Grain & Chaff

David Schmidt

Ig Nobel laureate

Wearing a shower cap, assistant professor of Mechanical Engineering David Schmidt last week accepted an Ig Nobel Award from the Annals of Improbable Research for his ground-breaking study of why shower curtains billow inward. During the ceremony at Harvard University's Sanders Theater, Schmidt received the physics prize against a backdrop of slides and theme music from the shower scene in Alfred Hitchcock's "Psycho." In his acceptance speech, Schmidt explained the widespread appeal of his research: "Computational fluid dynamics may not interest most people, but everyone has a shower. That makes the problem all of ours."

TAs of the world unite

Pro-unionization graduate students at Brown University received a boost this week as Rhode Island's two congressmen voiced support for their organizing efforts. Democratic representatives James Langevin and Patrick Kennedy joined union leaders and graduate students at a Monday press conference to express support for the union drive. Their appearance followed a vow by Brown's new president (and former Smith College president), Ruth Simmons, to oppose unionization. The National Labor Relations Board is expected to rule this month whether to allow a union vote by graduate teaching and research assistants. ... Earlier this year, New York University became the first private institution to start collective bargaining with graduate student employees. At Columbia University, graduate students also have petitioned for union recognition.

The Campus Pond swans in happier times.

Fowl play always suspected

One of the trumpeter swans that has been living on the Campus Pond since 1998 has been missing for more than a month, according to Marc Fournier, assistant director of Physical Plant for Grounds Management. "We've had a lot of calls about it," he said. "We don't know what happened, but it's possible an animal got it." Fournier said he has no immediate plans to replace the swan because he's not sure of the sex of the missing bird or whether the remaining three swans would welcome an outsider. "It's very hard to find trumpeter swans that are domesticated," he said. "I hope eventually that a pair of them will breed." Fournier said he believes the swans are now old enough to begin breeding.

Where's that little Dutch kid?

Along with the swan, the Campus Pond seems to be missing some of its water. Despite rumors that the pond level is linked to the state budget, Marc Fournier said the low waters levels were the result of a broken plank in the dam. The pond is slowly refilling, he said.