OMD spotlighted in today’s Performance
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Volume XCIX, Number 53
University of Southern California
Tuesday, November 19, 1985
By Sean Grady
Staff Writer
Timothy Ferris, a journalism professor at the university, will be hosting a public television special on the origin of the universe tonight.
"The Creation of the Universe: Beyond Newton and Einstein” deals with the latest theories about the Big Bang and the attempt by physicists to dis-
eball of what scientists call 'the Big Bang.' Our show is an attempt to bring this scientific story to a broad, non-scientific audience," Ferris said.
To collect the information needed for the show, Ferris travelled in both the United States and abroad, visiting places such as the Palomar Observatory in San Diego County and CERN, an international lab-
the special effects, combined with the accuracy of the information presented, make the show "scientifically more accurate than anything else on television."
As an example of how detailed and complex the effects are, Ferris said that three computers communicating by satellite worked for five months for a 30-second simulation of what an
TV special will be hosted by journalism professor
He has a reason to smile. Professor Timothy Ferris can soon be seen hosting his own show, "The Creation of the Universe” on PBS.
cover a single law of nature — the unified field theory — which governs the behavior of matter and energy.
The program will be aired tonight at 10 p.m. on channel 28.
Speaking about the show, Ferris, who also wrote it, said it discusses the beginning of the universe and the relationship between cosmology (the study of the structure of the universe) and particle physics (the study of the behavior of sub-atomic particles).
"The human species is trying to discover what went on in the first split second after the. . .fir-
oratory on the border between France and Switzerland.
The show features interviews with cosmoiogists and particle physicists who are involved with the study of the Big Bang. Murray Gell-Mann, who won a Nobel Prize for his discovery of the quark (a sub-atomic particle), Allan Sandage, the man who discovered quasars, and John Wheeler, an American cos-mologist, are among those interviewed.
As part of the show, one-quarter of its $1 million budget went to special effects, Ferris said. He said that the quality of
Marines hold annual Toys for Tots run
Stomachs prevail in ‘Barf-a-Thon’
atomic nucleus looks like.
"I believe that there are much stronger connections betw’een science and art than are generally realized," Ferris said.
"Scientists are akin to creative artists, and like creative artists, they're guided by their instincts and not simply by their rationality."
"Science in television is a second-class citizen," Ferris said. "A lot of good stuff gets done in England — we need more of that.
"I think it's very important that science be removed from the onus of being dry and be reunited with the aesthetic element that's part of the lives of the leading scientists, and (which) was integral to the origin of the sciences as well," he said.
(Continued on page 6)
By Eric Di Giovanni
Staff Writer
The United States Marine Corps Reserves in conjunction with the university's Semper Fidelis Society kicked off their annual Toys for Tots drive Thursday by inviting the public to join them in their traditional Big Three Run.
The event consisted of running a seven-mile course starting and ending here on campus. Along the way all of the runners were required to stop at Tommy's Hamburgers for a double chili cheeseburger, Lucy's Drive-In for a beef taco and El Rey's Taco No. 2 for a "garbage" burrito.
The goal of the run is to eat and finish the designated course without getting sick.
'We affectionately have called it (the event) the Barf-a-Thon because when you think of what we're doing you think of a bunch of guys throwing up. The object here though is not to throw up.'
The Semper Fidelis Society holds a Toys for Tots drive every year, but this is the first time that the event has been combined with the run. Since its creation in 1978 as a "spirited challenge," the run has been independently operated by the Naval ROTC simply for fun.
"We always hold this Toys for Tots drive but we've never achieved the success w'e've wanted," said junior midshipman Tony Jasica, public relations director for this year's event. Jasica said that he hoped that this new conjunction between the run and the Toys for Tots drive would make each more successful.
Because the run was held as part of a charity event this year, the public was also invited to participate. Each participant was asked to compile a pledge sheet of people wishing to donate toys.
This year is the first time in the history of the run that it has not been called the "Barf-a-Thon."
Michael Nolan, assistant professor of naval science, said, "The reason we did this (changed the name) was that the sponsors took the (former) name a bit too literally."
"It's actually a misnomer," Jasica said.
"We affectionately have called it (the event) the Barf-a-Thon because when you think of what we're doing you think of a bunch of guys throwing up. The object here though is not to throw up. This year we down played the (former) title so we could concentrate on the Toys for Tots part of it," he said.
According to information compiled by Nolan, 133 runners took part in the run this year and more than 1,100 toys were pledged. Only about 10 percent of the runners w'ere civilians.
(Continued on page 6)
ABEL ESPINOZA.DAILY TROJAN
At the beginning of last Thursday’s Big Three Run, everyone was all smiles. It was a different story after they completed the three-mile route that culminated in a trip to Tommy’s.
Achievement nominations sought
By Glenn Wakai
Staff Writer
President James Zumberge has requested nominations for the Presidential Medallion, an award presented to one individual for a singular achievement that has enhanced the university.
"This award, to be presented at the 1986 Academic Honors Convocation, will recognize singular achievement of the highest distinction on the part of a member of our campus community or an outside friend," Zumberge said in a memo to the university community.
"The criteria for the award are based upon major contributions to the excellence of USC," Zumberge said. Special consideration will be given to those who have contributed to several areas of universitv' life.
Zumberge will direct the selection process.
The award was first given out three years ago, but is not an annual award. No award is given if no candidate meets its qualifications, said George Abdo, executive assistant to the president.
Zumberge said in the memo, "Nominations submitted in 1983-84 will be carried forward to this year and nominations submitted in 1984-85 will be carried forward for two more years and need not be resubmitted."
The 1986 Academic Honors Convocation will be held to recognize outstanding academic achievement at the university by students and faculty. The event is where academic awards are defined and the recipients named, Abdo said.