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

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ASTROPHYSICS With the recent arrival of the huge pyrex disk, active work on the Institute's 200finch telescope has begun in the Optics Laboratory on the campus. This project, aided by grants from the General Education Board and fostered by the cooperation of the Mount Wilson Obf servatory of the Carnegie Institute, has done much to focus the public eye upon the Institute. Recent work in this department has been concerned with the design and construction in the Astrophysics shop of grinding apparatus for the 200finch mirror and the hguring of the 12Ofinch testing disk. Various auxiliary -inf struments have been made and tested, among them correcting lenses to increase the field of vision, objectives for spectroscopic work, photo' electric photometers, and radiometers, as well as a coelostat telescope to be situated in the As' trophysics Laboratory. Under the direction of Dr. John A. An' derson of the Mount Wilson Observatory staff, the design of the telescope has been fixed upon, employing a modified yoke mounting with .a cartridgefshaped house at the principal focus for the observer, and two possible Cassegrain arrangements. Actual construction work is supervised by Capt. Clyde S. McDowell of the U. S. Navy. After several years of investigaf tion and observation, Palomar Mountain in San Diego County has been selected as the most favorable site, upon which the telescope will ASTROPHYSICS STAFF John A. Anderson, Francis G. Pease, John D. Strong, Clyde S. McDowell. probably be erected. Of interest is the new process for aluininf izing mirror surfaces, developed in large measf ure at the Institute by Dr. John Strong. Tried recently on the 6Ofinch and 100finch reflectors at Mount Wilson, this surface has proved most satisfactory in giving increased reflecting power and also freedom from both tarnishing and light diffusion. It is expected that some four years will be required to finish the 200finch mirror and folf lowing this considerable time to put the telef scope into actual use. Until then we may only make estimates as to how far it will penetrate into space and speculate upon what new dis' coveries may be made. The ZOO MiTTOT,S arrival-Grinding Tables in Optics Lab 24

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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

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Humanities Library While the vvork of major interest at Tech is, of course, in the iields of technical instrucf tion and research, a considerable portion of all curricula is given over to the study of the huf manities. lt is hoped that, by this relatively prof longed contact with the department, a corref spondingly large influence on the student to' Wards appreciation of the broadening subjects of history, literature, philosophy and the like. ln addition, instruction is given to science stu' dents in French and German, with Italian and Greek offered as electives. As with the other departments of the ln' stitute, the faculty members engage in original research as Well as their teaching. Projects in this Held are facilitated by the near location of the Huntington Library and Art Gallery, with which a cordial liaison is maintained. Professor William Huse, who is the author of many short stories, published A Noble Savage On the HUMANITIES Stagel' in the February issue of Modern Plfiilolf ogy, and 'LThe Shipwreck in the Parrott Pref sentation Volume, a collection of works pub' lished in honor of Professor T. M. Parrottls ref tirement from Princeton. Dr. Harvey Eagleson published an article on Gertrude Stein, Methf od in Madness, in the Swariee Review, and Professor George R. MacMinn was the author of The Gentleman from Pike in Early Galiforf nia in American Literature. Besides the already mentioned contact with the Huntington Library, close relationships are maintained with the faculties of other instituf tions. During the past year, several scholars have given instruction at the lnstiute. Among these are Professor Hardin Craig of Stanford who conducted a course on Bacon and the meth' ods of research in the 17th Centuryg Professor Frederick Padelford ofWashington,vvho taught a term of Shakespeare, and Professor Louis Wright of North Carolina, who instructed in 17th and 18th Century Drama. In addition to the above mentioned activif ties, the Humanities Division has sponsored a series of concerts by the Pro Arte String Quarf tet, a number of interesting exhibits in the Treasure Room of Dabney Hall, and has aided in the production of the campus weekly, The California Tech, through the journalism class conducted by Professor MacMinn. Professor Judy again did his excellent job of providing atf tractions for the Monday assemblies. H HUMANITIES PROFESSORS KRea,rJ William Huse, Harvey Eagleson, L. Winchester Jones, Roger Stanton: fF7'0'Ht2 George R. MacMin11, Ray E. Untereiner, Clin- ton K. Judy, William B. Munro, Horace N. Gilbert. 25