CHARLIE, LARRY and AMITA sip champagne and eyeball the new
Physics-Math-Astronomy (PMA) Chair, DR. MILDRED FRENCH.
She chats with the PROVOST near a microphone.
PROVOST
Ladies and Gentlemen...
The Provost introduces Dr. French, Charlie whispers to Amita.
PROVOST (CONT'D)
We celebrate the appointment
of Dr. Mildred French to the
Physics-Math-Astronomy Chair.
CHARLIE
I just want you to know I'm--
I'm willing to-- to go to bat
for you with Mildred.
PROVOST (CONT'D)
Her work in Algebraic
Geometry led her to String
Theory with a strong
connection to Cosmology-- In
other words she speaks your
languages. All of them.
AMITA
Thanks, Charlie.
Dr. Mildred French steps to the microphone.
CHARLIE
You're asking about cancer clusters-
- statistically rare. More likely,
it's a case of Texas sharpshooting.
MEGAN
Am I about to be mocked?
CHARLIE
Say there's a guy who's never held
a gun before-- he aims at the side
of a barn and shoots.
AUDIENCE VISION.
GUNSHOTS PECK HOLES IN THE SIDE OF AN OLD RED BARN.
CONCENTRIC CIRCLES OF A TARGET ARE THEN DRAWN AROUND THE MAIN
CLUSTER OF SHOTS TO MAKE IT SEEM LIKE THE SHOOTER WAS A
MARKSMAN. SHOTS ON THE PERIPHERY ARE IGNORED.
CHARLIE (V.O.) (CONT'D)
When he's done, he draws a circle
around the closest shots, ignores
the other and declares he's--
END AUDIENCE VISION.
MEGAN
A Texas Sharpshooter.
Take a set of random points. In the "Texas sharpshooter problem," the smallest circle that contains three of
the points is found. In the "
bomb problem," the smallest circle that contains all the points is found.
Don and Meeks walk with Charlie as a backhoe digs up earth
about fifty yards from the sinkhole. Agents with shovels and
breathing masks stand by.
CHARLIE
We found Benzene residue in the
sinkhole. It's probably what
killed the elderly lady and caused
the rashes in the children.
DON
Benzene from the aggregate.
The Demonstration computes the residue curve map for the ternary mixture benzene-toluene-p-xylene. When you change the
locator's position, a new residue curve is computed and displayed. Residue curve maps play an important role in the
conceptual design of distillation columns.
LARRY
FIRE IN THE HOLE!!!
A controlled EXPLOSION! Everything SHAKES! Howard jumps.
HOWARD MEEKS
What the hell?!
CHARLIE
We're locating the source of the
acid. Water flows from high to low
so we know it's in the northeast
sector above the sinkhole-- but we
can get a precise location with
seismic imaging.
This Demonstration shows the propagation of elastic waves, commonly known as seismic waves. Two types of seismic waves are shown here: pressure waves (P-waves) and shear waves (S-waves). The P-wave is longitudinal, and so oscillates along the direction of the wave propagation, while the S-wave shakes perpendicular to the travel direction.
