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Reaching out
Morrisett lands at EECS, Grosz
efforts to understand our forests, both
Dean’s Message
DEAS Spring 2004 I 1
L ike a slow-motion release of a firework, a flower’s bud “Natural systems offer a rich arena to learn about the interplay
Crosscurrents
bursts forth into a delicate display. Looking at a bouquet at between geometry and physics in the real world. Folding is not
the florist, you might never ask how the intricate petals, stems, just for flowers, but critical to our very existence. It happens in
and stigmas, each contained in a green orb the size of a gob- our tightly bound-up DNA,” Maha points out.
stopper, emerged perfectly unfolded without the slightest rip.Moreover, stopping to smell (and study) the roses might
The Division’s Lakshminarayanan Mahadevan (Maha for someday help with creating self-assembling nanostructures,
short), Gordon McKay Professor of Applied Mathematics one of the most critical components of the emerging field of
and Mechanics, has not only posed the question, but is nanotechnology.
trying to solve countless others like it. Using mathematics
to understand how materials move and behave, he places
particular emphasis on phenomena visible to the naked eye Maha’s dark, vibrant eyes flit behind large round glasses that
and closely tied to experiments or experience. He’s explored reflect the light in his sizable, but test tube–free third floor
the way honey coils (important for geologists who study the office of Pierce Hall. In his experience, you don’t necessarily
flow of molten rock within the Earth), why insects can adhere need a lab or complicated devices to do meaningful experi-
to surfaces (leading to the creation of ments and research. “Why struggle to
new types of adhesives), how hair coils “Natural systems offer a rich find something worth studying when
on water (helpful in understanding the
arena to learn about the you have quick access to rich events,
principles of self-assembly), and the like how a flag flutters, that you can
way fabrics fold and wrinkle (providing interplay between geometry easily play with? Being able to radically
insight about the spiky surface of a dis-
and physics in the real world.” change parameters – a light breeze ver-
eased red blood cell). sus a strong wind – without losing the
“I find joy in discovering the sublime in the mundane,” says effect is ideal for experimentation.”
Maha, who recently relocated from one Cambridge (England) With today’s emphasis on rapid innovation, supermarket
to another (Massachusetts). “I try to uncover explanations science (creating volcanoes with baking soda) and everyday
for everyday events that are easily seen but not well under- experimentation (looking out the window rather than at an
stood. They typically turn out to be more relevant than I first LCD monitor) may seem passé. Yet Maha’s hands-on experi-
imagined.” mentation, most of which could have been done by true re-
Think again about the complexity of the flower as you recall naissance engineers, does not imply that such research is any
how you’ve struggled to fold a map without tearing, or at least less difficult or fruitful. Rather, he acknowledges that good
swearing. Within the blooming process lies what Maha calls science can arise from simple observation. Not surprisingly,
a theory for “self-assembled origami.” The bud can unpack its Maha’s “mundane” investigations cross – if not leap – over
suitcase and iron its clothes without the help of even a finger. traditional boundaries in physics, math, engineering, and bi-
applied mathematics.
DEAS Spring 2004 I 3
Crosscurrents
A lmost two decades before the iPod I want a cool John Doe John Doe Great selections!
collection of dance My friends danced
and a decade before the Internet, songs for my till dawn! For
Apple quietly introduced a prototype party, but I don‘t future reference,
however, I’d steer
want to pay more
called the Knowledge Navigator. The than $20.00. clear of Fountains
tablet-shaped device featured a soft- of Wayne.
DEAS Spring 2004 I 5
Faculty News
only the “day of infamy” at Pearl Harbor how microorganisms adhere to and
– December 7, 1941, when a surprise air grow on surfaces and form biofilms,”
attack by the Japanese crippled the U.S. he says. Part of his work is to study the
Pacific Fleet and left 2,390 dead – but, chemical transformations mediated by
through its bent metal and lost heroes, microorganisms found on the surfaces
the turmoil of the entire war. of both living and artificial materials.
During the attack, a 1,760-lb. armor- Microbes live and breed on everything,
piercing bomb blew up half the ship, most commonly in the form of thin
causing the rest to sink to the shallow sheets called biofilms. A common ex-
bottom, forty feet down. Today, a bowed ample is the plaque that forms on your
white walkway lies like a silk ribbon teeth. If you neglect to brush, what you
over the remaining hull. After taking leave behind will eventually eat away
a short boat ride to the memorial, the at the tough enamel, leaving you with
Ralph Mitchell holds up a flask
containing a sample taken from the 1.4 million annual visitors can peer pain, a disapproving dentist, and a hefty
site of the U.S.S. Arizona.
down at the ghostly shadow through repair bill for the cavity.
G
a mix of blue waves churning uneasily, That process may be exactly what’s
ordon McKay Professor of Applied
but often beautifully, with the Bunker happening to the Arizona – the brew of
Biology Ralph Mitchell watches
C fuel oil that inexorably bleeds from seawater, microbes, fuel oil, and time is
his mail like a teenager expecting
the ship. “The ship still contains about taking its toll. In addition, with the right
a bulky college acceptance envelope.
half a million gallons of oil,” says combination of conditions the bacterial
“This week we are getting archival
Mitchell, who recently returned from a population can be transformed from
metal that came off the ship. And we
site visit. “Meanwhile, at about a quart something benign into microbes that
are getting oil. We already have micro-
a day, there’s a steady drip of oil that’s can chew through metal.
organisms …” he says with the trace of
an Irish accent, hinting at his Like many of our national mon-
undergraduate days at Trin- “...there’s a steady drip of oil uments – the Statue of Liberty
ity College, Dublin, where he or the Lincoln Memorial – the
studied microbiology.
that’s rising to the surface of the Arizona does not sit in the cli-
mate-controlled safety of a mu-
The deliveries, looking like harbor. The survivors call it the seum. Much of the ship’s impact
props for an episode of the
hard-hitting, but often less tears of the men who died.” is in its ability to give visitors a
real link to the past. Not being
than hard science, television
rising to the surface of the harbor. The encased in glass, however, is es-
drama “CSI,” actually add up to an act of
survivors call it the tears of the men pecially perilous for a sunken ship. The
conservation. Mitchell is collaborating
who died. You can actually smell the oil. leaking fuel oil is now only a drip, but
with a team of marine archeologists
It’s not ephemeral, but real.” as corrosion continues, the risk of an oil
and microbiologists, led by the National
spill increases. The National Park Ser-
Park Service. Their task: to preserve and
vice is not simply letting nature take its
protect one of the United States’ most While the Arizona is a tomb for 1,177 course. In the past several years, as part
sacred national monuments, the U.S.S. fallen sailors and marines, it also harbors of their ongoing research to preserve
Arizona. life. Over the decades, a host of marine the ship, they have sent divers down
The submerged remains of the 608- organisms have settled on the silt-cov- to take water and oil samples from
foot-long, 31,000-ton naval battleship ered metal hull and decks. That’s where around the vessel. In addition, ROVs
lie off the coast of Honolulu, Hawaii. Mitchell comes in. “The underpinning (tethered remotely operated vehicles)
The Arizona literally embodies not for everything I do is understanding have explored parts of the ship.
DEAS Spring 2004 I 7
New arrivals It’s a matter of trust
Faculty News
Nota Bene
Laser vision ... Cable section showcased Limin Research News featured The March 3rd “Charlie
network provider Comcast Tong and Eric Mazur’s work research by L. Mahadevan Rose Show” highlighted Bill
featured Federico Capasso on nanowires ... Baker’s and colleagues on hydro- Gates’ visit to the Division
on “Technogenesis” ... In dozen ... The Harvard gels, and the February 4th ... Nano know-how ... The
April, he will receive the University Gazette chose a edition of Nature Science March 6th Boston Globe
2004 Caterina Tomassoni profile piece on biomedical Update highlighted Ma- highlighted the Center for
and Felice Pietro Chisesi engineer Kit Parker as one hadevan’s work on wrin- Imaging and Mesoscale
prize at the University of of its top 12 stories of the kling and folding ... Shape Structures (CIMS) in a
Rome ... Light my wire ... year ... Gell-o that jogs is destiny ... The February story about local nanotech-
The January 29th New York and the latest fashions 13th Science magazine nology expertise. F
Times Circuits section and ... The January 19th issue featured a perspective on
the January 27th Boston of The Scientist and the packing spheres by David
Globe Health and Science January 7th Technology Weitz ... Tour de force ...
Randomization is an important
tool for finding an approximate
answer – especially when find-
ing an exact answer is infeasi-
ble either because the problem
is difficult or because the input
is very large. A well-known
example is analyzing the data
from a poll. By using a random
sample (where each point has
the equal probability of being
selected) the estimate will be
close to the correct fraction of
purple to red points in the en-
tire population. If the sample is
large enough, you can estimate
the correct fraction with a high
degree of probability.
DEAS Spring 2004 I 9
Selected articles about the Division
In Medias Res
Both articles adapted from the Harvard University Gazette, February 26, 2004
DEAS Spring 2004 I 11
Student News
Roll with it
Students in ES 143/243 use overhead lights and chairs to balance
their coaster creations.
Student drivers
(Left) Students drive for grades in ES 51; (Above left) Rob Howe
adds color commentary and applause; (Above right) a student team
basks in the spoils of engineering excellence. (Photos courtesy of
Jon Chase and the Harvard News Office.)
DEAS Spring 2004 I 13
D uring the cold war, the race to the
From the moon to molecules
In Profile
Teaching has always held a privileged early. She looked explain science.” “Henry is one of
place for Ehrenreich. “Teaching kids in lost, so I made a those dynamic peo-
Core courses who are not going to con- point of being around a few minutes ple who represent what’s best about the
centrate in the sciences really teaches before class. Perhaps not as a result Division,” says Dean Venky. “He reminds
you about how to explain science. It of my conversations – though maybe us that what might first seem like an
is a very important thing to learn.” A they played a part – she ended up being obligation is in fact an opportunity for
case in point is when he has worked on the editor of the Harvard Crimson. Her outreach and growth. The Division, and
advisory boards for the departments of Harvard experience completely trans- everyone in it, must be part of the wider
Defense and Energy and as a consultant formed her.” world to truly be a success.” F
to the White House Office of Technol- Because he equally values spending time
ogy and Policy. “When I testified before inside and outside the lab, Ehrenreich is
DEAS Spring 2004 I 15
Outside the Quad
DEAS Spring 2004 I 17
Alumni Notes
DEAS Spring 2004 I 19
Inside information
Take five ... (Left) Dean Venky
Connections
Feedback loop
We welcome and appreciate your
comments, suggestions, and
corrections.
Please send feedback to:
communications@deas.harvard.edu
or call us at 617-496-3815.
This newsletter is published by:
The Division of Engineering
and Applied Sciences
Communications Office
Harvard University
Pierce Hall
29 Oxford Street
Cambridge, MA 02138
Managing Editor/Writer:
Michael Patrick Rutter
Face the future … Donhee Ham
Design and Production and Robert M. Westervelt look
Coordinator: Eliza Grinnell forward to future collaborations
on novel biochip design (Above).
This publication, including past
issues, is available on the Web Altered states … Howard Stone
at www.deas.harvard.edu and David Weitz investigate a
problem from different points of
Copyright © 2004 by the
view (Above Left).
President and Fellows of
Harvard College