THE OREDIGGER

The student voice of the Colorado School of Mines

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Volume 94, Issue 15 February 3, 2014
JESSICA DETERS / OREDIGGER

News

Examining the definition of shale.

Features 4

Keep warm by making banana bars.

Construction continues on Elm Hall, despite wintry weather on campus. Elm Hall is due to open in Fall 2014.

Sports 7

Los Alamos researches radiochemistry and chemisorption

Hope Sisley Staff Writer
Dr. Bob Rundberg presented to the Mines chemistry department on radiochemistry. He works at the Los Alamos National Laboratory, where he has been involved with a number of important projects, including the Yucca Mountain nuclear storage facility. Yucca Mountain is a site in Nevada which was under consideration for a permanent repository for the most radioactive types of nuclear waste. Before it was ultimately rejected, many studies were done to assess the viability of the site. As a part of this investigation, Rundberg and his colleagues tested several natural metallic minerals, including goethite, hematite, and rutile, to see if and how efficiently they would complex with various radionuclides. If the waste in Yucca Mountain were to leak out into the surrounding rock, it would encounter minerals such as these; the affinity these minerals have for such radioactive compounds would in turn affect the compounds behavior, possibly retarding the transport of the radionuclides or changing their composition. When a metal oxides surface complexes with another substance, the charge of the oxide changes. The charge of the oxide controls whether it attracts or repulses ions, or charged particles. The radionuclides dissociate into ions when dissolved in water, so if the oxides they pass by attract them, their transport will be slowed down, and vice versa. Through protonationthe addition of a proton to a molecule or the subtraction of an electron from ita basic solution will give a metal oxide a positive surface charge. Through deprotonation an acid will do the opposite, giving a negative surface charge. For an example of how this will affect the transport of a radionuclide, take uranyl, one of several uranium ions. Uranyl has a positive charge, so a metal with a negative surface charge will attract it and, hopefully, keep it from percolating into the groundwater. Rundberg and his colleagues devised a special method of titration to test just how the processes described above might proceed. This method allowed accurate pH measurements and excellent pH control, which were necessary when working with low concentrations of radionuclides. Previous methods were not as accurate as the equipment would clog. Furthermore, the precise calculation of surface charge required a precise calculation of molecular surface area. In earlier experiments, molecules were treated as flat planes, giving erroneous results. Because the molecules in these tests tend to clump into colloids, Rundberg treated them as spherical instead. Though he acknowledged that this is still only an approximation, or a spherical chicken, as he joked, referring to scientists propensity to oversimplify things for the sake of calculation ease, it is a better approximation of a colloidal molecule than a plane, and likewise gave better, much more reasonable results. Finally, two types of scintillators were used to measure the sorption of the radionuclides onto the metals. A scintillator is a device which emits photons in response to radiation, which can then be detected and used to quantify the amount of radiation, and from there, the amount of radioactive material. Each type of scintillator measures a different type of radiation, which allows a multitude of radionuclides to be tested. Even with this much control on the precision of the experiments, the accuracy of Rundbergs measurements broke down at very high sorption rates and very low concentration levels. Rundberg went into great detail about the behavior he observed in his experiments and the mechanisms behind the results. All the radionuclides tested showed a steady increase in adsorption up to a high pH of about nine in the case of neptunyl, but other compounds had different results, after which the adsorption rate fell off. This curve, Rundberg found, closely approximated the hydrolysis curve for the metal involved. The relationship held true for all of the elements examined. Rundberg observed another interesting result. Essentially, when a radionuclide adsorbed to the surface of the metal, it kicked out part of the resident material, thereby changing the metals surface charge. In the case of neptunyl, an ion of the man-made element neptunium, this process made senseeach neptunyl molecule adsorbed onto the metal displaced a single proton, equivalent to the neptunyls single positive charge. Not all of the radionuclides behaved as intuitively as neptunium, however. Uranyl, for instance, has a double positive charge, but when it adsorbed, it kicked off one and a half protons. Thorium, stable in a quadruple positive ion, displaces only three protons. For this reason, while neptunium does not alter the surface charge, the other radionuclides do, as the total charge they displace does not match their own charge. Some researchers have proposed multidentate charge geometries to explain this phenomenon, but Rundberg concluded that the strange results he obtained concerning charge instead indicate a problem in the way charge is modeled, something which future observers may be able to correct.

Olympics to begin Friday in Sochi.

Opinion 8

What would you do with a snow day?

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Return of the Plague? McMaster University, Canada - In the 14th century, the Black Death wiped out between 30 and 60 percent of the European population, and earlier in 541 A.D., the Plague of Justinian had nearly the same impact on the Byzantine Empire. A team of researchers from multiple universities recently discovered that both plagues are distinct strains of the same pathogen. One strain of the pathogen died out on its own, and the other made a comeback in the late 1800s, suggesting that a new strain could appear again in the future.

Jessica Deters, Staff Writer

React or Die, University College, London - A recent study by researchers from the University College London and the University of Edinburgh found that people in their midlife, age 20 to 59, with poor reaction times were 25 percent more likely to die within 15 years than their counterparts with average reaction times. The researchers examined data for over 5,000 subjects who had their reaction times quantified in the 1990s. Reaction time is thought to reflect a basic aspect of the central nervous system and speed of information processing is considered a basic cognitive ability (mental skill).

ADHD Impacts Communication, University of Waterloo, Canada - Researchers from the University of Waterloo in Waterloo, Canada found that children and young adults with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) can have difficulty taking on the perspective of another person. This can in turn lead to difficulties in communication. In conversation, individuals need to pay attention to the knowledge and perspective of one another, Professor Elizabeth Nilsen of the University of Waterloo and co-author of the study, said. Our findings are important because they allow us to think about possible remediation strategies.

Massive Chinese Dinosaur Discovered, University of Pennsylvania - Dinosaurs not only fascinate the general population, but they also offer a glimpse into the Earths history. Paleontologists from the University of Pennsylvania classified a new species of dinosaur based on fossils discovered in Chinas northwestern Gansu Province, now known as Yongjinglong datangi. The herbivorous species, estimated to be between 50 and 60 feet long, lived during the Cretaceous period, about 100 million years ago. This massive creature belonged to the Titanosauria group, which contained some of the largest beings to ever roam the earth. This discovery proves significant as it helps to solidify Chinas lead over the U.S. in new dinosaur discoveries. In 2007 China overtook the U.S. as the new dinosaur diversity epicenter, and the region in which this dinosaur was found, Gansu, now leads China in new dinosaur findings.

Oredigger Staff
Deborah Good Editor-in-Chief Emily McNair Managing Editor Taylor Polodna Design Editor Connor McDonald Webmaster Lucy Orsi Business Manager Arnaud Filliat Copy Editor Katerina Gonzales Content Manager Jared Riemer Content Manager Karen Gilbert Faculty Advisor

Headlines from around the world

James Davis, Staff Writer
The U.S. government is seeking death penalty against the Boston Marathon bombing suspect. In a statement by US Attorney General Eric Holder, plans of pushing capital punishment are in order. Holder shared that the government believes the nature and harm done by this issue are forcing this action. During the Boston Marathon bombing, three victims were killed and over 260 injured. Last week, Panama released the 32 crew members of a North Korean trade vessel. Six months ago, on suspicions of smuggling drugs, Panamanian customs officers seized and searched the Chong Chon Gong. Upon inspection of the vessel, customs officers discovered 25 cases of Soviet weaponry including missile defense systems and two MIG-21 fighter aircraft. Panamanian officials stated that this is a direct violation of North Koreas weapons embargo, and that smuggling these weapons through their canal is a danger to their country. The abnormally high death rate in Russia is blamed on vodka. Studies show that approximately 25% of Russian males die before the age of 55, the primary cause of death being gratuitous alcohol consumption. The Russian Cancer Treatment Center stated that in 2011, the Russian adults drank an average 13 liters of pure alcohol. Russian authorities have attempted to reduce this number by increasing alcohol sales tax, but to no success. The U.S. shows concern at Syrias unfulfilled disarming. Syria agreed to destroy all chemical weaponry by June 30th. As of now, only about four percent of this material has been removed. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel asked the Russian defense minister to make an attempt at influencing the Syrian government. Discussion of the matter continues during Geneva peace talks. Australia plans to dump sediment near the Great Barrier Reef in order to expand coal mining operations. The government wants to use the coastal town of Abbot Point to export the coal, but the port needs to be expanded to make way for the cargo ships. Silt and clay will be cleared out and dumped approximately 16 miles south of the Great Barrier Reef. Australian officials publicly stated that they will stick to a strict environmental code. A malicious computer program, dubbed Chewbacca, has been used to steal over 24 million credit card transactions. The program was named Chewbacca because the login page of the malware featured this Star Wars character. The file was found on point-of-sale equipment and was disguised as a file that processed printing prompts. This particular program has been found in over 11 countries, including the US. Cyber security companies suggest that shop retailers be more vigilant with regards to their point-of-sale-equipment.

Local News
Colorado State Patrol is warning drivers to pay strict attention to troopers on the side of the road. Over the weekend, a Colorado State Trooper was injured and two patrol cars were damaged in crashes in El Paso and Mesa counties. These crashes are the latest in a number of similar incidents. In all of these cases, the emergency lights on the patrol vehicles were activated. Troopers are reminding motorists to slow down and move over for emergency vehicles. Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper temporarily renamed all of the mountains in Colorado after Denver Broncos players. These names were only in effect for Super Bowl Sunday. Notably, Mt. Elbert, the tallest mountain in Colorado, became Peyton Manning; Grays Peak, Eric Decker; and Pikes Peak, Joel Dressen. Two Falcon High School students were taken to the hospital when they had allergic reactions to a chemistry experiment. HAZMAT checked the chemicals involved and noted that there was nothing unusual about them. A student brought an unloaded gun to Lewis-Palmer High School last week. The school went into lockdown for two hours as a precaution. The student faces charges of unlawfully carrying a weapon on school grounds, a felony, and possession of a handgun by a juvenile, a misdemeanor.

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february 3, 2014

A Helmholtz alternative
Chris Fobbins Staff Writer
tance operators, which essentially provide a mapping of the transmission problems boundary conditions In the field of acoustics and wave to the surfaces and interfaces of the functions, problems can often get media through and around which very complex and nearly unsolvable waves are traveling. Finding a sousing methods already known and lution in this manner, according to in use. Because of this, the need Dominguez, is very straight forward to develop accurate numerical ap- and not too complex to develop, but proximation models in this field is at the cost of being very difficult to constantly growing. Professor Victor compute. To deal with this computational Dominguez of the Universidad Puissue, Dominguez set blica de Navarra in Spain shared Dominguez chose to about attempting to construct an adequate some of his most recent work in focus on problems model that could be used to approximate this area at Fridealing with the these solutions within days installment domain and preof the AMS deHelmholtz equation, certain cision levels that would partments weekly colloquium series a time independent be simpler to formulate. He was able to accomin his presentation, Regularized partial differential plish this based upon estimates of linear comIntegral Equations for Acoustic Trans- equation common in binations of Dirichletto-Neumann mappings mission Problems In Smooth Do- the acoustics field. (assuming they exist in this situation, according mains. In particular, Dominguez chose to Dominguez). Once completed, to focus on problems dealing with the set of newly formulated integral the Helmholtz equation, a time in- equations could be used to show dependent partial differential equa- that the acoustic fields in question tion common in the acoustics field. can be solved in terms of layer poHis goal was to develop a simpler tentials as well as showing that the integration equation alternative to densities of these field layers are in transmission problems involving this fact the solutions of the system of equation. He attempted to do this integral equations. The model and by incorporating the use of admit- its incorporated admittance opera-

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tors also compact the system into a perturbation of in Sobolev spaces, a vector space of functions that is often the only place to find natural solutions to partial differential equations, as well as make the system uniquely solvable. When first beginning his research on this specific subject, Prof. Dominguez had set clear objectives of deriving new integral equations for Helmholtz acoustic problems that could be done relatively simply and were uniquely solvable. In addition, he also hoped to frame this model as a compact perturbation of the identity matrices in Sobolev spaces, which he claims are great for doing numerical and computational work with the models. Dominguez was able to conclude that he had accomplished all of these points beforehand, calling this system a new way to regularize boundary integral equations. This model works beyond the theoretical as well, as it works well in practical problems and is competitive with other methodologies out there on this same subject. It is also great for the numerics of these acoustic situations as estimates can be done with this system of equations at lower computational times and costs. As part of his future work, Dominguez would like to extend the scope of these ideas and apply them to new problems outside of merely Helmholtz acoustics applications.

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Clarifying definitions: Shales split identity

Hope Sisley Staff Writer
Every student in SYGN 101 learns that shale refers to a clayrich, fine-grained, laminated (thinlybedded) sedimentary rock that breaks apart in sheets. Any geologist could quote this definition. But, as with most words, shale has come to mean many things over the years which have little to do with the original definition. Dr. Bruce Hart, a researcher from Statoil Houston and a former AAPG (American Association of Petroleum Geologists) Distinguished Lecturer, began his talk with a multiple choice question: is a shale a rock type, a stratigraphic designation, or a play (ie. oil/gas reservoir) type? The answer, he revealed, depends on who is being asked to define it. The industry, he observed, uses the term pretty much indiscriminately, leading to confusion as to its precise meaning. First, he took a lithological approach. Even in academic literature, the exact meaning of a shale is unclear. In some places, the clay in clay-rich means clay minerals, such as illite and kaolinite. In other places, clay means clay-size particles, without any consideration for the composition of those particles. Furthermore, while laminations are easy to define, fissility, or the tendency of a rock to break into thin plates, is difficult to see in a drill core, for instance, because fissility is often the product of weathering processes and a rock that has never been exposed to the surface will be unweathered. In other words, a fissile rock at the surface might, at depth, be solid and apparently unlaminated. Because oil and gas researchers, in the few instances when they see a rock and not a wire-line log, deal mainly with cores rather than outcrops, this presents a problem. The disjoint between academia and the industry only becomes wider when the clay component of the definition is considered. Grain size is not used in the oil industry; rather, rock samples are ground up and put through x-ray mass spectrometry (XRD) analysis, which gives the bulk elemental composition of the rock, and, from there, the mineralogy. This gives a highly simplified picture of what may in fact be a very complex rock. For this reason, the industry lexicon tends to assume that any formation is homogeneous, when in truth there is heterogeneity at every scale. To illustrate this, Hart gave an example of a rock with XRD results indicating a mixed carbonate/clay mineralogy. Citing different wellknown shale plays, such as the Marcellus in Pennsylvania, the Barnett in Texas, and the Haynesville in Louisiana, Hart listed various forms the carbonate minerals might take in hand specimen. In the Marcellus, much of the carbonates are present as fossils, including shells and corals, some quite large. The Barnetts carbonates include turbidites, or high-speed underwater landslide deposits, and replacement textures, where the carbonates have taken the place of a different mineral. The Haynesville has carbonate concretions and fracture fills, where a calcite-rich fluid came in after the formation had lithified and filled in the cracks. Other formations have alternating layers of clay-rich and carbonate-rich rocks, chalks, or even flattened, fossilized fecal pellets. XRD might give good chemical analysis, but it captures none of this detail. The problems with heterogeneity in the rock being ignored or smoothed over in the oil industry do not end with rock textures. On the outcrop scale - usually below the resolution of seismic data - a bed is rarely without variation. Sedimentary rocks often go through cycles, be called a shale at all. Because a seen by repeated stratigraphic units. gas shale is generally only producThere might be layers of alternating tive when hydro-fractured, clay-rich mineralogy: clay-rich (or muddy) to rocks tend to scare operators away, sand-rich (or clean), for instance. as too much clay means the rock There might be alternating modes will not fracture well. of deposition: turbidites overlain This led Hart to his final discusby background sedimentation. The sion: what constitutes a shale play? alternating units might be organic- The first productive shale, ironically, rich and organic-poor (of prime im- was a true textbook-definition shale portance to the oil industry), or they which had natural gas seeps flowmight differ in competence, blocky ing from it; after some village chilrocks overlain by fissile ones. These dren accidentally set a nearby creek small cycles then stack into larger- on fire, the townsfolk dug a twentyscale cycles, five-foot-deep called bedsets, Hart concluded that better well and bewhich might gan tapping represent a fall communication between the the gas seep and rise in sea to light their disciplines and better, more lamps. level. The layIn ered variations modern times, precise vocabulary will almay also be however, the found at very low better prediction of sub wells can be small scales in several miles the form of mi- seismic heterogeneity in the long and must croscopic lamibe hydro-fracnations. When rock, and thus more efficient tured in order the wealth of to draw gas; oil and gas production. detail available this involves in the rocks is breaking open discounted by a single blanket term the rock at depth to create a space - like shale - the industry loses po- where the gas can flow. A shale play tentially valuable information. Thus, is a tight, brittle rock which is both Hart recommends a new classifica- the source and the reservoir for the tion scheme for rocks, which could oil and gas that is being produced. accommodate both mineralogy It must be drilled into horizontally in (from XRD) and texture (from obser- order to be productive, as the units vation). involved cannot be too thick or they The confusion does not end here, will not fracture well. however. Once again, the question Since the media discovered hyof grain size vs. mineralogy arises. drofracturing (or fracking), howWhen a driller uses the term shale ever, any oil/gas play that needs or clay, it indicates a fine-grained to be fracked to be economical is rock, disregarding lithology entirely. being called a shale, even by the The epithet then gets grandfathered AAPG. This is both erroneous and in, so that a unit like the Eagle Ford misleading. Hart cited multiple exformation of Texas is called a shale amples of play types that have been when it is, in truth, a carbonate. In- lumped under the umbrella of shale deed, using a mineralogical cut-off gas play. The Bakken formation of of fifty percent clay to be a shale Montana is neither a shale nor does and any less to be some other type it produce from its source rock. Inof rock, none of the famous shale stead, it is a sandwich play, where plays in the United States would the reservoir units - where the gas is stored - are bracketed by source units - where the gas is produced - and the wells are drilled into the reservoirs. Other mislabelled fields include halo plays, conventional reservoirs surrounded by tight rock; and stacked or hybrid plays, where thin alternating conventional and unconventional reservoirs are produced from a vertical well. To better illustrate his point, Hart drew a Venn diagram. On the outside was a circle containing all mudstones (that is, all clay-rich, finegrained sedimentary rocks). Within this were three overlapping circles representing thermally mature mudstones (meaning they have the right burial history to produce oil/gas), organic-rich mudstones (meaning the material from which oil and gas is derived is present in abundance), and brittle mudstones (meaning ones which can be effectively fractured). Where the three fields overlap lies the true shale play, as it can be both a good source rock and a frack-able reservoir. Anything else should be called something different. Hart concluded that better communication between the disciplines and better, more precise vocabulary will allow better prediction of sub seismic heterogeneity in the rock, and thus more efficient oil and gas production. He ended with a quote from the book Alice in Wonderland: paraphrased, a word means what the person using it wants it to mean, nothing more and nothing less. Ironically, one of the attendees at the talk pointed out that in many other languages, including French and Spanish, there is no word for shale at all. The word for schist, a metamorphic rock completely distinct from shale, is used instead. Clearly, when it comes to clarifying the muddy waters of shale terminology, Dr. Hart has his work cut out for him.

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a d v e r t i s e m e n t

february 3, 2014

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february 3, 2014

Job hunting different for CSM graduate students

Ramiro Rodriguez Staff Writer
additional notes on each company and desired position. At Career Day after introductions with company Career Day for a graduate stu- recruiters, it is important to gather dent is often frustrating, as it is cen- contact information so the recruiter tered around internships and full can be followed up with an email time hiring of undergraduates. The with both a resume and the reasons Career Center advises that gradu- why one is deserving of a position ate students looking for intern- with the company. Follow-up emails ships and full time In short, the lower are important because they both repositions make an effort of research- amount of companies mind the recruiter of the previous days ing companies with potential openings actively looking for meeting as well as establish a contact and networking with them. These two graduate students for at a company. At Career Day, things can reduce the frustration that internships and jobs, because of the limited amount of time can be introduced in the job search as while frustrating, can with recruiters, it benecessary to a graduate student. be overcome through comes prepare in advance One initial step in a 30 second introthe job search is the effort. duction. This introuse of DiggerNet. duction starts with Jobs and internships can be found by searching by eye contact and a firm handshake major and degree type. DiggerNet and is followed up with the students allows for the uploading of docu- degree and type of research, goals ments to employers and is used to and interests specific to the comschedule interviews. It can also be pany and position sought, achieveused to find information sessions ments, any relevant research, and on companies and workshops. It is should be ended with a request to strongly recommended when apply be interviewed. The job search does not end at for a job or interview through DiggerNet that an application is also Career Day, however; it is continued filed on the companys corporate through the process of networking. website if possible before meeting Expanding ones personal network can lead to knowing someone in a with a recruiter at Career Day. To prepare for Career Day, in prospective company, and evenaddition to applying for jobs and in- tually an interview and hiring. Netternships, one should make a listing working can be done at virtually of all the employers to talk to with any time, including at Career Day. A

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Tallahassee: Immersive The role of block copolymers in nanolithology

Ramiro Rodriguez Staff Writer
be the complete opposite of. This sound quickly becomes dissonant as the lyrics quickly reveal themselves to be an acknowledgement Tallahassee was released in of just what the Alpha Couple has 2002 by the indie lo-fi folk rock become to each other and how band The Mountain Goats and little they can stand the others exis the first album released by the istence. The dissonance receives group to be done as a more or less an additional layer considering the full band. The entirety of Tallahaswriter of the song and frontman for see is the continuation of the story the band, John Darnielle, has said of two characters which frequently COURTESY THEMOUNTAINGOATS.NET in concert that Alpha recur in The Mountain Rats Nest is about the Goats song known as Alpha Couple lighting the Alpha Couple, as their home on fire with many of the songs that themselves in it to end are about them feature their lives. the word Alpha in the Tallahassee is a title. The Alpha Couple depressingly beautiful by this point in their lives painting of a marriage have moved together to in shambles and capTallahassee in an effort tures emotions like deto prevent the complete spair, angst, and release failure of their marriage through acceptance in which slowly falls toa way that is very rarely gether as they begin able in music. Unforto drink themselves to tunately some of the death instead of leaving songs on the album each other while their such as Idylls of the few remaining friends King and Peacocks abandon the hopeless fall short of other songs alcoholics to their lives Tallahassee is a depressing, beautiful album. on Tallahassee, which of mutual destruction A good start to the album is to a few songs down the listing in the can break the immersion the allisten to it in its entirety for the pur- album, can be seen as the second bum otherwise creates through a pose of story. The album follows part of No Children, taking essen- combination of strong lyrics and the progression of dissatisfaction tially the same tone and words but spot on tone. Even the occasional leading to the cracks in the Alpha with the passing of Tallahassee dissonances between lyrics and Couples marriage increasing all creating a rather haunting portrait musical accompaniment serve to while fighting to stay together in- of despair all the while not losing strengthen that immersion by inspite of the acknowledgement of any of angst momentum of the rest voking the feeling of false hope for just how dysfunctional they are of the album. Alpha Rats Nest the Alpha Couple. Anyone wanting leading to the marriage imploding sounds initially like a subversion to listen to a good if depressing at the end with Alpha Rats Nest. of the rest of Tallahassee with story should pick up Tallahassee Anyone with less time to devote to an upbeat tune that sounds more and strongly consider finding the Tallahassee or just wants to buy appropriate affixed to the cheesy other Alpha Couple songs as this singles should start with the epon- love songs the album seems to is the end of their story together. ymous Tallahassee, a slow and hauntingly beautiful description of regret and the realization that a terrible mistake has been made that cannot be averted. No Children is a faster paced and melodic anguished scream of a couple that would rather walk hand in unlovable hand into the abyss then find the strength and nerve to leave each other. Old College Try, while

personal network is often expanded at professional association conferences, hobby and sports events, information sessions, and even by cold calling companies looking for someone to talk to related to the position you are looking for. The efficiency of networking is increased by using networking tools such as LinkedIn and ResearchGate which are used to connect directly to colleagues, new connections, professional associations, as well as companies. A strong LinkedIn profile is one that is arranged in the same way as a resume, has a strong and concise headline, and is full of descriptions of coursework and past projects. In addition to having a profile that has good descriptions, LinkedIn has to be active to be effective. This means starting conversations with alumni working in industry, recruiters, and industry leaders. It can also be used to have discussions with groups with similar career interests which is something companies watch for. In short, the lower amount of companies actively looking for graduate students for internships and jobs, while frustrating, can be overcome through effort. This effort comes in the form of researching companies to know what skills and research can add value to a company as well as networking to know what opportunities can be found outside of companies actively looking to fill specific positions from Mines.

OPEN till 9 pm

James Davis Staff Writer

Nanolithography, a type of nanotechnology, is constantly improving. Dr. Greg Liu researched nanolithography and gave a seminar on the recent developments. According to Dr. Greg Liu, block copolymers can be used to assist in making extremely small structures. Much of the technology used today is dependent upon minimizing the size of its components. Reducing the bulk of machines effectively increases production and convenience. The field of nanolithography aligns closely to this ideal. It focuses on the development and application of very small structures. Over the past several decades, nanolithography has greatly improved microchip technology. Getting lanes on the microchip to carry more information over less space is undeniably ideal. Unfortunately, due to current practices, accuracy and precision exponentially decay with decrease in size. Liu stated that in order to create one of these microchips, the user must be able to identify the microscopic arrays, plant single dots of metal material in each grid, and manipulate the size and

shape of each spot. A popular method of development is with Dip-Pen Nanolithography (DPN). In DPN, a molecular ink is deposited onto a base via diffusion through a water meniscus. This was a revolutionary application method in the late 90s. One of the major obstacles, however, is the fact that the placement of the molecular ink is randomized. At single-digit nanoscale, many metals are inaccurate in where they attach. That is where the block copolymers come into play. By adding block copolymers, the molecular ink can be much more manageable. A unique copolymer is designed depending on the ink and the desired shape. The copolymer and ink mixture are heated to a temperature that activates the copolymer. The copolymer then arranges itself depending on its nature. The ink is concentrated inside the copolymer, achieving a particular size and shape. The heat is then increased, separating the copolymer and depositing the molecular ink. The research continues, but there is now strong evidence suggesting that this is a plausible method to be used in nanolithography, which will be a huge benefit to the microchip industry.

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Banana Bars
James Davis Staff Writer
Lighten up any dessert tray with some fresh out of the oven banana bars. A blend of banana mash and smooth chocolate creates a confectionery delight. Their pillowy texture heightens this sensation, making it hard to stop after having just one! Ingredients: 2 Cups flour 2 tsp. baking power Pinch of salt 3/4 Cup butter 2/3 Cup white sugar 2/3 Cup brown sugar 1 tsp. vanilla extract 1 Cup of mashed bananas (approximately 3 bananas) 1 Egg 2 Cups chocolate chips Instructions: 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees 2. Grease cookie sheet

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Game Review: Flappy Bird

More annoying than stubbing pinky toes, little brothers, and failing homework
Katerina Gonzales Content Manager
The games try, try again strategy to gain players has worked, as the Hanoi-based game was the most downloaded game of January, although it has been on the market since May 2013. Critical reception has been mixed, but the game has spread through word of mouth. Professors and teachers everywhere should be wary as this game spreads like wildfire, because unlike Candy Crush Saga and other popular game apps, the game will cause students to slam their phone in disgust, making a scene. The only winning strategy for Flappy Bird is to quit. A first time player of this game will undoubtedly make his or her bird crash into the pipes or ground before getting a point, which is gained by passing a pipe. There are photos online of insane amounts of points in the twenties and unconfirmed

february 3, 2014

Grammys 2014
Emily McNair Managing Editor
The 56th annual Grammy Awards had more than just high fashion and music, though those were probably the main draws for millions of viewers. This year, 33 couples tied the knot after Macklemore and Ryan Lewiss performance of Same Love. Queen Latifah acted as a temporary commissioner for the State of California and presided over the weddings. Several same-sex couples were included in the proceedings, and the event was kept secret for nearly two weeks. Even Madonna joined the fun and sang Open Your Heart as part of the performance. While the mass wedding was certainly the most eye-catching aspect of the Grammys, it only lasted for a fraction of the entire event. The majority of the event focused on performances from many notable celebrities from Lorde to Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr. Taylor Swifts performance of All Too Well garnered her considerable attention, as head banging while playing piano is certainly not common. Many parents were shocked to see Beyonces risque outfit during her performance of Drunk in Love with her husband Jay-Z, and that was not[a] the end of the outrage. The closing performance featuring Nine Inch Nails, Lindsey Buckingham, and Queens of the Stone Age was cut off so that commercials and credits could air. CBS

3. Mash bananas and eggs in bowl 4. Combine flour, baking powder, salt, butter, sugars, and vanilla. 5. Slowly mix two bowls together 6. Add chocolate chips, stir evenly 7. Pour mixture onto cookie sheet and spread evenly 8. Bake for 20-30 minutes, or until a wooden toothpick can be inserted into desert and cleanly removed. Tips * Try replacing (or supplementing) chocolate chips with raisins or nuts. * For a sweeter experience, lightly dust top of finished desert with powdered sugar. * Replace flour with glutenfree substitute for gluten-free alternative! Be sure to add water according to gluten-free flour instructions.

Sci discoveries
Continued from page 2. McMaster University, Canada Lead researchers on the project speculate that either human population has evolved to become less susceptible over the years or that gradual climate changes have made it more difficult for the plague bacterium to survive. University of Waterloo, Canada Social skills training programs for children with ADHD often dont show substantial benefits when children return to their social environments, and if we have a better sense of what is causing the difficulties in communication and then target remediation

didnt even continue the broadcast online, which left many fans angry. The awards themselves were somewhat surprising to viewers. Although Taylor Swift was nominated for four awards, she didnt win a single one. Skyfall, the theme to the latest James Bond movie, garnered Adele the award for Best Song in Visual Media. The popular Imagine Dragons song Radioactive was the Best Rock Performance, and Lorde won the award for Best Pop Solo Performance for her song Royals. However, the winners list was dominated by two artists: Macklemore and Ryan Lewis and Daft Punk. Macklemore and Ryan Lewis ended the evening with four awards to their names. They won the award for Best New Artist, and the celebrations didnt end there. The duos well-known song Thrift Shop garnered them the awards for both Best Rap Performance and Best Rap Song, and their album The Heist won the award for Best Rap Album. The French electronic music duo Daft Punk walked away from the Grammys with the most coveted award, Album of the Year, for Random Access Memories. The album also received two other awards, Best Dance/Electronica Album and Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical. The famous song Get Lucky, which features Pharrell Williams, won Record of the Year and Best Pop Duo/Group Performance.

To go or not to go, no question

Jessica Deters Staff Writer
Hamlet, perhaps William Shakespeares most renowned play, comes to life at the Denver Center this month. The show, directed by Kent Thompson, will run from Jan. 24 to Feb. 23 in the Stage Theater. Hamlet tells the tale of young scholar Hamlet who finds himself trapped in an impossible dilemma after his father, the king of Denmark, dies. Naturally, the ghost of his father returns, claiming that his death was no mere accident. The ghost tells Hamlet that the Claudius, the new king who also happens to be Hamlets uncle and the ghosts brother, murdered him and tasks Hamlet with avenging his untimely death. Hamlet then must rationalize the ghosts tale with reality to discern if the new king, who is also his new stepfather, did in fact steal the throne. Chaos ensues as Hamlet delays his revenge, even going so far as to feign madness in an attempt to uncover the truth. While the themes of the majority of Shakespeares other works can be defined by a single word, no single theme defines Hamlet. Does it explore madness, the dangers of indecisiveness, the perils of being a philosopher king in a soldier kings world? Perhaps it explores all three. What makes Hamlet transcendent and widely known is its ability to fully develop multiple themes and still read as a cohesive piece of literature. In and of itself, Hamlet commands respect and attention, but Thompsons distinct twist on the classic makes this specific production a must-see. The austere stage, painted in red and black and filled with three levels of balconies reinforced with metal rods, evokes the unsettling feeling that Thompson aims for. At its core, Hamlet is

Flappy Bird, available for free download on smart phones and other devices, is the most annoying game to flap into the app store. A bird with flappy wings must try to dodge and fly above openings between green pipes, much like the pipes one would expect to find in the Mario Bros universe. A tap on the users touch screen device propels the bird upwards, and gravity allows the bird to fall down. The concept is so simple, yet that makes the game even more aggravating. The game requires quick fingers, yet the most dexterous person is sure to fail many times. The game seems to run on failure, in fact, as a slam into the pipe kills the bird, but makes the player want to try and over and over again.

reports of players breaking 100, but a streak of five is sure to garner excitement. After playing for hours, the player is able to gain some rhythm and perhaps go on a medal-winning streak, but even the best of players fail many times. The graphics are simple, stimulating a bit of sentimentality from days playing Super Mario Bros. There are a few variations on background graphics to change time of the day, and the pipes obstacle course has variations, but for the most part, this game is all about the bird and the pipes. Flappy Bird is worth checking out, but downloader beware of its addictive annoyingness. The app succeeds because of simplicity of concept and graphics, and traps players with its addictive failure. Although extremely frustrating, the game is able to be playedand lostby anyone.

Wolves of Wall Street

Ramiro Rodriguez Staff Writer
Wolves of Wall Street is the 2002 film by director David DeCoteau starring Jeff Branson, Louise Lasser, and William Gregory Lee. This is the story of Jeff Allen (Lee) who becomes a part of one of the most cutthroat brokerage firms in Manhattan and slowly learns the dark secret behind their immense success. This film should not be confused with the 2013 film, The Wolf of Wall Street, as one of these films is about a series of financial predators who animalistically devour the weak and less ferocious individuals of Wall Street, while the film in this review is about werewolves. Jeff Allen is a young man looking for a job as a stockbroker in New York but is unable to find a job due to his lack of relevant work experience. As he recants his lack of luck at the job search in a bar to bartender Annabelle Morris, he receives the phone number of a senior partner of the Wolfe Brothers brokerage firm and receives an interview and shortly after, an offer for a training position where he will be pitted against four other new brokers in hopes of a position with Wolfe Brothers. After an intense two weeks of work at the firm Jeff receives the broker position and begins a relationship with Annabelle, who is reluctant as she has seen how brokers can be changed by their job. After a celebratory night of drinking with the other brokers and the senior partner he interviewed with, the night takes a sudden and dark turn as he is bitten in the next by one his coworkers in sight of the full moon. Jeff begins blacking out around the time of the full moon, his relationship suffers as he learns his boss once had a relationship with Annabelle, and he becomes more and more animalistic as Wolfe Brothers introduces him to levels of hedonism he had never known of before. Eventually, he wants to leave the

a tragedyno good comes from Hamlets indecisiveness or feigned madnessso the addition of an austerely haunting set adds to the misfortune that unfolds on stage. For those who studied Hamlet or one of Shakespeares countless other plays during high school, viewing the classic onstage as it was meant to be experienced provides a unique insight into the play. When reading a work meant to be viewed, the essence of certain lines can be lost. It can be hard to discern what is happening when reading scenes meant to be acted. However, when viewed onstage, each line takes on new life. Body language and inflection provide a deeper meaning and understanding of the text and the themes that develop throughout the play. Hamlet s intricate plot of revenge, murder and madness coupled with this productions unique spin on the haunting aspect of the classic play makes it a must see.

at these particular skills, intervention programs may be able to achieve more beneficial outcomes. University College, London Our research shows that a simple test of reaction time in adulthood can predict survival, independently of age, sex, ethnic group and socio-economic background, Dr. Gareth Hagger-Johnson, lead researcher from the University College London, said. Reaction time may indicate how well our central nervous and other systems in the body are working. People who are consistently slow to respond to new information may go on to experience problems that increase their risk of early death.

firm, but as far as Wolfe Brothers is concerned, his job is a lifetime appointment, however short that may turn out to be. Wolves of Wall Street is an incredibly dull movie devoid of suspense, excitement, or even the unintentional humor typically found in equally terrible B-movies. There are simply no positive things to say about this film. The plot is uncompelling, the characters are unlikeable, and there is no action at all. Anyone wanting to see werewolf stockbrokers fight in the middle of Wall Street, a scene which would have redeemed this movie, will be disappointed as there are exactly as many scenes with werewolves in this film as there are in Titanic. The only possible reason for watching this film in its entirety is to not lose face after mistakenly buying the dvd for it while thinking this was Wolf of Wall Street, and even then the dvd will probably see more use as a drink coaster.

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Men victorious too Ladies trump WSU on road

Chris Robbins Staff Writer
Shortly after the Lady O re d i g g e r s e m e r g e d v i c t o r i o u s o v e r We s t e r n S t a t e i n G u n n i s o n o n S a t u rd a y night, the 13th r a n k e d C S M m e n s basketball team took down their WSU counterparts a s w e l l b y a s c o re of 79-45. T h e O re d i g g e r s w e re t e s t e d e a r l y by the Mountaineers, even falling behind at one point 8-10 shortly into the contest. But successive layups f ro m b o t h G o k u l N a t e s a n a n d Tre v or Ritchie gave Mines the necessary boost to carry them to a 29-19 halftime edge. That momentum stayed with the O re d i g gers well into the second half as CSM exploded for 50 points in the period. WSU was only able to close the gap to n i n e p o i n t s b e f o re t h e M i n e s o ff e n s e found their rhythm and cruised to the 3 4 p o i n t v i c t o r y. F o u r o f C S M s five starters hit d o u b l e - d i g i t s c o ring in the game inc l u d i n g Tre v o r Wa g e s 1 5 t o l e a d a l l s c o re r s . Wa g e s p o s t e d a double-double on the night, addi n g 1 3 re b o u n d s to his point total, while Luke Meisch fell two re b o u n d s s h o r t of accomplishing the same feat (13 points, 8 re b o u n d s ) . Gokul Natesan adde d 1 0 o ff a M i n e s b e n c h t h a t h a d f i v e d i ff e re n t players find the basket and put up points. CSM, now 17-2 and 13-2 in RMAC p l a y, b e n e f i t t e d f ro m a g re a t n i g h t s h o o t i n g ( 4 9 . 2 % f ro m t h e f i e l d , 3 7 . 5 % f ro m t h re e p o i n t range) and complete d o m i n a t i o n o f re b o u n d ing, edging WSU 462 4 . T h e O re d i g g e r s a l s o g o t p o i n t s o ff s e v e r a l c h a n c e s f ro m t h e f re e t h ro w l i n e , a s t h e M o u n taineers committed 20 fouls on the night. Mines next game will be a huge showdown in Golden against R M A C - l e a d i n g # 3 M e t ro S t a t e w h e re t h e O re d i g gers will look to avenge their close loss earlier t h i s s e a s o n i n D e n v e r. T h a t g a m e t i p s o ff i n L o c k r i d g e A re n a a t 8 p m o n F r i d a y, F e b r u a r y 7 t h . F a n s a re e n c o u r a g e d t o wear white for a Whiteo u t o n F r i d a y a g a i n s t M e t ro S t a t e f o r b o t h t h e w o m e n s a n d m e n s m a t c h u p s .
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Chris Robbins Staff Writer

Coming off of an 54-85 loss at Colorado Mesa on Friday night, the CSM womens basketball team rebounded in strong fashion on Saturday night to take down Western State in Gunnison 75-47. The early stages of the first half were kept close, for every time Mines would jump to a sizeable lead, WSU would find a way to fight back. However, up only 2117 late in the half, CSM fired off a series of quick scoring drives to take a 29-20 lead into the locker room at halftime.

The Lady Orediggers carried their momentum into the start of the second half as well, opening the period with a 10-2 scoring drive to take a 39-22 lead. Throughout the rest of the contest, WSU could never mount a substantial comeback, only climbing back to within 15 points of the Orediggers at any given time, eventually falling to CSM by the final score of 75-47. Taylor Helbig led all scorers with 22 points (18 from three point range) to go along with two each of rebounds, assists, and steals. Sam Rusk shot 3-for-3 from the three point line as part of her 12

points on the night, and Courtney Gallo contributed 15 points off of the Mines bench. CSM easily outshot Western State from the field (48.2% vs. 30.4%), including hitting over half of their shots from beyond the three point arc (53.8%). Mines also outrebounded WSU 42-34, as well as notching more assists, more steals, and fewer turnovers than the Mountaineers. Mines womens basketball will be back in action next Friday night here in Golden as they take on Metro State on Play 4 Kay Pink Day. That game tips off at 6pm at Lockridge Arena here at CSM.

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Taylor Helbig put up 22 points Saturday night against WSU, including nine 3-pointers.

2014 Olympics begin Feb. 7

Jacquie Feuerborn Staff Writer
resented nations in the history of the Winter Olympics. There are competitors from Herzegovina, As the 2014 Winter Olym- a place many have never even pics in Sochi, Russia, come heard of. There is even a group running around the corner, with of athletes competing on behalf them come new competitions of San Marino, a tiny country inand promises of gold, silver and side of Italy that is only twentybronze medals. This year there four square miles. As all of these are over 98 events countries gather toor what some peo- This years Olym- gether to participate ple like to call 98 in what will hopeforms of sliding. pics bring competi- fully be a collection There is everything tors from from 90 of truly impressive from the luge, where feats. competitors slide on different countries. As the athletes a sled while on their compete for the backs; to skeleton, prized gold, silver sliding on a sled while on their and bronze, they seek to stun fronts. There will also be some the viewers. All over the world, impressive skiing performances. people will be watching eagerly Ice skating cannot be forgot- to see the most impressive feats ten, one of the most anticipated of athletic skill. Some people will sections of the Winter Olympics. avidly watch every single event, The 2104 Sochi Winter Olympics but others will only watch a few promise various forms of sliding events. The one thing known that are sure to be breathtaking for sure is that everyone will see but they also promise heart break at least a little bit of the Winter and successes. Olympics this year. There is no This years Winter Olympics way to avoid them entirely. Peobrings competitors from ninety ple can look forward to seeing different countries, the most rep- them streaming on every news broadcaster, seeing them in every restaurant with a television and hearing all about them from family and friends. Everyone gets something different from the Olympics. Some people just watch it for the competitiveness and some watch it to see the beauty in the figure skaters gliding across the ice but all enjoy some aspect of them. The Winter Olympics are more than many could ever actually imagine and there are all sorts of gems hidden inside of them that people never even knew existed. This year, instead of just watching the snowboarding competitions, branch out. Viewers might discover something new that they love. Perhaps Curling will be interesting; there is only one way to find out. So as the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics slide into focus, get ready for some exciting performances. Team USA might even win lots of metals. So plan an Olympics party or go and tune the television to the Olympics because things are going to get exciting.
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february 3, 2014

Minds at Mines Super Bowl or Olympics?

Katerina Gonzales Content Manager
A pile of homework due the next day and snow falling on the ground gives Mines students a desire to have a snow day, but nearly always the snow is not enough to cancel classes. Spring semester is the most likely time for extreme amounts of snow to fall though, as Colorado weather seems to spew more snow as time the months go on, until April anyway. This week, Minds at Mines asked students to use their imaginations and asked, What would you do with a snow day?

Ethics Across Campus

The paradox of choice and the death of God
Brian Zaharatos Guest Writer
Although some choice is undoubtedly better than none, more is not always better than less. --Barry Schwartz God is deadhow shall we comfort ourselves, the murderers of all murderers? --Friedrich Nietzsche My least favorite aisle in the grocery store is the cereal aisle. Its not because I dont love cereal (I do); its because there are too many choices. I know that I probably ought to eat one of the hundreds of low sugar, high fiber cereals--perhaps one of the many kinds of oatmeal. But the hundreds of different chocolate cereals are so damn good. At least for a time. Then I get tired of the sweet stuff and wish that I bought something else. The problem is that I take too much time deciding, and, in the end, I am usually disappointed with my choice. Psychologist Barry Schwartz describes some research that suggests that having too many choices--like I have in the cereal aisle--is actually bad for ones well-being. His claim is that we feel less satisfied with the choices that we make because we are haunted by the idea that one of the many other options that we did not choose may have been better. Although we tend to think that the more choice we have the better, Schwartz is convincing in arguing that the abundance of choice, even in trivial domains like the grocery store, can make us less happy (he calls this the paradox of choice). The problem seems to be much more pronounced when we think about the choices related to important existential questions in our lives. Choices about what school we ought to go to, what career path we ought to take, where we ought to live, whom we ought to date or marry, whether and when we ought to have children, etc., can be extremely difficult. To spend a lot of time thinking about these questions is to acknowledge that a lot is at stake; the idea that the chosen career path or mate was the wrong choice is enough to cause us serious psychological harm. But were these existential choices ever easy? It seems as though people have long been faced with important choices about where to work or whom to marry. There are good reasons, however, to think that the nature of the choices that we face today is different because there really are so many more options available to us. This is not just an empirical claim about the number of potential careers or mates in the world (although it is probably true that there are more possible careers and mates); rather, its a claim about a worldview that has slowly pervaded our culture. This new worldview, the philosophical foundation of which arguably began with Nietzsches claim that God is dead, seems to be one in which old models for living are being erased or left behind. For example, getting married used to be a thing that you did as soon as you could; the same with having children. It didnt even seem like a choice. Everyone just did it. Schwartz writes: A range of life choices has been available to Americans for quite some time. But in the past, the default options were so powerful and dominant that few perceived themselves to be making choices. Whom we married was a matter of choice, but we knew that we would do it as soon as we could and have children, because that was something all people did. The anomalous few who departed from this pattern were seen as social renegades, subjects of gossip and speculation. Today it is hardly the case that those who dont have children are renegades. Many people make a deliberate choice to not have children. But the problem that comes along with shaking the old existential models--e.g., grow up, get a job, get married, have a child (or several)--is that there arent corresponding replacement models for existential decisions; instead, we are faced with a myriad of ways to live our lives, and, prima facie, many of these ways seem equally good (notice that is not to say that some arent bad). If this analysis is accurate, then it seems as though we are faced with the same dilemma that I faced in the cereal aisle: knowing that there were other options available to us makes the option we chose less satisfying. Perhaps it would have been better to have children, or to be a teacher rather than researcher, one might reason. If we have destroyed the old existential models (perhaps for good reason), then how are we supposed to live? Or, equivalently, if God really is dead, then how shall we murderers of all murderers, comfort ourselves?

Probably grab a bunch of my friends and just dive into the snow. I literally just want to flip into the snow. Then we can go sledding. Eric Sears

Make snow day pancakes because its the only time my housemates are all together. Krista Pekarek

[Laughs.] Thank whatever deity that caused whatever it is to cancel school. ...Im convinced Mines has a snow machine. Its in the tower of Guggenheim. Colton Kohnke

How to go up to 5 weeks without buying groceries

Katerina Gonzales Content Manager
Spring Career Fair is coming up, which means one important thing: free stuff. There are other valuable things that happen around Career Day time, such as actually getting to see what people look like when they dress classy or are actually trying to find a job/ internship without sounding incredibly awkward. But why should the weeks leading up to and the month after Career Day be awkward and filled with nerves? Why not make it one of the favorite times of the semester? First, one must become the master of swag. No, not the ridiculous juvenile sort of swag, but the Stuff We All Get type of swag. Becoming the master of swag takes multiple semesters of practice, but revolves around three key elements. Sneakiness is one element. Taking nifty flashlights while a classmate is distracting a recruiter with their elevator speech is the perfect example of sneakiness. Often tables will have no one manning the booth at lunch or break time, so the swag is free game. Another strategy is actually talking to recruiters. Often companies save their best paraphernalia for the students who have turned in their resume or had a conversation about the company with the recruiter. Sometimes, a master of swag will not even have to ask to take free stuff, but a recruiter will put a bag of goodies in their hands. Although sneakiness and talking will get a swag-seeker far, timing helps out. Flash drives and other extremely desirable free gadgets are usually the first to go at Career Fair, so it is important to get their early. On the other side of the spectrum, hitting the booths up again right before closing will gain many freebies as well, since the companies are eager to get rid of stuff and might be done taking resumes for the day. The free goodness does not end with Career Day, however. Besides being easy and helpful in applying to positions, Digger Net also functions as a directory of company info sessions, also known as tonights dinner. In the weeks leading up to Career Day, the Career Center is hosting a plethora of helpful info sessions ranging from resumes to interviews, and also

Go skiing or build a snow fort. Steven Rennolet

Editorials Policy The Oredigger is a designated public forum. Editors have the authority to make all content decisions without censorship or advance approval and may edit submitted pieces for length so long as the original meaning of the piece is unchanged. Opinions contained within the Opinion Section do not necessarily reflect those of Colorado School of Mines or The Oredigger. The Oredigger does not accept submissions without identification and will consider all requests for anonymity in publication on a case-by-case basis. Submissions less than 300 words will receive preference.

have the added benefit of lunch. Both before and after the big day, companies will host information sessions at either lunch or dinner time. Big name companies usually have the best food, but make sure to be courteous and RSVP through Digger Net. It is also rumored that students that have successfully landed a position or even an interview will be treated by the company to dinner with other students, so maybe updating ones resume is a good idea after all. The fun does not have to subside after recruiting season has come and gone. Joining one or multiple of the societies and clubs on campus is a great way to avoid making or buying a meal. Also, keeping an eye out on emails sent out on campus is actually a good idea to look out for events with free food. Well-weathered college students have figured out a way to synthesize all techniques for getting free food and go weeks without buying groceries. If all else fails, mooching off friends and family usually works; and if that fails, there is always ramen.

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