Cornell University News Service Releases

December, 2003

Index to all months

For the full text of any story, click on the headline. Electronic queries may be made to cunews@cornell.edu.

How to overcome joylessness
Although "joy to the world" is the message of the season, millions of people go through the motions of daily living reaping little joy. People who tend to be glum, passive, negative and sluggish may suffer from dysthymia -- persistent, low-grade depression -- but don't know it, or that they can do something about it. "Mild depressions are so insidious that sufferers often don't seek help, thinking, 'that's just the way I am and there's not much I can do about it.' Most don't realize that chronic mild depression can be relieved in 85 percent of cases," says Susan S. Lang, a senior science writer at Cornell University and the co-author of Beating the Blues: New Approaches to Overcoming Dysthymia and Chronic Mild Depression (Oxford University Press, 2004). (December 24, 2003)

Bill Nye's 'cool' interplanetary sundial heads for Mars
PASADENA, Calif. -- Leave it to Bill Nye "the Science Guy" to turn a traditional piece of calibration equipment into a really cool, state-of-the-art scientific instrument. As he was looking over the designs for instruments to be carried aboard NASA's 2001 Mars Surveyor Lander, Nye noticed that the solar-panel calibration device for the lander's Pancam panoramic camera -- a small aluminum square with an upright post in the center of it -- looked familiar. "I said, 'Hey you guys, this has got to be a sundial. It'll be great.' They said, 'Bill, this is a space program. We have a lot of clocks. Thanks for your input.' Everybody was skeptical at first but later thought it would be kind of cool," Nye recalls. The launch of the Surveyor Lander was canceled after the disappearance of the Mars Polar Lander in December 1999 following its descent into the Martian atmosphere for a landing on the planet's south polar region. But the first interplanetary sundial finally is scheduled to make it to the red planet on Jan. 3, 2004, with the landing of the first of two Mars rovers. Identical sundials, each about 3 inches square, are being carried by the two roving vehicles, Spirit and Opportunity. (December 23, 2003)

Cornell-developed panoramic camera will provide stunning, high-resolution red planet views
PASADENA, Calif. -- The Cornell University-developed, mast-mounted panoramic camera, called the Pancam, on board the rovers Spirit and Opportunity will provide the clearest, most-detailed Martian landscapes ever seen. The image resolution -- equivalent to 20/20 vision for a person standing on the Martian surface -- will be three times higher than that recorded by the cameras on the Mars Pathfinder mission in 1997 or the Viking Landers in the mid-1970s.

NSF creates 13-member nanotechnology network
The National Science Foundation (NSF) has designated a 13-member national consortium as the National Nanotechnology Infrastructure Network (NNIN), creating the world's largest and most accessible nanoscale laboratory. The consortium will enable university students and researchers, as well as scientists from corporate and government laboratories, to have open access to resources they need for studying molecular and higher length-scale materials and processes and applying them in a variety of structures, devices and systems. Named to lead NNIN is Sandip Tiwari, director of the NSF-funded Cornell Nanoscale Facility (CNF), a national user facility on the Cornell campus. NSF funding to the new network is expected to be $70-million or higher for five years, beginning in January 2004, with the possibility of a five-year renewal. (December 22, 2003)

Mars mission scientist will live a 25-hour day
PASADENA, Calif. -- Steven Squyres, the principal investigator for the science instruments aboard the Spirit and Opportunity Mars rovers, juggles his commitments to the four space missions he is actively involved in, as well as to his teaching and advising duties, with an energetic ease that makes some wonder if he has found the secret to a 25-hour day. Well yes, actually, he has. (December 22, 2003)

How a tiny abrasion tool will help reveal geology of Mars
PASADENA, Calif. -- Facelifts can sag. Botox is temporary. But modern science has a new way to return youth to weathered faces: the rock abrasion tool (RAT). If your dermatologist hasn't heard of it, ask your local Mars scientist. Billions of years of exposure to the sun, atmosphere and extremely fine Martian dust has given Mars rocks a weathered "rind," or exterior layer. The RAT, part of the science-instrument package carried by the two Mars rovers, Spirit and Opportunity, uses a diamond-tipped robotic grinding tool to scrape away this weathered exterior, revealing a fresh surface. (December 19, 2003)

Mars landings employ some of the nation's coolest young science students
PASADENA, Calif. --Steve Squyres and his colleagues on the Mars Exploration Rover science team rely heavily on the expertise of graduate students, who will work closely with them during the exploration of the Martian surface by the two rovers, Spirit and Opportunity. But the team also will be depending on much younger students, some not even out of high school.">

Mars rover wheels will dig in to study soil
PASADENA, Calif. -- After the twin Mars Exploration Rovers bounce onto the red planet and begin touring the Martian terrain in January, onboard spectrometers and cameras will gather data and images --- and the rovers' wheels will dig holes. Working together, a Cornell University planetary geologist and a civil engineer have found a way to use the wheels to study the Martian soil by digging the dirt with a spinning wheel. "It's nice to roll over geology, but every once in a while you have to pull out a shovel, dig a hole and find out what is really underneath your feet," says Robert Sullivan, senior research associate in space sciences and a planetary geology member of the Mars mission's science team. He devised the plan with Harry Stewart, Cornell associate professor of civil engineering, and engineers at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena. (December 19, 2003)

Organic chemistry found in a galaxy far, far away
An instrument aboard NASA's recently launched orbiting infrared observatory has found evidence of organic molecules in an enormously powerful galaxy some 3.25 billion light years from the Earth. So powerful is the source, that it is equal to 10 trillion times the luminosity of the sun, making it one of the brightest galaxies ever detected. The instrument on the newly named Spitzer Space Telescope (previously called the Space Infrared Telescope Facility, or SIRTF) is the infrared spectrograph, or IRS. James Houck, professor of astronomy at Cornell University, heads the scientific team on the $39 million IRS contract with the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif., a division of the California Institute of Technology, manager of the mission for NASA. (December 19, 2003)

Chimp vs. human DNA: what's in the 1% difference
Nearly 99 percent alike in genetic makeup, chimpanzees and humans might be even more similar were it not for what researchers call "lifestyle" changes in the 6 million years that separate us from a common ancestor. Specifically, two key differences are how humans and chimps perceive smells and what we eat. A massive gene-comparison project involving two Cornell University scientists, and reported in the latest issue of the journal Science (Dec. 12, 2003), found these and many other differences in a search for evidence of accelerated evolution and positive selection in the genetic history of humans and chimps. (December 19, 2003)

Infrared telescope detects organic chemistry in galaxy
An instrument aboard NASA's recently launched orbiting infrared observatory has found evidence of organic molecules in an enormously powerful galaxy some 3.25 billion light years from the Earth. So powerful is the source, that it is equal to 10 trillion times the luminosity of the sun, making it one of the brightest galaxies ever detected. The instrument on the newly named Spitzer Space Telescope (previously called the Space Infrared Telescope Facility, or SIRTF) is the infrared spectrograph, or IRS. James Houck, professor of astronomy at Cornell University, heads the scientific team on the $39 million IRS contract with the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif., a division of the California Institute of Technology, manager of the mission for NASA. (December 18, 2003)

Lifestyle accounts for difference in chimp, human genome
Nearly 99 percent alike in genetic makeup, chimpanzees and humans might be even more similar were it not for what researchers call "lifestyle" changes in the 6 million years that separate us from a common ancestor. Specifically, two key differences are how humans and chimps perceive smells and what we eat. A massive gene-comparison project involving two Cornell University scientists, and reported in the latest issue of the journal Science (Dec. 12, 2003), found these and many other differences in a search for evidence of accelerated evolution and positive selection in the genetic history of humans and chimps. (December 18, 2003)

Maria Antonia Garcés wins Lowell Prize from MLA
N.Y. -- Maria Antonia Garcés, a professor in the Department of Romance Studies at Cornell University, has been awarded the Modern Language Association's 34th James Russell Lowell Prize for her book Cervantes in Algiers: A Captive's Tale (Vanderbilt University Press, 2002). The MLA's prestigious annual prize is awarded for an outstanding book, literary or linguistic study, critical edition of an important work or a critical biography written by a member of the association. (December 18, 2003)

G. Peter Lepage appointed dean of Cornell College of Arts and Sciences
G. Peter Lepage has been appointed the Harold Tanner Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at Cornell University, Cornell President Jeffrey Lehman announced today (Dec. 17). Lepage, former chair of the university's Department of Physics, had been serving as interim dean of the college since July 1, 2003. "Peter Lepage personifies the greatness of the College of Arts and Sciences. He is a true intellectual, a researcher whose work has deepened understanding of the fundamental structure of the material world," said Lehman. "He is a great educator, dedicated to the ideals of a liberal education. And he is a natural leader, a person whose generous spirit and determined vision have contributed to the ongoing progress of his department and the college itself." (December 17, 2003)

Computers for Africa community project is expanding
The Cornell Public Affairs Society (CPAS) launched a wide-scale computer donation campaign in the spring of 2003 to extend the benefits of the Internet to schools and related organizations in Africa. With 150 computers collected so far, CPAS continues to solicit donations from the community with the intention of sustaining this project for several years to come. The computers are destined for African nations, with an emphasis on institutions supporting women in schools, agricultural organizations and training centers, and health agencies. The computers collected to date already have been sent to Washington, D.C., for refurbishment and will be shipped to Malawi, Tanzania, Kenya and Mali in January 2004. (December 16, 2003)

Hilton Als, New Yorker reviewer, wins $10,000 Nathan Award
N.Y. -- Hilton Als, theater critic for The New Yorker magazine, is the winner of the 2002-03 George Jean Nathan Award for Dramatic Criticism. The award, which carries a $10,000 prize, is administered by the Cornell University Department of English and is one of the most generous and distinguished in the American theater. Als was selected by a committee consisting of the chairs of the English departments of Cornell, Princeton and Yale universities, assisted by experts on the theater from those universities. The Nathan committee citation reads: "Whether he's discussing the latest directorial interpretation of Gypsy, the formidable acting talent on display in Vincent in Brixton, or the Harlem Renaissance background of Langston Hughes's Little Ham, Hilton Als offers his audience a lively mix of information and opinion in a literate style that cannot help but contribute to intelligent play-going." (December 15, 2003)

Chances of seeing a white Christmas in the Northeast?
Pinkham Notch, N.H., the starting point for many skiing and hiking trails on Mount Washington, has the best chance for a white Christmas in the Northeast -- an all-but-guaranteed 96 percent. According to senior climatologist Keith Eggleston of Cornell University's Northeast Regional Climate Center, the New Hampshire haven for year-round sports enthusiasts has the best chance for a white Christmas Day of any town in the entire Northeast region. The climate center defines a white Christmas as having at least 1 inch of snow on the ground on Dec. 25. It bases its estimates on statistics gleaned from 1951 to 2000. (December 11, 2003)

Drug-coated biomaterials to prevent artery reblockage
Cornell University Professor C.C. Chu was browsing through Business Week in 1997 when he read about a cardiologist using radioactivity to reduce artery reblockage following angioplasty and stent surgery, a condition called restenosis. Chu called the cardiologist to say he had a better approach. Now, five years, four U.S. patents and $1.75 million license payments later, Chu has been proven right. He and researchers in his lab in the Department of Textiles and Apparel in the College of Human Ecology at Cornell have developed a group of biodegradable biomaterials that can deliver nitric oxide (NO) derivatives and other biologically active compounds. (December 11, 2003)

Feeding the world while preserving ecosystems
An international group of agricultural scientists is studying how to feed the world while conserving natural ecosystems. In a first step, the Sustainable Agriculture and Natural Resources Management program of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has chosen Cornell University's College of Agriculture and Life Sciences to study how to unite agricultural and environmental land management worldwide. Louise Buck, Cornell senior extension associate in natural resources, will lead the "ecoagriculture" assessment team. "Around the world there has been too much competition between agriculture and natural resources," says Buck. "This is bringing together the state of the art in natural science and social science research, all for managing agricultural land systems and conserving biodiversity. We are looking for synergies." (December 8, 2003)

Plant gene offers disease control without pesticides
Scientists have found the gene that sends a signal through plant immune systems, saying, in effect: "Take two aspirin and call out the troops -- we're under attack !" Discovery of the salicylic acid-binding protein 2 (SABP2) gene, by scientists at Boyce Thompson Institute for Plant Research (BTI) at Cornell University, is being called an important step toward new strategies to boost plants' natural defenses against disease and for reducing the need for agricultural pesticides. (December 8, 2003)

Annual CT screening detects early-stage lung cancers, saves lives
New York, NY (December 5, 2003) -- Annual computed tomography (CT) screening is an effective diagnostic tool for detecting early-stage lung cancer in smokers and for reducing mortality rates, according to the latest data from two ongoing studies. The new findings, which confirm earlier published studies, were presented by Dr. Claudia henschke of New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center, at the 89th scientific assembly and annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) in Chicago earlier this week.

Dr. Henschke is principal investigator of the two studies -- the Early Lung Cancer Action Program (ELCAP), the first major study of low-dose CT creening in smokers and former smokers age 60 and older, and NY-ELCAP, a collaboration between 11 of New York-based medical centers that are investigating annual CT screenings."The most current data of ELCAP, which includes more than four times as many study participants as previously published, confirms our finding that CT screening results in the discovery of 80 percent of lung cancers in the earliest, most curable stage when the cancer has not yet spread to the lymph nodes," said Dr. Henschke, Professor of Radiology at Weill Cornell Medical College and Division Chief of Chest Imaging and Attending Radiologist at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell.

Professor Stewart Schwab named dean of Cornell Law School
Stewart J. Schwab, professor of law at Cornell Law School and a specialist in labor and employment law, and tort and contract law, has been named the new dean of the Law School, Cornell President Jeffrey S. Lehman announced today (Dec. 5). "Stewart Schwab is a nationally recognized scholar who has the respect and admiration of his colleagues on the Cornell faculty," said Lehman. "I am confident that, with his strong leadership, the Law School will make ever greater contributions to our understanding of the law and legal institutions and will continue to prepare our students for lives of accomplished service within a rapidly changing profession." (December 05, 2003)

Renewed funding provides grad fellowships in applied math
The National Science Foundation (NSF) has renewed funding for the Cornell IGERT Program in Nonlinear Systems. The new award of $3,338,800 will provide two-year graduate fellowships of $27,500 a year for 30 students over the next five years, beginning with 12 new students in the fall of 2004. The funds also will provide computer services and general support for the program offices. This is an extension of a previous five-year program launched in 1998. IGERT is NSF's Integrative Graduate Education and Research Traineeship program for training a diverse group of scientists and engineers to take advantage of a broad spectrum of career options. More than 100 programs at doctorate-granting institutions are involved, including a second IGERT program at Cornell in Biogeochemistry and Environmental Biocomplexity. (December 5, 2003)

New inter-campus center focuses on ways to benefit elderly
How can communication between physicians and their elderly patients be improved? How can community service agencies better help families with depressed older relatives? How can psychotherapy and physical therapy be united to help older adults suffering simultaneously from back pain and depression? A new center at Cornell University will address these kinds of problems with innovative applied research projects. The Cornell Institute for Translational Research on Aging (CITRA) is funded with $1.9 million from the National Institute of Aging (NIA), one of four Edward R. Roybal Centers funded nationwide this year. A collaboration of the fields of social science, clinical research and mental health, the institute embraces social scientists from Cornell's Ithaca campus, research clinicians in geriatric medicine at the Division of Geriatrics and Gerontology at the Weill Medical College of Cornell University in Manhattan, and researchers at the Psychiatric Division of the Cornell Institute for Geriatric Psychiatry in Westchester County, N.Y. (December 5, 2003)

Latest knowledge on plant cell-wall biology in new book
The wall of a plant cell is no longer just a biological bulwark. It is a critical component in science. To update other biologists with fresh information about plant cell walls, Jocelyn Rose, a Cornell University assistant professor of plant biology, has edited a new book, The Plant Cell Wall, published by Blackwell Publishing. "This book is especially appropriate given the recent completion of the first plant-genome sequencing projects and our entry into the 'post-genomic' era," said Rose, who joined the Cornell faculty as part of the university's Genomics Initiative. "Such breakthroughs have given an exciting glimpse into the substantial size and diversity of the families of genes encoding cell wall-related proteins." (December 4, 2003)

Cornell trustee committees meet in New York City, Dec. 11
The Executive Committee of the Cornell University Board of Trustees will hold a brief open session when it meets Thursday, Dec. 11, at 2 p.m. in the Fall Creek Room of the Cornell Club of New York, 6 E. 44th St., New York City. The short public session at the beginning of the meeting will include a report from Cornell President Jeffrey Lehman and a report of the Buildings and Properties Committee. (December 4, 2003)

Timing of IQ test can be a life or death matter
The year in which IQ is tested can make the difference between life and death for a death row inmate. It also can determine the eligibility of children for special services, adults' Social Security benefits and recruits' suitability for certain military careers, according to a new study by Cornell University researchers. That's because IQ scores tend to rise 5 to 25 points in a single generation. This so-called "Flynn effect" is corrected by toughening up the test every 15 to 20 years to reset the mean score to 100. A score from a test taken at the end of one cycle can vary widely from a score derived from a test taken at the beginning of the next cycle, when the test is more difficult, says Stephen J. Ceci, professor of human development at Cornell. (December 3, 2003)

$5 million to make MBA students environmentally aware
A $5 million gift from Samuel C. Johnson will give global environmental sustainability issues more prominence in MBA studies at Cornell University. The gift is the latest among many given to Cornell by Johnson, chairman emeritus of S.C. Johnson and Son of Racine, Wis., and a Cornell alumnus. His $20 million gift to the Johnson School in 1984, made with his family and company, is the foundation of the school's current endowment. Johnson earned his A.B. degree at Cornell in 1950. (December 3, 2003)

Spent nuclear fuel is removed from Ward lab
Spent nuclear fuel has been removed from Cornell University's inoperative research reactor at the Ward Center for Nuclear Sciences and deposited in a nuclear materials storage site maintained by the U.S. Department of Energy, university officials announced today (Dec. 2). The removal of the spent nuclear fuel from the Teaching, Research, Isotope, General Atomics (TRIGA) reactor is a phase of the decommissioning process for Ward Lab. The university shut down the small-scale teaching and research reactor June 30, 2002, so that the building can be used for other academic purposes. (December 02, 2003)

Game Design Initiative will use gaming as motivation
Most parents -- and not a few teachers -- think computer games are a waste of time. David Schwartz, Cornell assistant professor of computer science, thinks they can be a powerful teaching tool -- especially if you get students interested in creating their own. So Schwartz, aided by Rajmohan Rajagopalan, Cornell instructor in computer science, and Rama Hoetzlein, who graduated from Cornell in 2001 with a dual major in computer science and fine art, is teaching an experimental course in computer game design. The course is part of an overall plan Schwartz calls the Computer Game Design Initiative. He hopes that game design eventually can become a tool to interest high school and elementary school students in science and technology, while teaching a little physics, writing and other skills along the way. (December 2, 2003)