-
The Carleton Weather site has two student positions available this summer.
1) The first project involves developing a new user interface and all the underlying programming for gathering weather data (from another system which was designed and built last summer) and displaying it on the web. The primary languages for this project are PHP and Javascript. The code you develop will gather data from other systems, put the data into a MySQL database, and present the data to web users. We’re striving for a clean and accessible format. The presentation part of this code will rely on CSS in modular, well-documented chunks. We would like to have this summer work finished by August 20th.
2) The second project involves developing a new database structure for all the weather data we have collected over the years. We will continue to use MySQL, as we have in the past. You will be dealing with data from multiple sources: the current data collection system, previous data collections (some in MySQL, some in Filemaker Pro, some on paper, some from previous computer systems), and planned future data collection systems. You will spend time getting to know good database design, the requirements of the weather site and also what we’ll need going forward. We would like to have a new, robust database in place by August 20th.
In both cases, we’re looking for people with a friendly attitude, an interest in weather and computing, and lots of attention to detail. The two people chosen for these projects will work closely together, as well as working with Tom Baraniak and Doug Foxgrover.
Carleton has been gathering and sharing weather data since 1881, and these data are the oldest official weather records in the state. The current weather site pioneered some now-common methods of presenting weather data graphics on the web. Most of the work on the current site has been accomplished by students, and we look forward to continuing that tradition. Please contact: Tom Baraniak, Olin 208, x4033, tbarania
-
Sophomore Welcome
April 20 (Wednesday) 3:15pm, Olin 2nd floor lounge
The department would like to welcome all the new majors with a root beer float party in the second floor lounge. All 17 of the new majors are invited!
-
Student Work in Physics & Astronomy Next School Year
The Physics & Astronomy Department relies heavily on our students to serve as laboratory assistants, graders, tutors, and technical assistants in support of our academic program. We strongly believe that such activities provide important benefits to you beyond the obvious monetary compensation. Seniors and recent grads will tell you that a lot of good solid learning occurs, and new insights develop. You can, and should, cite this experience in future employment or grad school applications, just as we will cite it in formulating supporting letters for you.
It is time to arrange these job positions for next year. All students who would like to work in the Department should fill out an application found here. Applications must be received by April 20, 2011.
-
Physics Table with PHYS 123 Speaker Robert Hallock
April 22 (Friday) noon-1pm, LDC Class of ’51 Dining Room
Join Physics students, faculty, staff and PHYS 123 speaker Bob Hallock for lunch at the LDC. Meet on third Olin for the sort walk over or meet us there.
-
PHYS 123 Speaker Robert Hallock
April 22 (Friday) 1:10-2:10pm, LCD 104
Robert Hallock is a Distinguished professor of Physics at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst. His research is in the general area of experimental Condensed Matter Physics, with an emphasis on low temperature phenomena, particularly liquid helium, liquid helium films, and solid helium. About 40 years ago it was predicted that it might be possible for solid helium, 4He , to display some of the properties of a superfluid, thus there might be a supersolid. Experiments in the mid to late 1970’s were negative and the prediction languished. Then in 2004 an experiment was done that was interpreted as positive evidence for the presence of a supersolid in solid helium. But, the interpretation has been controversial and other evidence complicates the picture. Our experiments are conceptually different from all the others and may provide substantial evidence for superfluid behavior in solid 4He. Recent theoretical predictions, which differ substantially from the original theory of 40 years ago, are regarded as very consistent with the observations. We will begin with a brief discussion of some of the remarkable properties of superfluid 4He and then discuss experiments on solid 4He . The subject is a good example of how understanding of a physical system evolves, which is often nothing like the tidy stories one reads about in books.
