All sorts of myths and stories are told by many cultures about this time of year.

Let us rejoice that through them all, one light shines. 
The earth still orbits the sun, the earth still precesses, and just about the 21 st. of December each year, perihelion is passed and light from the sun starts to fall at smaller angles to the normal on the earth.  The seasons move on, spring will arrive, and with it more myths of fertility will be told.

Any way, blessings of Solstice, no matter how you celebrate these days.

Fred Reuter 

Dear Colleague:

I would like to call your attention to two Chautauqua short courses of possible interest:

DAY-23 Introduction to LabVIEW, May 17-19, 2010 in Dayton OH. LabVIEW is a popular software product particularly well-suited for instrument control and data acquisition. LabVIEW’s visual-based programming environment has found a large and enthusiastic following in graduate schools, national labs, and industrial laboratories.  This three day hands-on course provides a good introduction and overview to the software, and course director Dr. Peter Powers has much experience with it.  Due to the hands-on nature of this course, there will be a strict limit on enrollment.  See attached description which includes cost information.

DAY-14 The Birthplace and Early History of the Atomic Bomb, September 30 - October 2 in Albuquerque NM.  Dr. Frank Szasz, author of the book The Day the Sun Rose Twice, leads this course on early atomic history.  It includes discussions on the Manhatten Project and the scientists involved in it, the Los Alamos Laboratory activity, the culture of life in Los Alamos at the time, and the Trinity Site work.  Presenters include scientists and historians, as well as a worker who participated in the original Manhatten Project.  Tours include the National Museum of Nuclear Science and History, the Bradbury Museum, Los Alamos National Laboratory, and the Trinity Site.  [Added treat: the big hot air balloon fiesta takes place there at the same time.]  See attached description which includes cost information.

Two other three day courses that could be useful to you are held at national radio telescope sites: DAY-5 held at the Green Bank Telescope in West Virginia in early June, and DAY-6 held at the Very Large Array site in New Mexico in July.  The GBT is the world's largest fully-steerable single dish telescope with a surface area of over two acres.  The VLA is a system of 27 scopes that work in concert to simulate a dish up to 20 miles in diameter.

For details on these and other courses see our web site at:

http://campus.udayton.edu/~physics/gkm/chau  

An application form is attached.   If you have questions, please email me.

We would be happy to hear from you!



George

George K. Miner, Ph. D.
Professor Emeritus, Department of Physics, and
Director, Chautauqua Field Center
University of Dayton
300 College Park
Dayton, OH 45469-2314
Phone: 937-229-2327 (Email is quicker)
Email: miner@udayton.edu
Fax: 937-229-2185

---

E. Leonard Jossem, age 90, of Columbus, passed away Saturday,
August 29, 2009 at The Ohio State University Hospital. Retired Professor
Emeritus of the Physics Department at The Ohio State University.
Funeral arrangements are pending at RUTHERFORD-CORBIN FUNERAL HOME,
515 High Street, Worthington, Oh. 43085.
Condolences may be sent to:
www.rutherfordfuneralhomes.com

Leonard provided us many pictures of our meetings in the last few years.
May he rest in peace.