James K. Knowles, William J. Keenan Jr. Professor of Applied Mechanics, Emeritus, at Caltech, passed away November 1. He was 78 years old. Knowles made fundamental research contributions to the theory of nonlinear elasticity and the mathematical theories of materials and structures. His work provided important insight into how various materials and structures behave and enabled him and others to develop predictive theories.
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The Graduate School of Education at Shanghai Jiao Tong University ranked Caltech sixth in this year's Academic Ranking of World Universities. To compile the rankings, researchers evaluated over 1,000 schools worldwide. North American schools dominate the list, winning 59 of the top 100 spots. Caltech placed fifth in the best North American universities category.
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Researchers at Caltech have shown that a highly specific intrabody (an antibody fragment that works against a target inside a cell) is capable of stalling the development of Huntington's disease in a variety of mouse models. "Gene therapy in these models successfully attenuated the symptoms of Huntington's disease and increased life span," notes Paul Patterson, the Anne P. and Benjamin F. Biaggini Professor of Biological Sciences.
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Caltech researchers led by assistant professor of geobiology Victoria Orphan have found that the members of a deep-sea symbiotic microbial community are able to fix nitrogen. The unexpected metabolic ability may help solve a lingering mystery about the world's nitrogen cycling budget. A paper about the work appears in the October 16 issue of the journal Science.
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Caltech scientists have uncovered the physical mechanism by which arrays of nanoscale pillars can be grown on polymer films with very high precision, in potentially limitless patterns. This nanofluidic processdescribed in a recent article in Physical Review Letterscould someday replace the conventional lithographic patterning techniques now used to build 3-D nano- and microscale structures for use in optical, photonic, and biofluidic devices.
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Sossina Haile, a leading authority on solid-state fuel-cell technology, will give a talk on fuel-cell technology from noon to 1 p.m. on Monday, November 9, in 101 Guggenheim Lab, Lees-Kubota Lecture Hall. Haile is a professor of materials science and chemical engineering at Caltech, and her research is primarily focused on the study of ionic conduction in solid materials and the development of novel fuel cells. After the talk, a tour of her research lab will be given.
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Tapio Schneider, professor of environmental science and engineering at Caltech, will present a Watson Lecture at 8 p.m. on Wednesday, November 11, in Beckman Auditorium. In a talk called "Where the Wind Comes From, on Earth and Other Planets," Schneider will explain how wind patterns on different planets arise, how wind patterns may have been in Earth's past, and how they may change in the future. This event is free, and no tickets or reservations are required.
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Edward Stone, the David Morrisroe Professor of Physics at Caltech and former director of JPL, discussed the Thirty Meter Telescope in a lecture at Alumni College. Stone explained how if we collect and concentrate enough light from dim, distant bodies, we can observe them as they were near the beginning of the universe, over 13 billion years ago.
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In the bicentennial year of Edgar Allan Poe's birth, Caltech News uncovers the Institute's own pit and pendulum saga, highlights Techers in the Obama administration, reports on Secretary of Energy Steven Chu's commencement address, and profiles new alumni-professor administrators. More . . .
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