A century ago Heike Kamerlingh Onnes set a new standard for physics research
laboratories. But careless notebook entries have confused the story of his greatest discovery.
Whether noise is a nuisance or a signal depends on how it’s processed. By cross-correlating noise recorded at two sensors, researchers can retrieve the waves that propagate between them and extract details about the intervening medium.
Prior to his retirement in 1997, the aerospace industry executive advised five US presidents on science and technology policy. He’s still at it 13 years later.
Sopping up oil with new materials, mapping the subsurface plume, and accelerating biodegradation of the slick are among dozens of time-sensitive research projects receiving grants.
