California Institute of Technology Cal Tech - Big T Yearbook (Pasadena, CA)

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BIOLOGY Work in genetics, which has been extenf sively pursued by the Division of Biology for many years, is being actively continued under the direction of Dr. Morgan. During last sum' mer, under a Rockefeller Foundation grant, Dr. Dobzhansky went on an extensive collecting tour to supplement former collecting in Alaska, Canada, Cregon and Washington. This year his trip included the Rocky mountain region from Montana to New Mexico and Mexico City. The material he brought back is being used by Dr. Sturtevant for a detailed study of different racial types of Drosophila pseudoobf scura in an attempt to find how a species may evolve into a new species. At the Marine Station at Corona del Mar, several undergraduates worked last summer mainly on the comparative anatomy of vertef brates, but also familiarizing themselves with many types of marine animals. In addition, sevf eral visiting professors worked on special prob' lemsg investigations were conducted by Dr. Wiersma and Dr. van Harreveld on the reacf tion of the claw muscles of crayhsh, crabs and other crustaceans. In the department of plant physiology, work on the growth hormones in plants has led to several important discoveries concerning both the chemical nature of the substances and the way in which they bring about an increased or decreased rate of growth in diiferent parts of the plant. - BIOLOGY Pizorisssoas fR0d7'2 Hugh M. Huffman, Frits W. Went, Anthonie van Harreveld, Cornelis A. G. Wiersma., Sterling H. Emerson: IF'1'o'n,tj Thomas Hunt Morgan, George H. Parker, George E. MacGinitie. ,,., ...,. , ...- ,.,,,.....T..,.,..,.. ..... .xxx it ' , gi ., K, I Y agififfgihfi:-. ,,., ,,,,,.,.f,,-.v...w:,. 1 2 2 ' - ' , fn- . . av -ug . .V 1 , ..., gif., v- .. ,, ' is rein'-L, :s:gs?i. wi. 3 fa Y N? mu ye ,MW KN H www I ve, M -fl - QS'-1--i ' -5 2'-. '1e11-vf2-f'i5f Mf'-'X-?::?a.f3ra.i,?ff:,-1. sa cg,a.a,o: :Q ' f. ' '21i5A'f1 V?+Xf'2 'N' EESYQRE' 1-ii.-:af-y' w- f' NNE? '. . . V .-2:,:4.v:a?fj,.jf -wmv.: :-m',g:-- .H-fo-sin -va -at 1. Q 'f 7 1 sffv me-5 '-' e '13, fr. 1. :ws i Hz: n fi. ., i'- -'g.:P's.f , 'V ' f-s:.'ez:1sfar:f1.1zafszxvlif-1-- f Y-H-.riser 'cf?f-A ., .. X N. ...Af -- i-g,,q4.,f,a,,... .1 J , ,- ,.,, , y ., ,Kan ,,.. wr ,app - .f'1,,1z,,g,ig:, ,.5-.f-74,3-1 ..::2: ,,..:,, f V ' - V . I''f're,.wf2:f.',:::fxL-'1...'-Tiki 2 ff' , v1 3G:fs+:r5f: I '+gf':r.fa3I! fardfiif '-3 .4 .m.---a...--my fe ,. ,ag ..,..,if3f 4. - -.1 . an, - 1- .g.Lia:Ifw:g,if fig? .A ..- . ,f,'-is-zfigqx, . ,.p fe - ' . 3417 '- ,' Q: , ',., j:,.,f.1f- -' 5' - . . ,, gl.-' .' . ',, -lk, g'gg'V'-iff. , 1 'i ' .''a'g.:-55',:.j5f'f 722,f,Q--1 .. 1, f'-5-.:1iitff. .vas I :ci :Zf:iE.3:f-36ix:F25'ba-gi:'.,,Eg5:':,g,,'E'?r: :-:'-,g,,'gY:'2,f1.2-- 'f' -.f2.If':fvif.:f: ': af' . Q ff' Sift Q.. Q,,,'Xf?g T I M i A-V -f+f'ff-'X'-'ffff' 2 Qc, we ,Q ,W 'ff QQZWWQQW. N aww. Ja ff wgg 2 f We fs we M ir it if ' 1 Marine Laboratory Under the direction of Dr. Borsook 'bio' chemical studies have been made on the origin of uric acid in animal tissues. Woirk on Vitamin C has also been continued, especially on the ref lation between the oxidation of the vitamin and its function in the animal organism. Dr. Huff' man has determined the free energies of a num' ber of physiologically important substances, and his work in this field is to be extended for sevf eral years. 22

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Ethane Purification for A.P.l. project Research under Dr. William N. Lacey, professor of chemical engineering, has been chiefly directed toward the measurement of phyf sical and thermodynamic properties of hydro' carbon mixtures. This investigation is conduct' ed by Dr. Bruce H. Sage, with several assist' ants and graduate students. The work is fin' anced by the American Petroleum Institute. CHEMISTRY Within a few years Gates Chemical Labor' atory will be enlarged by the construction of a new unit to the west. The Division of Chemisf try and Chemical Engineering has as its chair' man Dr. Arthur A. Noyes, internationally known for his contributions in analytical and physical chemistry. Thermodynamic data for equilibria of com' pounds of fluorine and the other halogens and for the higher oxidation states of silver, cobalt, and other metals, together with rate measuref ments of photochemical reactions and on artificf ially produced radioactive materials, make up the work in physical chemistry. A In the field of structural chemistry, studies of Xfray diffraction photographs and band spec' tra by Drs. Pauling and Badger have contributf ed to the knowledge of molecular dimensions and the justification of the quantum mechanics. Professor Lucas, whose recently published text on organic chemistry included a physical and structural approach to the subject, directs research upon the chemical reactions of unsatf urated compounds and on the structure of com' plex naturallyfoccurring materials. Two visitors to Gates have worked in this field this year, Dr. Alfred E. Mirsky of the Rockefeller Institute, on proteins, and Professor Dwight C. Carpenf ter of Cornell. Dr. Charles C. Coryell has inf vestigated the structure of the porphyrin comf plexes found in blood and chlorophyll. CHEMISTRY PRoFEssoRs fREU,7'2 Joseph B. Koepili, James E. Bell, William N. Lacey, Don M. Yost, Ernest H. Swift, Arnold O. Beckman. George W. Whelandg fFv'onU Linus Pauling, Howard J. Lucas, Arthur A. Noyes, Roscoe G. Dickinson, Stuart J. Bates. 21

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i I Geophysical Blasting The Southwestern United States provides a variety of geological formations and deposits of animal remains, thus there are available many fields of research for the Division of the Ceologf ical Sciences. During the past year Dr. John Peter Buwalda, Chairman of the Division, has studied Southern California fault blocks extenf sively to gain a more detailed knowledge of the geologic structure of the whole Pasadena region. Dr. Buwalda has also devoted some attention to the dams and tunnels of the Colorado River Aqueduct. GEOLOGICAL SCIENCES Dr. Beno Cutenberg's studies of earth' quakes indicate that many originate from depths as great as 400 miles, recent work showing that they are produced by slips on faults in much the same way that shallow earthquakes develop. He has also attempted to determine the characf ter of shaking at many different points during one quake, noting different frequencies or rates of vibration. A cave in Mexico has, under Dr. Chester Stock's direction, yielded large quantities of bones of extinct animals, preserved by being buried in the dust and sand. Dr. lan Campbell and Dr. John H. Maxson have been studying Grand Canyon formations in a laborious ref search involving much scaling of cliffs and ref connoitering through difficult localities. They have found that the very oldest rocks in Amer' ica were formed in much the same way as the younger formations. For further studies, a boat trip is now contemplated down the Canyon. Dr. Horace I. Fraser has perfected methf ods of studying the internal structure of oresg these consist of cutting through a piece of ore, polishing the surface, then detecting mineral crystals microscopically. The Turkish Government enlisted the services of Dr. Maxson in a year's search for oil and coal. Before going abroad in February he carried out further investigations in the geology of the Inyo Range, east of Cwens Valley. GEOLOGY Pnorsssons IRerm'J Willis P. Popenoe, Horace J. Fraser, George H. Anderson, Eus- tace L. Furlong, John L. Ridg- T' way: Kfrontj Ian Campbell, Ben Gutenberg. J. P. Buwalda, Chester Stock. a if 5. flu- nt., LL L 23 O