Kojm Mather wins the Nobel prize for physics

[RumRunner]

OK this will be a short lived and boring topic but I have to post it.

In the late 80' and early 90's I did some black body radtion work with a group of very geeky people at Goddard Space Flight Center. We were doing calibration estimates for some spacecraft instruments. They guy heading up the team was very soft spoken, nice, just an all around great person - and too smart for words. A few years ago we invited the same guy - John Mather out to my company to give a lecture to some of our other technical folks. He gave this great talk on the James Webb Space Telescope and yadda yadda - ya had to be a geek and had to be there.

This morning I get a 6:00 AM phone call... John Mather is co-recipient of the Nobel prize for physics from his pioneeering black body work on the Cosmic Background Explorer a 1989 mission that revolutionized physics of the early universe.

OK - 'nuff said - but it is a cool day for me to remember

Edited October 3, 2006 by RumRunner

[likeaneagle]

very cool RR- and to a Nobel winner is remarkable.

[rhino]

That is really cool rum ... of course I would have had my Nobel by now ... except for twi

well, except for twi and all those 8am chem lectures I skipped

well, except for twi and all those 8am chem lectures I skipped and all that beer and funny cigs

well, except for twi and all those 8am chem lectures I skipped and all that beer and funny cigs and the fact I just ain't that smart

but mostly I blame twi :)

all that cosmic black body stuff seems kinda cool ... is that like a sexual revolution thing?

but that is really cool ...

[Linda Z]

How cool to see someone you admire recognized! That's great, Rummie!

[topoftheworld]

Woo hoo! Very nice, RR!! Will you be able to celebrate somewhere with him?

Kinda nice to know somebody who knows somebody who is a Nobel Prize winner. Hope it rubs off!

[excathedra]

i am VERY impressed ? what is physics ? is that like cheesecake ?

i really am impressed and happy, honest

[krys]

I am impressed.

[dmiller]

In the late 80' and early 90's I did some black body radtion work with a group of very geeky people at Goddard Space Flight Center. We were doing calibration estimates for some spacecraft instruments.

It's nice to see a bunch of scientists could take time off from calibrating spacecraft instruments,

and go to the inner city there near Goddard to do black body radtion social work. :)

(uhmm -- what's radtion? And did you work exclusively with African-Americans,

or did you reach out to empower the community as a whole?)

And spacecraft instruments -- what musical instruments do they allow on spacecraft??

Could you calibrate my fiddle or banjo for me??

Guitar pickers must love it up there -- drop a pick, it floats right back to your hand!!

And I can do a really mean version of *The devil space-walked to Pluto, looking for a planet to steal*.

(With a properly calibrated *space-fiddle* that is).

Hey -- congrats on this important day for you.

Too bad you didn't share the award with him.

:)

[Sushi]

i am VERY impressed ? what is physics ? is that like cheesecake ?

i really am impressed and happy, honest

Exc, being a fellow Joiseyan, you should know (unless, of course this was just my mother....) physics are the plural of physic, which, according to my mother was a laxative.

[doojable]

Way too cool, Rummie!

Geek or not, plan on losing the cheesecake competition.

But your colleague winning the Nobel Prize - way too cool.

[rhino]

So this is really about a cheesecake laxative ... ?

Or is it a kama sutra rework on some black body's physique while listening to instruments in the back of a 1989 Ford explorer? I didn't realize they gave out Nobel prizes for that kinda stuff, but I'd be interested in the video. (the no cheesecake laxative version please)

[Lori]

Rummy, that is awesome! It's time for celebration! Do you know the other co-recipient?

[SafariVista]

Way too cool, Rummie!

Geek or not, plan on losing the cheesecake competition.

But your colleague winning the Nobel Prize - way too cool.

... it's coming... someone bring a camera

[topoftheworld]

Dooj, now that we know Rummy has a friend with a Nobel prize, maybe you need to sweat a little.......

[GeorgeStGeorge]

I've actually worked for TWO men who went on to win the Nobel Prize in chemistry: William Knowles (a few years ago) for his work in asymmetric homogeneous catalysis and Richard Schrock (last year) for his work in olefin metathesis.

It appears that one does not become brilliant merely by associating with brilliant men!

George

[tonto]

RumRunner, I have no idea what you're talking about (readily admitting my ignorance), but congrats on knowing someone who won the Nobel prize!

[doojable]

BTW - I will be accepting the Nobel Prize for Cheesecakes on Nov. 4, 2006 in The Woodlands, Texas.

RumRunner - better luck next time.

Edited October 4, 2006 by doojable

[Belle]

That is very cool!!

I know the guy who invented AstroTurf, does that count for anything?

AND, I'm thinking y'all need a judge for this cheesecake competition. <=== Belle volunteering cause she is one professional cheesecake tester!

[doojable]

AND, I'm thinking y'all need a judge for this cheesecake competition. wave.gif <=== Belle volunteering cause she is one professional cheesecake tester!

COME ON DOWN!!!!

[RumRunner]

BTW - I will be accepting the Nobel Prize for Cheesecakes on Nov. 4, 2006 in The Woodlands, Texas.

RumRunner - better luck next time.

I'll put a post in The Prayer Room for ya Dooj!

Thanks to all of the NORMAL people here for all the cool posts.

[Kit Sober]

UC Berkeley's George Smoot wins 2006 Nobel Prize in Physics, sharing honor with Cal alumnus; 2006 Nobel for Medicine also goes to Cal alum

Cosmologist George F. Smoot, who led a team that obtained the first images of the infant universe -- findings that confirmed the predictions of the Big Bang theory -- won the 2006 Nobel Prize in Physics this week. Smoot, a professor of physics at UC Berkeley, and an astrophysicist at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, shares the prize with alumnus John C. Mather Ph.D. '74 of NASA Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md.

"In the finest tradition of Berkeley Nobelists, George is also a dedicated teacher," said Chancellor Robert J. Birgeneau in announcing the prize to the campus. Smoot sponsors four undergraduate researchers in his lab and this semester is teaching Physics 7B, the introductory course for undergraduate science and engineering majors.

This is UC Berkeley's 20th faculty Nobel Prize since Ernest O. Lawrence won in 1939 -- 50th overall for the University of California. Earlier this week, alumnus Craig Z. Fire ’78 won the Nobel Prize in Medicine. Mather and Fire raise the total number of UC Berkeley alumni Nobel laureates to 24. The 2006 Nobel Prizes yet to be announced include Economics, Literature, and Peace.

And it's also noteworthy by my alma mater.

when one member is honored, the whole body is honored. (or something like that, depending upon your version) Thank you for making this a note worthy event for me, too. I would have just deleted this email if you hadn't pointed it out, here. You made it note worthy for me, too. Thanks, again.

[notinKansasanymore]

Rum, this is really thrilling. Do I take you to mean that you were part of his group when he did the work for which he's sharing the Nobel? (genuflections) . . . which would mean that you contributed to the progress of humanity on this planet?

I'm not teasing when I say that; mr niKa is a scientist, and we follow the Nobel announcements with the same kind of interest that many folks apply to, say, the NFL. (not that I'm dunning football, mind you, not on the day before OU/Texas; I would never tempt fate in that way, knocking on wood right now).

Closest I ever got to anyone who's "made the trip to stockholm" was us having dinner with Henry Taube (God rest his soul) several years ago. He had some stow-ries, lemmetellya.

What good news for you and yours, Rumrunner. Congratulations by extension, by implication, and by association! I hope that all of you from the old group will be able to get together for a reunion celebration.

[ex10]

Dooj.....LOLOL!

Can I be the Important Somebody Who Presents the Nobel Prize for Cheesecake?

And just for the record, I most certainly can be bought! ;)