Tuesday, April 19, 2005

Avery Cardinal Dulles, S.J.

Avery Cardinal Dulles, S.J.

My favorite Cardinal in Rome (though one who's too old to vote) is John Foster Dulles' son who somehow ended up as a Catholic Cardinal. I probably have some disagreements with him but he's had an interesting life.

See more here.

Monday, April 18, 2005

Philip Johnson's Nuke

Phil's Nuke

So Philip Johnson has died at 98. My wife and I will finally be able to visit The Glass House. We've been waiting.

But that's not what this is about.

I'm reviewing a PJ building list and what do I see: Rehovoth Nuclear Plant
Rehovoth; 1960-1961. The link is just to a page which has no further information on the building other than that it is in Israel and in the "Plastic Style". No pictures. Nothing.

So I wander around the nets and find that it is likely this building, a "particle accelerator" at the Weizmann Institute of Science. This page has more pictures and info. And here is the relevant page on the Weizmann website.
The accelerator laboratory at the Weizmann Institute has been initiated in 1957 using a HVE 3MV Van-De-Graaff accelerator which is still active and running continuously. In 1963 the Heinemann Accelerator - a 6MV EN Tandem from HVE, was constructed and operated till the late 80's. The Heinemann Accelerator is now converted to Free Electron Laser facility. The Koffler Accelerator - 14 UD Pelletr on by NEC- started operating in 1976 and since then it is the major facility of the lab. The laboratory is a unit in the Department of Physics Services headed by Prof. Michael Hass. It is providing ion-beam services to several scientific departments of the Weizmann Institute, to other research institutes in the country and collaborates with scientists from other countries.
There is a tendency in the modern era to disguise nuclear reactors by referring to them as other things "Japan's largest power plant of its type" in the Sunday Morning GE TV commercial or "particle accelerator" as here. But where do the particles come from? I assume there's a small reactor inside.