WHAT'S NEW, Friday, 2 June 1989 Washington, DC
1.
FIVE MEMBERS OF THE COLD FUSION PANEL
of the Energy Research
Advisory Board
(WN 19 May 89) are in Salt Lake City today meeting
with officials of the University of Utah. Among the issues that
are certain to come up is the analysis of the helium content of
used palladium cathodes. According to James Brophy, the Vice-President
for Research, the analysis has not yet been received.
However, a representative of Johnson-Matthey, the British company
doing the analysis, is expected to visit the University next week
with the full results. Johnson-Matthey supplied the palladium.
2
. THE EXPERTS ON HYDROGEN IN METALS WILL CONSIDER "COLD FUSION"
at the 1989 Metal Hydrides Gordon Conference on July 10 in
Tilton, N.H.. The special half-day session has been added to the
regular program to allow an audience of specialists in the field
of metal hydrides to hear more about recent non-developments.
3. THE "STAR WARS FOR DRUG WARS ACT OF 1989" LOST BY EIGHT VOTES
on the House floor. The bill, introduced by Rep. Les AuCoin
(D-OR), would have frozen the DOD share of SDI funds for FY 90 at
the FY 89 level of $3.7B. Any appropriation beyond that would
have been automatically transferred to programs of the Anti-Drug
Abuse Act. An effort to divert Star Wars funds to the Drug Wars
succeeded last year. The FY 89 Defense Authorization Act directed
that $350M "saved" from SDI be transferred to the Coast Guard for
drug interdiction
(WN 6 May 88).
That approach was ruled out for
FY 90 by the "Rose Garden agreement" on the budget. But Drug
Wars' loss does not necessarily translate into Star Wars' gain.
Few people on Capitol Hill expect any increase for SDI in FY 90.
4. $75M TO REPLACE THE GREENBANK RADIO TELESCOPE
is included in
the FY 89 Supplemental Appropriations Bill that is being debated
on the Senate Floor, but not in the version already passed by the
House. It will have to be settled in conference. The replacement
was recommended in April by the NSF Astronomy Advisory Committee.
5. THE NOMINATION OF ALLAN BROMLEY AS DIRECTOR OF OSTP
is ready
to go to the Senate, except for President Bush's signature. The
President, however, has not yet returned from Europe. Since the
Senate will not be in session Monday, the earliest the nomination
can be received is Tuesday. Bromley is signing correspondence as
"Science Advisor," which does not require Senate confirmation.
6. THE NEW 1989 BROCHURE, "INVESTMENT FOR THE FUTURE,"
issued by
the Coalition for National Science Funding, is a valuable source
of information on the importance of science and technology to the
nation's future. The coalition of more than 80 scientific,
educational and industrial organizations, including the American
Physical Society, is committed to a sustained investment in
research. If you would like a copy, just call us at the number
below. We can supply multiple copies at $2 each.
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