I definitely felt that I wanted to make a gift related my field of chemical engineering, and to the new interdisciplinary opportunities in bioengineering. Everyone knows the difference between software and hardware or softball and hardball, but some consumers are hard pressed to remember exactly what softened water is, says Paul Robillard, associate professor of agricultural engineering. Most people base their definition of hard and soft water on whether the water leaves a detergent film on pots and fixtures or whether the water makes their hair more silky and manageable. Both minerals are essential daily nutrients. However, if calcium and magnesium are at high levels, the minerals will build up on surfaces such as plumbing pipes, eventually plugging them.
Minerals also can damage hot water heaters and make laundry detergents less effective.
Softened water is an advantage if homeowners experience soap film on pots, utensils and skin, or find that detergents are not cleaning up to expectations. But, water softening does raise the sodium level of water to about 7.5 to 8 milligrams per quart for every grain per gallon of minerals removed, which can be a health risk for people on low-sodium diets. Giles holds the David Reese Professorship in IST and is a professor of computer science and engineering. He is known for recent papers in the journals Science and Nature estimating the size of the web and its content, and showing that current Web search engines only index a fraction of it. The eBusiness Research Center, under the direction of Nirmal Pal, is jointly sponsored by IST and the Smeal College of Business Administration.