Daily News

Posted on Feb. 20: McMaster physicist heats up physics debate

The phenomenal force behind MRI machines and magnetically levitated trains called superconductivity is under investigation at McMaster, where researchers have brought the physics community one step closer to understanding how it works. In the distant future it could mean MRI machines so affordable they're in every doctor's office, but for now it's another piece of a complex puzzle that physicists around the world have been contemplating for more than a decade. Tom Timusk, a professor in physics and former colleague of Nobel Prize-winning McMaster physicist Bertram Brockhouse, has worked with post doctorate fellow J. Hwang and G.D. Gu, a collaborator at Brookhaven National Laboratory to uncover a property about high-temperature superconductivity that disproves a recently published proposal by his international colleagues. His findings are published this week in the article "High-transition-temperature superconductivity in the absence of the magnetic-resonance mode," in the journal Nature. Superconductivity allows for the flow of electric current without resistance, providing for powerful, uninterrupted transmission of energy. Timusk likens the electrons to an army moving in the same direction with their arms linked, so that if one encounters resistance the others carry it forward without slowing down. As a result, in a closed superconductor circuit, no energy is ever lost.

Posted on Feb. 20: Light bulb goes off for communications students

In a place where the future looks dark and uncertain, the light bulb is pure information. This year, for the first time in McMaster's history, the University will be hosting an Undergraduate Communications Conference titled "Breaking the Bulb." Organized by third-year McMaster communications studies students Martin Pahulje and Yvonne Betancur, and supported by the Career Planning and Employment Centre, McMaster Association of Communications Studies Students, the Communications Studies Program, the Faculty of Humanities, and the Centre for Leadership in Learning, this conference has been put together to break down the barriers to knowledge and provide a direction for communications students concerning their future within the field of communications. "Unlike the dramatic inflation of student interest within the program of communications, resources such as scholarships, tutorial services and career initiatives (co-ops and internships), are not reflecting the importance of this program to the University as a whole," says Pahulje. "This conference seeks to rectify this problem by offering students a glimpse into what their communications degree offers."

Posted on Feb. 19: Humanities and social sciences granting council begins transformation with consultation

Researchers, graduate students and other key stakeholders at McMaster and in Hamilton are being invited to help the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council transform itself from a granting council to a knowledge council. The federal body, which funds research in the humanities and social sciences at universities across the country, is engaging key stakeholders in discussions across Canada to develop a new blueprint for the organization and to increase and improve dialogue between the council and its stakeholders. A new vision, mandate and structure for the council will emerge from the process, which is designed to rejuvenate the organization and strengthen understanding of the importance of public investment in the human sciences. "SSHRC is embarking on this transformation process, which will involve 12 months of focused public consultation, to re-invent itself as not just an organization that delivers grants but also as a body that imparts knowledge to the nation," says Mamdouh Shoukri, vice-president research and international affairs. "The council is at a juncture in its history. After 25 years and considerable change within our environment and our communities, SSHRC is taking stock of what it currently does and what it wants to accomplish in the future. To do this it is engaging the research community, research users and Canadians -- its key stakeholders -- in public dialogue and consultation. This is an opportunity for McMaster and its communities to contribute to a new vision and future for the council."

Posted on Feb. 18: U.S. Centers for Disease Control director outlines global public health threats

She's the chief U.S. disease detective, a top sleuth in solving a health mystery at home and abroad. As the director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Julie Gerberding is leading the front lines tackling threats to public health ranging from bioterrorism to SARS, West Nile Virus, mad cow disease and currently avian influenza or bird flu. Gerberding will share her expertise and perspective on Wednesday, Feb. 25, when she presents the annual Redman Lecture at McMaster University in a presentation called "Twenty-first Century Health Threats: Preparedness in a Small World." Gerberding became the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the administrator of the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry in 2002. Prior to her appointment she was acting deputy director of the National Center for Infectious Diseases where she played a major role in leading CDC's response to the anthrax bioterrorism events of 2001.

Posted on Feb. 17: McMaster to showcase emerging technologies

The latest in LCD, plasma and wireless projectors will be on display Wednesday, Feb. 18 at the second annual Emerging Technologies Showcase. Fifteen suppliers, including IBM, Hewlett-Packard, 3Com, Cisco, SMC, AMD, Intel, will showcase information technology (IT)'s latest technologies and trends in the McMaster University Student Centre. "This event will draw attendees from all levels of government as well as the private sector," says Terry Galan, director of McMaster's Purchasing Resources. "With an estimated 500 to 600 attendees, this proves to be the regions premier IT show."