From: sichase@csa2.lbl.gov (SCOTT I CHASE)
Newsgroups: sci.physics
Subject: A Modest Proposal
Date: 23 Jul 92 20:59:20 GMT
Organization: Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory - Berkeley, CA, USA
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This post contains some ideas I would like to put forward as a
kind of proposal - for which I would like public comment.

Sci.physics has had many interesting threads lately - the environmental
impact of nuclear energy, the Twin Paradox, Chaos, etc.  The broad 
range of interests and of people makes the discussion entertaining,
amusing, and, more often than not, educational.  There also seems to be
a healthy E-mail dialog going on among participants in the background.
I get several mail items every day from people who want to continue
a discussion that has started to fade on the net, who want more information,
or who want to blast me (out of the public view) for the ridiculous
position I took on some topic or the other (usually related to funding
the SSC!)

But, IMHO, the real strength of this newsgroup is that it has hooks into
almost all the major labs and universities in the US, and many around
the world.  This usually means, for example, that almost any subject will
be treated in an expert manner by someone who *really* knows the subject
who comes out of the woodworks to set the record straight.  

And yet it seems to me that we don't fully utilize this most unique
feature of our humble newsgroup.  What I would be interested in is
actual News from the laboratories where the real physics is being done.
I know that many of the sci.physics participants also read or post to 
sci.astro.  That group is very well connected to NASA and JPL, and 
get regular bullitens and other informational postings from these
institutions, mostly regarding the various unmanned probes whizzing about 
the solar system.

I propose that we attempt to initiate a series of periodic News postings,
generated by volunteers at various institutions, say monthly - and scattered
throughout the month, so that we can get the latest "News from Fermilab,"
"News from Bell Labs," "News from the Center for Particle Astrophysics,"
or from whomever we can get to take the time to do the job.  These
postings could contain progress updates on projects the readership is 
interested in, summaries of the latest news usually only available to 
those of us with preprint libraries, etc.

The goal would be twofold: (1) To keep us informed about what's going
on around the world on things we may be interested in, and (2) to 
instigate discussion on real physics in the making.  Most of the threads
right now are discussions generated by questions from the laity or
disagreements among cognoscenti on mostly well understood, or at least
well-known subjects.  In addition to these (admittedly interesting)
threads, I would like to see if we could get information and discussions
going on current research and new results.

Of course, even if everyone thinks that this is a nifty idea we will 
still need the volunteers!  The whole idea will hang on this thread.
So if you are willing to occassionally (or even periodically) post items
from you local laboratory newsletter or from what you have seen and 
heard from where you work, please stick your neck out.  We need you.

It would be gallant of me to be the first to step forward and promise
"News from UCB," but I am already swamped with trying to keep the
FAQ up to date and accurate.  So, alas, I must depend entirely on the
good will and charity of others to implement my grand ideas.

If this program flies, and people are really willing to contribute, 
I am willing to offer my services to organize things a little.  It would
be nice if this family of periodic postings had some kind of uniform
appearance and if postings from different sources were staggered throughout
the month to provide a steady source of information and fodder for 
discussion.

Comments?

--------------------
Scott I. Chase			"The question seems to be of such a character
SICHASE@CSA2.LBL.GOV		that if I should come to life after my death
				and some mathematician were to tell me that it
				had been definitely settled, I think I would
				immediately drop dead again."      - Vandiver
Newsgroups: sci.physics