A Brighter Stage For Science.

A new strategy for developing the culture of science on campus calls for a 50 percent increase in the number of science majors.

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Professor of Astronomy Bill Herbst observed sand-like grains in space

These grains are the building blocks of an Earth-like planet. Sand-like grains observed in space through the reflection of light from stars. These grains are the building blocks of an Earth-like planet.

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Chemistry Faculty Earns Electrochemical Award

Chemistry Faculty Earns Electrochemical Award
Albert Fry, the E.B. Nye Professor of Chemistry, was selected as the recipient of the Manuel M. Baizer Award of the Organic and Biological Electrochemistry Division of the Electrochemical Society. He will receive the award during the 213th Electrochemical Society Meeting in Phoenix, Az. May 18-May 23. As a winner of this award, Fry will receive a $1,000 cash prize.

Sultan Speaks at Plant Science Symposium in Japan

Sonia Sultan, professor of biology, was one of 12 U.S. plant scientists invited to speak at a joint U.S.-Japanese symposium on the role of phenotypic plasticity in plant responses to global climate change in Nikko, Japan in October. Her talk was titled "Phenotypic plasticity in response to environmental changes: Scaling from the molecular to ecosystem levels." The meeting, sponsored jointly by the U.S. National Science Foundation and the Japanese Academy of Sciences, brought together plant scientists working at the cellular, leaf, whole plant and ecosystem levels to work toward an integrated understanding of plant development and function under changing environmental conditions.

Royer Featured in "A Global Warming?" 11-11 9 p.m. on the History Channel

Dana Royer, assistant professor of earth and environmental sciences, will be featured on a documentary on The History Channel titled "A Global Warming?" The documentary follows along as scientists around the world try "to understand the weather of our past in the hope of preventing climate catastrophe in the future." For complete details and all show times go to:
http://www.history.com/shows.do?action=detail&episodeId=251203

New Open-Access Requirement April 07,2008 at NIH.

Beginning with manuscripts accepted for publication today, all research papers financed by grants from the National Institutes of Health must be made freely available online within a year of publication.

The NIH made the text of its open-access mandate available in January at the behest of Congress. The papers must appear in PubMed Central, the NIH?s Web database.

The policy has been controversial, with critics assailing it as both too restrictive and too lax. The NIH continues to request comments on the policy.

Various universities and library associations have developed Web sites to help NIH-backed researchers comply with the policy. Peter Suber, an open-access advocate and research professor of philosophy at Earlham College, has compiled a list of the resources in his monthly newsletter. ?Lila Guterman




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Wesleyan Alum '79, Dr. Jennifer Chayes to direct new Microsoft Research Lab in Cambridge MA.

Dr. Chayes will be one of the first women to direct a research lab run by an American corporation. She was a tenured professor of mathematics at the University of California, Los Angeles, when Microsoft hired her to do research.
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Wesleyan Women in Science.

Alumni Speak to Students about Medical School, Career Options.


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Career Retreat Features Alumni, Industry and Academic Speakers

Biology, molecular biology and biochemistry students gather for day-long career presentations and discussions

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Former Graduate Student Led Study That Uncovers Eating Disorders in Young Men

Eating disorders are most often identified with young, white females, but a new study provides data showing that males and other ethnicities are not immune to developing eating disorders.


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Psychology Faculty Speaks at Experimental Psychology Conference

Hilary Barth,assistant professor of psychology, neuroscience and behavior, gave a talk at the Annual Meeting for the Psychonomic Society, which is an experimental psychology conference. The meeting was held Nov. 15-19 in Long Beach, Calif. Barth spoke on "Judging discrete and continuous quantity: In large sets, number counts."

Bill Herbst, chairman of the astronomy department Talks about changes in Comet Holmes.

Comet Visible With Naked Eye. Until recently, Comet Holmes was a faint and nondescript mass in the sky, visible only by telescope when it did appear.

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Enzymologist Expert Keynote Speaker at Biophysics Program

Deciphering codes and genomes, DNA replication and biological catalysis are among topics to be discussed during the 8th Annual Molecular Biophysics Program on Sept. 20 at Wadsworth Mansion in Middletown beginning at 10 a.m. The event is open to the public.


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Gillmor Plenary Speaker at Science Conference.

C. Stewart Gillmor, Professor of History and Science, Emeritus, will be a plenary speaker during the Smithsonian Institution's upcoming conference Oct. 31-Nov. 1 in Washington DC. The conference, titled "Making Science Global: Reconsidering the Social and Intellectual Implications of the International Polar and Geophysical Years" will examine the impact of science, society, and culture of the international Polar Years of 1882-83 and
1932-33, and the International Geophysical Year of 1957-58, as well as how historical perspectives might be useful for those involved in the current IPY in 2007-2008.
Gillmor, who is one of four speakers at the conference, will present his paper, titled "Eclosion, Synthesis, Conjugacy and Symmetry: Lessons from the History of Polar Research." His presentation is also part of the
History of Science Society's 2007 Annual Meeting Nov. 1-4 in Arlington, Va

Assistant Professor Expert on Schizophrenia, Neurocognition

Matthew Kurtz has joined the Psychology Department as an assistant professor.


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O'Connell Invited Speaker at Women in Science Symposium

Suzanne O'Connell, associate professor of earth and environmental sciences and director of the Service Learning Center, spoke at the Pioneering Women in Science and Discovery Symposium, honoring the life and revolutionary scientific contributions of Marie Tharp Oct. 15 at Columbia University. O'Connell spoke on "Women of the Academy and the Sea, Sixty Years of Progress." O'Connell is a marine sedimentologist and has worked on ocean-drilling vessels crossing both the polar circle and equator.

Collins Speaks at Two Mathematics Conferences.

Karen Collins, chair of the Mathematics and Computer Science Department, professor of mathematics spoke during two conferences last summer. She spoke on "Core-indicator graphs," at the CanaDAM 2007, the 1st Canadian Discrete and Algorithmic Mathematics Conference, May 28-31 in Alberta, Canada and on "The Distinguishing Chromatic Number and Wreath Products," at the Bled '07 6th Slovenian International Conference on Graph Theory, June 24-30 at Lake Bled, Slovenia.

Conference to Attract Elite Mathematicians

Billy Chan, associate professor of mathematics, and Maria Ines Icaza of Universidad de Talca in Chile, are collaborating on an international conference.

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Dynamical Systems Conference on Campus

Event explores quantitative study of systems over time, honors emeritus professor.


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Exley Classroom Dedicated to Late Professor Max Tishler

Science Center Room 150 was recently dedicated in the name of a Chemistry Department icon.



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Cohan on the Rapid Adapatability of E. Coli

The Best is the Enemy of the Good

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Stemler on Intelligence Tests and Autism: The Puzzle of Hidden Ability

Stemler on Intelligence Tests and Autism: The Puzzle of Hidden Ability
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Singer on Caterpillar Diet Specificity in the Tropics

Host Specificity of Lepidoptera in Tropical and Temperate Forests
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Grabel: State' Stem Cell Policy Begins To Pay Off as Interest Surges Among Scientists

UConn Lab To Produce Its First Embryonic Stem Cells.


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New Microscopes Aid Student, Faculty Research

Wesleyan's Advanced Instrumentation Center acquires high-tech scanning, transmission microscopes.

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Hughes Fellows Present Summer Research

65 Hughes Fellows and associates present research at Poster Session Aug. 3.


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New Program Trains Students to be Mentors

Quantitative Analysis Center sponsored apprenticeship program this summer for 10 undergraduates.


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Women Scientists Gather, Write at Retreat

Suzanne O'Connell co-creates women-only Geoscience Academics in the Northeast retreat held July 29-3.


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Molecular, Life Sciences Building Site Proposed

Physical Plant-Facilities held an open house and design review to hear input from the community.


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Nitrogen Pollution May Be Affecting Long Island Sound's Food Chain

A Wesleyan researcher has discovered that nitrogen pollution may have altered the food chain in Long Island Sound. This can threaten habitats that support large commercial and recreational fisheries.

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Organic Chemistry Lab Going "Green"

Andrea Roberts, visiting instructor of chemistry, has introduced "green" techniques into her organic chemistry laboratory sections. Students use less chemicals, producing less waste.
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Class Uses Local Lake as Laboratory

About 30 years ago, unnatural and excessive biological growth started occurring in the small, man-made Beseck Lake six miles southeast of Wesleyan's campus.

Septic systems from lakeside homes deposited nutrients into the water, altering the biogeological cycles of carbon, sulfur, nitrogen and phosphorus in the aquatic ecosystem.



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"BioBlitz" invades Middletown

UConn's David Wagner and Wesleyan's Barry Chernoff about what they and their junior scientists found, and what it tells us about our enviornment.

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State AG Speaks about Global Warming at Wesleyan's Earth Day Celebration

"Connecticut's Role in the Fight Against Global Warming" was the topic of Wesleyan?s Earth Day celebration April 18. Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal delivered the keynote address to a Memorial Chapel-full of students, faculty, staff and members of the local community.

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Yohe Co-Author of IPCC Climate Report
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Thomas, Varekamp, Avener '09 on Climate Clues
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Soda Machine Betrothal or False Memory?

Did you propose marriage to a Pepsi machine two weeks ago, or did you just imagine it?





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Student Presents Stem Cell Research at International Symposium

Jenna Gopilan '07 the neuroscience and behavior major had the opportunity to present her own research project to the Media and Legislative Briefing at the State Capitol in Hartford.

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Scientists, Students Team Up for BioBlitz Event

BioBlitz 2007 is coming to Middletown and Wesleyan faculty and students are playing key roles.

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Dawn of Diamond Age.

Advances in diamond-based technology are creating a garden of unearthly scientific delights.
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Faculty Finds Strongest Evidence Yet of Link Between CO2 and Global Temperature Change

A study by Assistant Professor Dana Royer indicates that increases in CO2 have a calculable relationship to increases in global surface temperatures.

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Wesleyan Supporting Public BioBlitz Event

Wesleyan, along with the City of Middletown and Pratt & Whitney, are providing financial support for BioBlitz, a science-based, educational race against time to see how many plant and animal species can be identified and counted in a 24-hour time period within a specific geographic area.
Activities are planned for all ages during the public portion of this 24-hour event.
These include more than 100 scientists in the gym sorting, identifying and cataloguing specimens found in Middletown.

Summer Hughes Fellows Present Research

Grigori Enikolopov '08 was one of more than 50 students to present their research at the Hughes Program in the Life Sciences Poster Session in the Exley Science Center.


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Vertex Unveils Innovative Treatment for Hepatitis C

Vertex Pharmaceuticals, a company founded by University Trustee Joshua Boger '73, has developed a potentially revolutionary treatment for Hepatitis C, a virus which infects about three million Americans, kills 10,000 of them a year, and is the leading reason for liver-transplants in the country.
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Gordon Honored for Animal Facility Management.

Ron Gordon, manager of animal facilities, was named the 2007 "TurnKey Facility Leader of the Year" from Animal Lab News.

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Biophysics Journal Club Encourages Student Teaching.

The class's 20 students are expected to prepare a lesson on relevant course material and present a micro-lecture to their peers.

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A CLIMATE-CHANGE COST ANALYSIS

USA Today
Quotes Gary Yohe, Woodhouse/Sysco professor of economics
"The human and economic cost of global warming will move to center stage when the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change releases the second and third installments of its report this spring, experts say."

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Barry Chernoff Elected President of Jonah Center

Barry Chernoff, the Robert Schumann Professor of Environmental Studies and director of the Environmental Studies Certificate Program, has been elected president of The Jonah Center for Earth and Art. The Jonah Center wants to transform the neck of land at the confluence of the Mattabesett and Coginchaug Rivers in Middletown into an innovative educational facility and a major tourist destination. This property, which now appears to be urban industrial blight, is rich in educational and recreational possibilities.

Wesleyan, Connecticut Science Center Forge Partnership to Promote Interest in the Sciences

Science teachers in Connecticut teachers take classes at Wesleyan through the Project to Increase Mastery of Mathematics and Science Program (PIMMS). PIMMS is teaming up with the Connecticut Science Center to provide science and math education techniques to K-12 teachers.


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Neuroscience and Behavior Alumni Present Research,Offer Advice to Wesleyan Undergraduates

The Neuroscience and Behavior Symposium was held at Wesleyan University on Feb. 11. Organized by John Kirn, associate professor of biology, neuroscience and behavior (NS&B) and Chair of Wesleyan's Neuroscience & Behavior Program, the symposium was designed to allow current Wesleyan undergraduates to discuss the major and research with established alumni of the Neuroscience & Behavior Department. Nearly 60 people attended the symposium, which was followed by lunch and an informal panel discussion.
One of the symposium's featured speakers was alumna Megan Carey '96, now a postdoctoral fellow at Harvard Medical School.

9 Students Compete in National Math Competition

During a recent mathematics test, which spanned six hours, Daniel Greengard '08 believes he only got one question completely correct out of 12.
But getting only one question correct puts him in the top half of all test-takers, explains David Pollack, assistant professor of mathematics and faculty-advisor for the 67th Annual William Lowell Putnam Mathematical Competition held Dec. 2.

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Steve Devoto's Fish Musculature study

Fish May Help Unmask Muscle Diseases. A tiny fish popular with aquarium enthusiasts is poised to make a big splash in our understanding of muscle development.

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Wesleyan Active in CT Stem Cell Initiative

Laura Grabel, the Fisk Professor of Natural Sciences and professor of biology, received $878,348 for her study on embryonic stem cells.
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Professor, Student Study Children's Ability to Count

So many people have had one of those moments, when a check comes after dinner and they?re having a problem adding it up, and they stop and say, I'm just not any good at math! says Hilary Barth, assistant professor of psychology. "But they are. We all are. We?re born with it."

This isn't just an opinion from an overly-optimistic academic. Barth is one of a growing number of researchers studying intuitive understanding of numbers. So far, they've established that human beings and even many other species are born with impressive mathematical abilities.


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Herbst and Student discover unprecedented star cluster

Unprecedented Star Cluster Study May Offer View of Planet Formation and Our Solar System's Own Early Beginnings.
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NIGM $241k DNA, RNA Grant

David Beveridge, University Professor of the Natural Sciences and Mathematics, professor of chemistry, has spent the past 20 years studying various aspects of the structures, molecular motions and binding properties of DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) and RNA (ribonucleic acid) using theoretical methods. DNA and RNA are informational macromolecules that control the composition of proteins necessary to life structures and processes.


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Student, Professor Collaborate on Brain Study

For psychology major Rebecca Gordon '06, developing a research project idea was practically a no-brainer. Well, except for the fact that she had to study brains.


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Mathematics Leadership Academy

Beth Redington, project coordinator, teaches Connecticut teachers how to implement Microsoft PowerPoint presentations into their classroom instruction during the Leadership Academy in Mathematics Program May 19 in Exley Science Center.

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Research Team Studies Bioluminescent Bays in Puerto Rico

Ten miles off the east coast of Puerto Rico, on the island of Vieques, three mangrove-lined bays are illuminated with unicellular marine life known as dinoflagellates. One of the bays has an unusually high abundance of these microscopic creatures that produce their own light through bioluminescence, a chemical reaction similar to the one that makes fireflies glow.



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Tom Morgan's Rydberg Atom research

Foss Professor of Physics, developed a laser lab in the basement of Exley Science Center. He uses a control panel to fire atoms and study quantum mechanics. His atom research is supported by a recent National Science Foundation award of $200,000
.
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ROBERT SCHUMANN SYMPOSIUM

Global Warming Topic of Schumann Symposium
When it comes to global warming, where on earth are we going? That is the question scholars hope to answer during the 3rd Annual Robert Schumann Environmental Studies Symposium titled: "Where on Earth Are We Going? Global Climate Change and Vulnerabilities: A Perspective for the Future."


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Dana Royer leaf study

Many scientists have long believed a major clue to rapid global warming is locked in leaf fossils that are millions of years old. Dana Royer, assistant professor of earth and environmental science, has just found a key.

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Partnership to Promote K-12 Science Education

The new Connecticut Science Center will partner with Wesleyan's Project to Increase Mastery of Mathematics and Sciences (PIMMS) to train Connecticut middle school science teachers how best to teach the sciences to students in grades K-12. "We are very excited about the new Science Center," says Joseph Bruno, vice president for academic affairs and provost at Wesleyan. Both PIMMS and The Connecticut Science Center have a mission to foster public interest in science, mathematics, engineering and technology
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Ph.D Candidate Documents Animal Rescue Work from Hurricane Katrina:

Laure Dykas, chemistry Ph.D candidate, is filming a documentary titled ?Animal Rescue Katrina.? Pictured below are rescued animals living in shoreline shelters, photographed by Dykas during her interviews with animal shelter managers.


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Scientists Share Research at Molecular Biophysics Retreat

Gloster Aaron, assistant professor of biology, speaks on "Neurons looking back before firing: the timing of action potentials" during the Molecular Biophysics Retreat Sept. 21.


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Death Valley

A group of earth and environmental science students discover that carefully made plans for fieldwork last until nature intervenes.
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Kitt Peak

Assistant Professor of Astronomy Edward Moran was toying with the idea of taking a webcam with him to the Kitt Peak National Observatory so sophomores in his Introduction to Astronomical Techniques class could get a closeup look at hands-on research. But then he had a better idea: leave the camera home and take the sophomores
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Deep River

Asking for a "dream" summer job aboard an underwater habitat launched this scientist on her career, charted to her specifications.
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The Next Global Plague

The possibility of an anthrax attack is frightening, but that's not what keeps public health officials awake at night.
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The Gentle Whirring of a New Heart

In early July the stunning news broke that Dr. Laman Gray '63 and his associates at the University of Louisville had successfully implanted an artificial heart in a desperately ill patient.
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Critical Care

Practicing physician and insightful ethicist--it's a rare combination
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Driving on Mars

Martha Gilmore is going to Mars. Again. In fact, this time she's not only responsible for helping pick a landing site, she'll be doing some of the driving on the red planet, too.
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Biology's New Data Mavens

Torrents of data have spilled out of the human genome project, leading biologists to approach their science in an entirely new way.
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Smartweeds

Sonia Sultan and her colleagues say that plants may have something important to tell us about the environment and human health
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Ancient Greece

he solution to perhaps the greatest mystery of ancient Greece depended on a chance meeting near the remains of a Roman villa in Portugal in 1995.
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Eclipse of a Star

William Herbst, an astronomer and the Van Vleck Professor of Astronomy at Wesleyan University, and Roger Cohen, Class of 2003, documented the longest eclipse of a distant sun-like star. Working on his senior thesis, Cohen observed a three-year eclipse of the star, which caught the attention of astronomers across the globe. "It is the longest eclipse that anyone has seen in the history of astronomy," Herbst said. "When I saw the data, I knew Roger had found something special. It was something never seen before. The longest eclipse observed to this point had been just under two years long."
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Thomas on ?gTop 100?? Earth Science List

A paper by Ellen Thomas, research professor of earth and environmental sciences, is listed as one of the 100 most influential papers in the earth sciences by MantlePlumes.org.
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