Thursday, April 15, 1999
The University Daily Kansan
Section A · Page 7
Professor studies origin of universe at South Pole
Winter Break a time of research for physics teacher
By Jason Walker Special to the Kansan
This winter, while most KU students and faculty were home enjoying Christmas break, David Besson, associate professor of physics, was traveling around the South Pole.
Besson spent his break at the South Pole researching tertiary parti
David Besson, associate professor of physics, stands in front of the South Pole horizon. Behind Besson are sensors that assist him in his research of neathrins, which are tiny particles that fly through outer space. Contributed art
Besson stands in front of a telescope on the South Pole. Besson was at the Amundson and Scott South Pole station during winter break performing research. Contributed art
cles. These particles, called neutrinos, fly through outer space and may be able to help scientists understand the origin of the universe.
"We are trying to learn about the mass of these neutrinos," Besson said. "It could be that a large portion of the mass in the universe is from these neutrinos, and, if so, that will be a piece in the puzzle of solving how the big bang happened."
Besson said that a neutrino is a tiny particle of energy that is virtually invisible, and millions of them pass through human bodies every second undetected. Their invisibility is called inertness, and because of it, conventional instruments can't be used to detect the presence of neutrinos. That's where the South Pole comes in.
"You need a really big target that can help detect the presence of neutrinos," Besson said. "Antarctica is covered with a big, thick layer of ice, and that is perfect."
Every now and then, Besson said, a neutrino would interact with the ice and show a spray of radiation. This radiation shows up as conventional radio waves, which are recorded by simple radio antenna and receivers buried in the ice. These radios send the waves up to the surface, where Besson records them and checks for wave patterns.
"The signals we get can tell us about where the neutrinos came from," he said. "It could be that
they were kicked out of a black hole."
A black hole is a collapsed star that has such a powerful gravitational field that not even light can escape. But Besson explained that sometimes at the outer regions of a
black hole neutrinos may pop out.
"If so, it tells us a lot about galactic evolution," he said.
Besson, who also teaches Physics 114, said that when he is in Lawrence, he still does research on the project with the help of some KU students. David Becker,
Tonganoxie sophomore, is a biology major but liked Besson as a teacher and wanted to help with his research.
"I mostly just do mechanical stuff," Becker said. "We set up conditions similar to those at the South Pole and make sure they
will hold up for the experiments."
Becker said that he was excited about working on a project that dealt with the South Pole.
"It is cool to know you are doing something that is bigger than just at KU." he said.
Besson is returning to the Amundson and Scott South Pole station next winter break and he said that while research teams are still so people at the pole found other things to do during their spare time.
"On New Year's Eve we had a party with a band playing," Besson said. "And a lot of people like to jog. They run a race called 'around the world' which is about a three-kilometer run around the pole itself. There is also a pretty big video library."
Fat substitute can't replace exercise
Besson said the temperatures at the pole are between 20 and 30 degrees below zero degrees Celsius and those wore a big fac in the climate.
"I'd drier at the pole than the Sahara desert," he said. "After a couple of days there the skin on fingers and toes begins to crack."
Along with scientists studying the astrophysics of neutrinos, Besson said that there also were people there researching the depletion of the ozone layer and the glaciers that cover it. They say that with the glaciers are lakes that the scientists think may support life, like microbes. If so, it could lead to the discovery of life on Europa, one of Jupiter's moons.
By Kelly Clasen
But Besson isn't worried about microbes. He's just trying to figure out how this whole universe got here.
"We're trying to figure out what happened in the first fraction of a second of creation," he said.
— Edited by Liz Wristen
Special to the Kansas
Summer is approaching and for most people it means getting out shorts, sandals and, of course, bathing suits. For some people, however, spring also means that the frantic attempt to lose those few extra pounds has begun.
With all the reduced-fat and fat-free products lining the supermarket shelves these days, this process should be a cinch. right?
For a few extra dollars dieters can buy a fat-free or reduced-fat alternative to nearly every popular snack in the supermarket.
"Olestra is put together in a way so that it can pass through the body undigested." Ann Chapman, dietitian at Watkins Health Center, said. "It isn't broken down and utilized by the body."
Fat-free potato chips, tortilla chips and crackers contain a non-caloric fat replacer called olestra, which was first introduced to consumers in 1996. But scientists say not every consumer who eats foods containing a fat replacer will lose weight, because there are other important factors.
The effect is similar to what happens when one eats foods containing mineral oil or dietary fiber. These substances,
like olestra, pass through the digestive tract without being digested or adding any dietary fat or calories.
With regular fat, the body's digestive enzymes break down the fat molecules, but olestra molecules are much larger than ordinary fats and cannot be broken down.
Keri Krueger, Perry sophomore, said she had not tried the products containing olestra because she heard they could make her sick. She also said she would not spend the extra money to buy them.
Chapman said eating olestra could cause a decrease in the body's absorption of fat-soluble vitamins, such as A, D, E and K, and carotenoids like beta carotene.
Proctor & Gamble, which makes the Olean brand olestra found in Frito Lay's WOW! potato chips, has added vitamins A, D, E and K back into the products, but they have not added carotenoids, which Chapman said are also essential for health.
"Potato chips are good because they are salty and greasy," she said. "They're just not supposed to be healthy."
Despite this vitamin deficiency, Chapman said products containing olestra are not harmful unless a person eats too many.
"I wouldn't be concerned, but it's not a
good idea to eat them every single day,"
According to a Web page by the Ohio State University Food Science and Technology Department, eating Pringles made with olestra will reduce the calories per serving from 150 to 70. If a person were to replace one serving of regular Pringles every day with a serving of the fat-free version, it would take slightly more than a month to lose one pound if there were no other changes in diet or exercise.
Olestra vs. Regular Fat
Corey Peck, Olathe junior, said that he ate fat-free snacks and played basketball and performed Tae-Bo workouts in order to get in shape.
Chapmansaid.
She said it was possible to reduce fat and calorie intake by eating products with olestra if they were a replacement for something higher in fat and calories.
Despite the higher cost, a spokesperson for Dillons said that fat-free potato chips were still a strong seller in their grocery stores.
"I realize that in order to lose weight I need to both eat well and exercise," he said.
Another non-scientific factor is whether the consumer is willing to pay the extra dollar or so per package for items containing olestra.
"When they first came on the market it was hard for companies to keep production high enough," she said.
The spokesperson added that although the response to products, such as fat-free Pringles and WOW! potato chips, was not as strong as it was at first, the foods remained in the top 20 in sales for their product categories.
However, it is unlikely that simply eating foods containing olestra will help dieters look good in their bathing suits this summer. Experts say exercise is much more important for weight loss.
"The consumer has to decide where he or she is most comfortable cutting back on fat to increase weight loss," Chapman said.
Richard Bachman/ KANSAN
Reck said that he had eaten WOW! potato chips.
"They tasted great — exactly like the regular potato chips," he said.
Edited by Aerica Veazey
Kim Raymoure, Overland Park senior, views the Emily Taylor Women's Resource Center's Clothes-Line Project in the Kansas Union yesterday. The shirts were designed by victims of and people affected by violence. Photo by Michael P. Kelly/KANSAN
T-shirts display effects of violence
By T.J. Johnson
Kansan staff writer
By T.J. Johnson
tjohnson@kansan.com
The Clotheline Project, which was on display in the Kansas Union yesterday and will be shown again today, allows women who have been the victims of violence or their friends and family to create a T-shirt that expresses their feelings.
Most students are used to seeing T-shirts that advertise beer or their favorite bands, not T-shirts written as an emotional outlet for women and children who have experienced acts of violence and sexual assault.
The Clothesline Project is a national project which was formed in 1990 to help women to deal with acts of violence and to provide a human display of the effects of that violence. The display in the Union is a part of the Emily Taylor Women's Resource Center's Sexual Assault Awareness Week and was coordinated by Jennifer McAdam, Kansas City, Mo., senior.
She said that the display of T-t-shirts was meant to show how large the problem of violence against women is. A second purpose of the project is to show other victims of violence that they are not alone and that they can live through acts of violence, McAdam
"Basically the point of it is to help in the healing process for the people making the shirts and to show the community the extent of the problem of violence." McAdam said.
said.
Kathy Rose-Mockry, Program Director of the Emily Taylor Women's Resource Center, said that The Clothesline Project worked to incorporate the help of men and women to raise awareness of violence in the community.
"Its so moving, and people are so shocked sometimes that it's hard to digest sometimes, with all of these T-shirts," McAdam said. "I think it helps people understand if they have been in these types of situations, and they feel some kind of help knowing that people have gone through it and survived."
"We've really worked on collaborating with various units on campus, and this is a very collaborative event, so it fit in with our theme, which was men and women working together," Rose-Mockrya said.
She said the display allowed students to understand violence on another level than they would by hearing statistics about violence against women.
"I think it's one thing to see statistics about perpetrators and victims, but I think there is nothing like understanding it on a deeper, more personal level to understand the impact and the devastation that comes when you are on the receiving end of these things." Rose-Mockry said.
things. Ross Molyneaux
People who are interested in creating a T-shirt for the display can call the Emily Taylor Women's Resource Center at 864-3552.
Edited by Anrica Veazey
Lot our helping hands wash your car
Start off spring right -- with a clean car!
When we're finished your car will shine like now
COST: Suggested donation of $4
WHEN: April 17th, 10am-4pm
WHERE: Chockers' Parking Lot @23rd and Louisiana
Come and support KUHFN!
Queers and Allies Presents:
The Prom You Never Had!
In as on one magical night a
Pee for the annual Queen!
Friday, April 16, 1999
9:30pm - 2am
$10 at the door
no chips 71 to close
The Tae Pee is located on the south side of US Highway 24-40 just a few hundred yards after you turn right on to it from US Highway 59-40 as you head north thru Lawrence via Mass St. bridge. One mile North of the KS turnpike entrance.