Evening star., 1950-03-07

~ &. # Opp e nheimer,
atomic scientist
sternoers' and director of
the Institute of Advanced Study
at Princeton, N. j., delivered the
principal address.
Second place in the Nation wide
competition for science-talented
young people went to Donald
Bruce Mccormick, IT, of Oak
Ridge, Tenn. He gets a $4,000
Westinghouse science scholarship.
Interest in Nuclear Physics.
Young Sternberg, whose father
is a New York public school prin-
cipal, is an inventor and student
of biology, but his major interest
is nuclear physics. In prepara-
ton for entering the competition,
he undertook the very careful
measurement of the tracks made
by helium atoms across photo
graphic plate.
He calculated the energy re-
leased by cyclotron bombardment
of this non-fissionable element.
The helium was produced when
the element, boron, was bonn
barded with neutrons. To get this
effect, Saul used Photographic
plates impregnated with boron,
then persuaded Washington Uni
versity in St. Louis, to lombard
them with neutrons in their cyclo-
tron.
i, The Mccormick youth, who
ranks third in his class of 248 at
Oak Ridge High School, has been
the abnormal outgrowths,
or gals, on goldenrod plants. He
wanted to learn not only their
causes and makeup. but was in
terested to learn whether. like
oak gals, they would have any
commercial value by reason of
their tannic acid content. Because
certain gals have been shown to
be definite type of plant cancer,
Donald thinks their study may
lead to helpful knowledge in the
fight against, cancer.
Hits Scientific Secrecy.
DR.. Oppenheimer, who was war
time director of the Los Alamos
IN. Mex atomic bomb project,
told the banquet group the growth
of science has matched the growth
of democratic institutions. -
There is no place for dogma in
science" he said. "Our own poIiti-
cal life is predicted on openness.
We do not believe any group of
men is adequate enough or wise
enough to operate without scrutiny
or without criticism"
Other teen-age scientists award
ed $400 scholarships last night
were Malcolm S. Gordon, Is,
Brooklyn. N. Y; Robert w. Deten-
back, IT. Kenmore. N. " William
ID. Gunter. jr., Is, Bellingham.
Wash; Dennis P. Malone. II. Ken
more, N. Y; William J. Reeves
jr.. II, Springfield. Oreg., Lenore,
Y. Taylor. II, Utica, N. Y; Will
liam G. Tiff, IT, Seymour, Conn,
and Cynthia w. Wyeth. l6 Phila.
delphia.
Winners of s1oo scholarships
were:
Alice Mckinney. Is, Phoenix,
Ariz.; Ronald Fuchs. i8, Altadena.
Calf; Victor j. Rosen. 16, Bev-
erly Hills, Calf; Noel P. Elliott.
18. Kellogg, Idaho; Joel D. Fine
gan, 18, Gary. Ind; Winifred Nc
Portland, 18, Dorchester, Mass:
Sol Krongelb, II. Jersey City,
N. j.; William T. Beaver, II, Al
bany, N. Y; Nicholas q. Markof,
16, Huntington. N. Y; Alice j.
Warren. Is. Ithaca, N. Y, and
Paul j. Cohen. Is; Stanley G..
Korenman, IT; David Lubell, IT;
Elihu Lubkin. 16; Edward c. Pos
ner. 16; Lawrence Rosler, Is; Je-
rome Siegel, 16; Edel Wasserrlan,
II. and Phillip Zeidenberg, II, all
of Brooklyn.
Scholarship Alternates.
Also Patricia A. Jackson, II, and
Cynthia B. Jackson, II, Forest
Hills. N. Y, who also are first and
second alternates for the $4O0
scholarships: Lisa A. Steiner, 16,
Kew Gardens, N. Y; Alan Suss-
man, II, Long Island City, N. Y;
Gerald Feinberg, 16, and Sheldon
L. Glashow. II. both of New York:
Dom r. Martin, II, Cincinnati,
Ohio; John w. Rippon, Sylvania
Ohio; Julie v. Franchere. 16, Os-
wego, Oreg.; Edward J. Wawszkie-
wicz, II. North Smithfield, r. l.,
and Donald F. Piskule, 18, Kim
ball, S. Oak. .s.z,-
The judges were DIR. Harlow
Shapley, director Of Harvard Col
lege Observatory; DR.. Harold A.
Edgerton and DR.. Steuart H. Britt,
New York psychologists. and DR..
Rex E. Buxton, psychiatrist. with
offices at 1901 K street NV
Other speakers last night were DR..
Shapley, Watson Davis, director
OF Science Service, and A.. c. Mon
teith, director of WESTINGHOUSE
Edl1co fia,,o1 TIo,,~So&;z-