2000 Summary

Table of Contents

It wouldn't be a WIST conference without some hard-core science and technology. Scientific presentations by researchers and engineers at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) gave participants a taste for several different specialties--from robots to materials science.

Lynne Parker discussed her work in robotics, explaining the advantages and disadvantages to using robots and giving examples of how they have been used successfully. For example, robots are used in the cleanup of hazardous environments and within the military to remove a soldier from a dangerous situation or to gather intelligence data.

Margaret Davidson explained the importance of computer security in a research environment, noting that there are two kinds of hackers: spies and people who just want to show that they can break into an organization's system. She told the tale of how they tracked down a teenage hacker who was trying to get into ORNL's systems. Using a variety of tools and systems, the laboratory's computer security staff are constantly monitoring the many systems to protect the research data.

Ann Primm described her mechanical engineering work as a "turning a researcher's need into a piece of equipment." In her job, she works with many engineers and vendors to develop a concept, design the equipment, and then procure a vendor to make the equipment, including installation and testing. Said Primm, "I chose engineering because I wanted to always be challenged and to always be learning. I enjoy being a part of project teams and I like the deadlines and urgency that comes with this work." Primm's current work involves the High Flux Isotope Reactor at ORNL.

Claudia Rawn uses the tools Ann Primm described in work as a research scientist at ORNL. Rawn studies structures and how materials behave and react based on environments and stimuli. Rawn has found that her jobs have helped her understand all of the theory that she learned in school.

Dabney Johnson discussed her research into mouse genetics and behavior. Her laboratory is searching for variations in the  biochemistry of the mice. Once found, they breed the mice to look for genetic mutations. The ultimate goal is to know the DNA sequence, the number of genes found within it, and the function of each gene. Because a mouse's brain is wired the same as a human brain, this research can help scientists predict behaviors based on genetics.

The importance and influence of computational models on today's research was the topic of Camille Jones' talk. Citing numerous examples, Jones illustrated how all research fields--from biology to engineering--rely on the power of the computer to process massive amounts of data. For example, it takes 2 gigabytes of data to simulate a car wreck for a fraction of a second. In forensics, it requires 200-800 gigabytes of data to make a computer image of a face and show how it ages over time. Jones noted that they are now modeling whole humans--a "virtual human"--so that they can expose it to various elements to see the response. This allows scientists a better way to assess, and therefore reduce, risks.