First Lights
The 10-meter Keck Telescope, with one quarter of its mirror segments installed, produces its first
image; its predecessors had different definitions of "first light," as well as different
problems.
Scientific Fraud
by David Goodstein
Caltech's vice provost offers an opinion of what it is and what it isn't, and defends a couple
of famous physicists against false charges.
Deposit Insurance
The layers that make up a computer chip are deposited inside a sealed chamber.
A new way to see what's going on within the chamber can improve chip quality.
Commercialization of Technology: Key to Competitiveness
by James D. Watkins
The Secretary of Energy explains what government can do to bridge the gap between research and
development on the one side and practical applications and the marketplace on the other.
Departments
Books: Aimé Césaire: Lyric and Dramatic Poetry, 1946-1982 translated by Clayton Eshleman and Annette Smith
Lab Notes: Plasma Donor; But Will It Work on a Hibachi?