Try and incorporate more interactive modes of learning into classes. Business Economics and Management (Misha Raffiee, mraffiee@caltech.edu) There is overwhelming support for the creation of a BEM pizza class and reinstatement of the BEM club. Currently discussing changes in graduation requirements under new core based on results from the survey. We have started preparing our SFC presentation and final report and will be meeting with committee faculty to finalize in the next two weeks Biology (Stephanie Kwan, skwan@caltech.edu) Reviewing results from survey and compiling into SFC presentation In agreement with results from the student survey, Biology Faculty have voted to require Ma 2, Ma 3, and two of Ph 2, 3, and 4 (still 2 terms each of 2nd year math/ physics). Winter term of BE option is very heavy junior and senior year, so we are requesting professors to teach more classes spring term Zabc or Phys 2, 3, 4 or chemistry classes. iGEM team should get started again! Standardize BE 98 (undergrad yr-round research) with committee of professors and reports and presentations Will have another meeting within 2 weeks and write the SFC report and presentation Computer Science (Mike Yurko, m@caltech.edu) Reviewed results of survey. Satisfaction has greatly improved from the last two CS SFCs. Continued to discuss what parts of core would be retained. Ma3 likely, but Ma2 and physics core are still being discussed. (Sebastián Rojas Mata, srrojas@ caltech.edu) 44 students responded the survey: 22 seniors, 10 juniors, 11 sophmores and 1 freshman. No unexpected or surprising results. Role of sophomore core to be discussed further, probably going to require all but one or two classes. Engineering and Applied Changes to the ME core had a Chemical Engineering (Sabrina Sciences (Matthew Voss, welcoming to indifferent reception Sun, ssun@caltech.edu) stericinterference@gmail.com) Research related questions and The survey is currently out. results will be discussed at the next Faculty agenda: Waiting for more responses before meeting. Presentation and report 1. Replace Ph2b with Ch21c beginning to analyze data. to be taken spring term of junior Were meeting with the drafting will begin shortly. year. Professors next week to discuss 2. Replace Ma2b with ChemE catalog requirements and the computation class to be taken feasibility of implementation of winter term of sophomore year. potential changes to the major. Physics (Valère Lambert, vlambert@caltech.edu) Allowing Ph 5 and APh 9 to satisfy Ph 3 requirement January 28, 2013 FEATURE THE CALIFORNIA TECH 14 17 20 23 29 42 44 51 60 65 68 2 39 61 40 62 Today's Puzzle: Crossword 4 30 34 52 57 24 53 15 18 21 135 45 31 46 63 66 69 [http://www.puzzlechoice.com/] 32 43 58 25 41 54 22 36 55 9 16 19 37 47 10 38 59 64 67 70 |11 26 33 48 56 12 13 Across 2728 49 50 1. Comparative of little 5. Mantle 9. Rule made by local authority 14. Succulent 15. Symbol 16. Awaken 17. Excavation 18. Overwhelming defeat 19. Bound under moral obligation 20. Test 21. Custodian 23. Unit of luminance 24. Ballet step 25. Tedious 29. Snares 31. Story 33. Usually follows neither 34. Fertile part of a desert 36. Minister 39. Visual misconception 42. Earnest 43. Benefactor 44. Not in 45. Intense or sharp 47. The lowest degree 51. Widen 54. Ancient Roman god 56. For each 57. Wine merchant 59. Prima donna 27. Natural satellite 60. Candle 28. Make a mistake 63. South African 30. Rod currency 32. Stage whisper 64. Part of a woodwind 35. Submerged instrument 37. Coral reef 65. Alarm surrounding a lagoon 66. Part of a church 38. Father 67. Land measure 39. Unit of time 68. Trivial 40. Singing voice 69. Person of equal 41. Having standing in a group intelligible meaning 70. Alcoholic beverage 42. Weep 46. Ensnare Down 48. Each 49. Austere 1. Dirge 50. Merchant 2. Potion 52. Deflect 3. Musical composition 53. Unclean 4. Appear 55. Command 5. Approximately in or at 58. Part of the neck Physical science 59. Dreary relating to sound 60. Strike lightly 7. Decant 61. Brew 8. Imply 62 Domesticated 9. Stream animal 10. Belonging to you 11. Carry with difficulty 12. Type of tree 13. Moisture 22. Surgical instrument 24. Sacred song 26. Upon Caltech Public Events is now hiring student ushers. $15 per hour to work concerts, performances, lectures, films and parties. No experience needed, no hard labor, flexible schedules. *Requirements: Caltech student, Positive attitude, Friendly personality To apply email Adam Jacobo (ajacobo@caltech.edu) or call (626)395-5907 For info on Caltech Public Events visit: www.caltech. edu/content/public-events THE CALIFORNIA TECH SPORTS JANUARY 28, 2013 7 Caltech fencing team travels to San Diego for quad meet Freshman Patric Eck soared above the competition (ayyy, you like?), posting 29 points for the Beavers as they defeated Chapman. - Amol Kamat FROM GOCALTECH.COM SAN DIEGO, CA - The Caltech fencing team travel to UC San Diego for a quad meet on Saturday afternoon. Along with the host Tritons, the Beavers faced-off against UC Irvine and Arizona State. "Having fenced these teams earlier in the year, we had a much stronger showing this time. We completely trounced UCI and posted a number of wins against Arizona and UCSD," Stan Schor said. "On the men's epee squad, we've really made a lot of progress in terms of fencing as a team: taking notes about every opponent, carefully analyzing each of our teammates' bouts, and utilizing time-outs to talk strategy. I definitely think that effort is showing." The Beavers most successful bouts came against UC Irvine. The Beavers grabbed team wins in both men's and women's competition. Jon Schor won all three of his bouts in saber to help set the tone for the team win. Similarly during the foil dual, Eugene Vinitsky swept through his three bouts. Another veteran Beaver fencer, Stan Schor, posted a perfect result in his three epee bouts. During thewomen'scompetition against the Anteaters, Katie Fisher and Becky Tang each won two bouts in epee. The team win was secured as Ingrid Fielder won all three in epee while Catherine Pavlov took two of three. In a well competed dual against Arizona State the Beavers posted a handful of individual wins against the Sun Devils. Jon Schor grabbed three wins during saber as the Beavers lost a tightly contest team saber event. The trio of Stan Schor, Taylor Strumwasser and John Christian each grabbed one win in epee. Fisher and Tang had nice foil bouts during the women's meet against the Sun Devils. Fisher swept her three bouts while Tang won two. "I think we did really well yesterday! We were up against some challenging teams and some teams right around our level, and I think we stepped up to the challenge at every occasion. Women's foil beat ASU and tied UCI, which was a great validation of how far we've come. "My teammate Becky has really shown improvement since the beginning of the year; your first few meets are always tough because you don't know quite what to expect, but shes won some challenging bouts and really pushed herself to do well," Fisher said. While the Beavers struggled against UC San Diego they were able to bring home some individual wins in epee. Stan Schor and John Christian each won a bout in while Pavlov won a bout in the women's dual. Next up for the Beaversis atrip to Evanston, IL for the Northwestern duals in two weeks. "The results from this meet really just helped underscore our excitement to get out there to Northwestern, where we'll have a much wider and more diverse field of competitors. We've been training hard and were ready to rack up more wins for Caltech, Stan Schor said. Fisher added, "Overall, I think we're hitting our peak as the season picks up. We've all learned a lot of new things and are eager to put them into action. "Northwestern, our toughest tournament of the season, is next week, but I have no doubt that we're ready." Women Caltech Results UC San Diego 26, Caltech 1 (Saber 9-0, Foil 9-0, Epee 8-1) Caltech 16, UC Irvine 7 (Saber 6-0, Foil 4-4, Epee 6-3) Arizona State 19, Caltech 6 (Saber 6-2, Foil 5-3, Epee 8-1) Men Caltech Results UC San Diego 25, Caltech 2 (Saber 9-0, Foil 9-0, Epee 7-2) Caltech 21, UC Irvine 6 (Saber 7-2, Foil 7-2, Epee 7-2) Arizona State 19, Caltech 8 (Saber 5-4, Foil 8-1, Epee 6-3) Weekly Scoreboard Men's Basketball vs. Cal Lutheran L, 66-47 Final Women's Basketball Us. Cal Lutheran L, 58-40 Final Women's Basketball at Chapman L, 71-49 Final Men's Basketball at Chapman L, 72-65 Final Upcoming Games January 30, 2013 Men's Basketball Us. Occidental 7:30 PM January 31, 2013 Women's Basketball vs. Occidental 7:30 PM THE CALIFORNIA TECH HUMOR CELEBRATING TWO LONG YEARS OF MEDIOCRITY APPROXIMATELY TWO YEARS "'R2-D2" AGO TODAY, A "PRETTY FUNNY" COMIC INUOLVING WHERE THE LADIES AT? LUIGI IN A BEE SUIT WAS SUBMITTED TO, REJECTED BY, AND THEN PRINTED IN THE TECH. THE REST IS HISTORY. TO COMMEMORATE THIS ANNIVERSARY, HERE ARE FRAMES FROM REAL COMICS DEEMED TOO DANGEROUS FOR PUBLICATION. "THE ARC" (ALT ENDING) YEAH, IT WAS ME! "BRIDE OF FRANKENDAD" JANUARY 28, 2013 BY DAVID GINOLA "FASHION WARZ" T-HAT'S UNBELIEVABLE! "OPPLES AND ARANGES" Bonus comic on page 4! For more photos, videos, and archives of previous issues, check out the Tech website! The California Tech Caltech 40-58 Pasadena, CA 91125 tech.caltech.edu