WAR

November 25, 1988 THE ENGINEERING SOCIETY'S STUDENT FORUM

Bears In Space
Pa e 2 Iron Warrior
About the Cover ...
My sister and I sleep in bunk beds.
It's good. The other night I yelled
"Bears in Space!" and threw Nick
at her from below. Nick is whi te and
fuzzy.
We also have a frog - a frog wit.h
no name. I have the frog, actually,
and my sister has Nick. I have a
bear too - he's red with one green
eye - but he's at home.
On Thursday we had a friend over
and we played Battling 'fops Oil my
sister's bunk. It's a good game. We
lost the spinner strings so we used
orange yarn instead. Orange yarn
works really well in Battling Tops.
I sang the entire Gilligan's Island
theme song that night.
My friend that was over is sick .
She has cancer. She's good at Bat-
tling Tops though. She's scared.
She wrote me a poem about being
friends and about being scared. Ev-
erybody should write more poems;
it made us both feel better.
I don't know very much about
cancer. I'm learning a lot about be-
ing scared. It means I'm not in con-
trol. It means things just happen.
It means bears in space.
This is juvenile; I don't know,
maybe that's the point. Being
scared leaves you without any big
words. I love my friend. I love her
like a child because I don't under-
stand.
Thanks For Coming Out
Something a new editor of a pa-
per such as the Warrior lTIust learn
quickly is how to delegate work. If
you can find someone who's willing,
get them to do it. That's not to say
that we just sat back all trrm and
ordered people around, only that
if we hadn't received the enormous
amount of help that we d
X
we'd be
a couple of pretty frazzle editors.
The Warrior would not e ist with-
out the many hours (days) put in by
quite a few people.
The IroD Warrior is a forum for
thought-provoking and informative articles
presented by the academic community of
the University of Waterloo. Views
expressed in the Iron Warrior. other than
the editorials, arc those of the authors and
do not necessarily reflect the opinions of
the editors or the Engineering Society.
The Ilon Warrior encourages
submissions from students, faculty and
other of the university
community. Submissions should reflect
the and intellectual of the
in general, and should be
typewritfen or neatly wrillen,
double-spaced and on one side of the page
only. The author's name, class (if
and phone Dumber should be
included.
So thanks to everyone who helped
out this term: the rather prolific
writers with their abundance of ar-
ticles (actually - overabundance,
which is something new for this
paper); and the layout staff, who
spent long evenings arranging and
re-arranging the same page to get it
just so ...
Special thanks to Jerome and
Owen, who had to actually read the
articles; Peter and Bruce, our Unix
gods; Geoff, our MacGrouch; Mike
All submissions. unless otherwise
slaled, become the property of the l.J:..2..n
Warrior. which reserves the right to refuse
publication of material which it deems
U&uitable. The Iron Warrior also reserves
the right to edit grammar, spelling and
portions of text that do not meet
university standards. Authors wiU be
notilicd of any major cbanges that 1'Il,y be
required.
All submissions and advertising
enquiries should be forwarded to:
Iron Warrior
Engineering Society
CPH 1327
University of Waterloo
WATERLOO, Ontario
(519) 8851211 eX1CDsior, 2323
and John, who got us money; Kath-
leen and Randy, the patronage ap-
pointments; and Gof, our public re-
lations charmer.
Thank you also to Brent (their
man and our man, too) who man-
aged to stay above the law the entire
term (barely) in his quest to pro-
vide us with specific photos before
7:30am, in just the right size ...
And now for a short round of ap-
plause.
November 25, 1988
Iron Warrior Staff
Editors
Carol yn French
Lindi Wahl
Writers
Isaac Szpindel
Owen Kelly
Carolyn Anglin
Dave Petro
Jim McCrea
DaveGara
Sarah Rocchi
Ian Simpson
Bryn Dyment
Jeff Murdock
Stephen Ball
MarkChahl
Ajay Jindal
Rena Hennan
Bernard Tunguay
Hans-Peter Schropp
Jay Gibson
Chris Irie
Dan Curtin
Chris Baisley
Pierre Donaldson
Matt Snell
Bill Lennox
Production;
Gor
Copy Editor
Owen Kelly
Typesettjne
Peter Hansen
Bruce Aetcher
Toenail
Pbotoerapby
Brent Little
RenaHennan
All
Ian Simpson
Layout Editors
Kathy Fong
Randy Raaflaub
Layout
Jim McCrea
Bernard Tanguay
Grunt
Geoff Vanderkooy
Anhur Drevnig
Karen Vandenburg
Ajay Jindal
Marianne Hyan
Stephen Soshan
Rob Perrin
Garry Peterson
Edmond Chow
RoyUnny
'.
November 25, 1988 Iron Warrior
Page 3
Message From The Dean
by Bill Lennox
Prez Sez
by Matt Snell
Well, this is it. Sixteen months
of the unadultered power of the
presidency winding down. I would
like to start by wishing the best to
the new executive. For those who
don't know, your new president is
Jay Gibson, backing him up as V .P.
is Jody Levine, the man with the
money is once again 'Garry Thuna,
and rounding out the exec for 1989 is
Jeannine Hooper- Yan as Secretary.
Good Luck to all of you.
It's been an interesting term of of-
fice. Two Orientations, two office
secretarys, two treasurers [1 collec-
tion of new faces in the C+D and
many other trials and tribulations
have made this a time I will not soon
forget. No matter how hard I try.
Perhaps it is now time to say my
thank you 's. I have had the pleasure
of working with the greatest group
of people ever brought together by
such an unlikely event as academi c
excellence, namely the class reps and
directors and of course, the rest of
my exec - Sarah, Garry and Jay.
These people, with all their effort,
have made me look great a nd the
plain and simple truth is I couldn't
Hello From Jay
by Jay Gibson
I
Blah, Blah, Blah!!!
What to say?? My first Iron
Warrior article as Eng Soc Presi-
dent (okay Matt, Prez. Elect). I
wanted to write something stirring
and inspiring .that would make you
all gung-ho and enthused about next
summer ... Something to bring tears
of joy to your eyes ... Something
wild! Then my Controls textbook
fell off my shelf and hit me square
on the noggin. -
Yes, J know finals are but a couple
weeks away.
Yes, I know that hours of sleep
will generally be counted on one
hand.
Look - if you can - beyond the
next thirty days. Holidays, mov-
ing, work term, moving again, then
POOF - .back here in Waterloo for
the Summer of '89. So what's up for
next summer?!?! For those of you
who haven't experienced a summer
The Accreditation visitors have
come and gone and I want to thank
those students who participat>d in
the exercise. I will receive a report
in January which will detail their
findings but no decision will be made
until the CEAB (Canadian
neering Accreditation Board) meets
next June. While nothing has been
said in a formal sense, 1 believe its
fair to say that our visitors were
quite impressed with what t hey saw.
I have had the opportuni ty 1.0 visit
may campuses and, although I'm bi-
ased, I really do believe we do a
much better job in terms of provid-
have done it without you . For that I
thank you more than words can ex-
press.
As I sit in POETS frantically t.ry-
ing to finish this article before dead-
line I find myself pondering the last
five years of my life, spent here at
Waterloo. As an ageing president
about to he Pllt. Ollt t.o r t.ake
it upon myself to share with you
some of the philosphies I have come
to adopt over the years in the hope
that they will somehow give mean-
ing to the multitude of assignments,
midterms, projects and all nighters
that you have suffered or are suffer-
ing through.
I think it should be pretty clear
to most of you by now that I am
a firm believer in ark Twain'8 ax-
iom "Don't let school get in the
way of your education" . When
you walk out of here with an Iron
school term - you are in for a treat!!
The days are longer, the nights are
longer, the profs are more laid back
and there's never a dull moment.
Some of the ideas that have been
circulating: weekly .B-B-Q's outside
POETS, a boat cruise semi-formal,
whitewater rafting weekend in Ot-
tawa, Eng-Math-Sci-Arts-etc. soft-
ball tourney, road trip to a Sky Dome
Blue Jay's game, and the list goes
on. If you are not currently involved
with Eng Soc, but are interested or
have ideas - drop by the Orifice and
introduce yourself to me and share
your thoughts.
For all the classes out there, I
have two requests. First, please
submit copies of your midterms to
the orifice so we can expand our
ing a quality education than t,he oth-
ers. That's not to say there ii'ln't
room for improvement, and a peer
review by the CEAB call be quitt'
beneficial. There's no doubt, how-
ever, that concern will be expr('ssed
regarding our equipment budget.s.
This is an ongoing, major problem
for all engineering schools. The
one bright light for u has be('n our
alumni support and I was abl(' to
draw this to t he attenti on of the
visitors. All of the s upport is ap-
plied to improving the teaching en-
vironment. It has amounted to over
$800,000 in five years.
ring adorning your finger you will
have completed one of the most de-
manding academic programs in the
province. Your technical expertise
will be above reproach but your suc-
cess in the business world will not
solely rely on this fact. From the
moment you entered this institution
in frash week, no matter how long
ago that was for some of you, you
have been developing as a profes-
sional. This development cannot oc-
cur exclusively within the classroom.
In the information age in which
we will exists as professionals there
is a necessity for interpersonal, com-
mllnication and management skills
which must work in tandem with
our technical training. The true
buildill g of these skills is not done
in the lectures and labs of Water-
loo. It is accomplished through a
broad range of experiance and i n-
volvemt'nt during school and be-
exam binders. If you've got finals
from previous terms, please try to
get those in as well. An impor-
tant note if you are submitting ex-
ams: try to get ones that have solu-
tions - correct solutions. You can
white out the names of the inno-
cent, but solved problems are much
more useful than semi-bla.nk pages!!
( Remember, they are wort.h a lot
of P**5 points!) Second, please
try and get an off-term class list
with phone numbers and addresses.
I suggest this for two reasons: it
makes it easier for you and your
classmates to keep in touch over the
work term (for arranging things like
class parties, ski trips, etc.). Also,
it makes it possible for Eng Soc to
get in touch with students on work
In this regard the Deans of EIl-
gin ering have made numerous pre-
sentations to government regarding
crisis in equipment funding, but
It seems to faJj on deaf ears.
I noted recently that V of T en-
gineering students have increaseJ
thei r Eng So(' f(;'c hy $ tOo to pro\' idl'
an equipment fund .
On anot-her not.e, the Ont ario En-
gineering Design ompetitioll will
be held in early Ma.rch. Waterloo
did not have many entries la t year
so I hope many of you are thinking
a.bout participa.tion this year . We
did extremely well the previous year .
yond. Professional association mem-
bership, extra-curricular activities
and communit.y activism are no
less important to our training than
meeting the stringent academic re-
quirements of our program.
Dave Richardson told t he atten-
dees of th> Enginf'ering AWnrds
Banqu{'t , in his key note address, to
Aim High. Academically, profes-
sionally, extra-curricularly and in all
other areas of our existence as pro-
fession we need to strive for excel-
lence. "Mind, Heart and Vision"
was Norman Ball's way of describing
our profession and is something to
seek out as we continue our journey
through life. Whether your Iron ring
leads you to the board rooms, the
court roo s or the researc.h installa-
tions or Canada or elsewhere, carry
with you the pride and the responsi-
bility that YOIl are first and foremost
a Waterloo Engineer.
I thank each and everyone of you
for giving 11\(' th. hOlloHr of rl'pr<'-
st'llt.ing you Itli YOllr Prl'si<i(11I1. alld
w ili h yolt I,ll(' fl UC('('ss III 1111
your future {'rHh'a\'olirs. A rhi ll l'llt'
philosophf'C Oil (. said that a jOllr
r1(,y of Il thOlJHlUII \lII il. 1)('gil1s wit.h
hut Ii singl step. I aJl) prolJd t,o
hav iak(,rI hat Lrp in your
company and 1 hope our pat.hs shall
cross agai 11 .
terms, if ll('ed be> . At tht' vt'ry least,
pJ(>ase leave the names and work
t,erm address of your c1asR reps . The
Orifice Monday, Dec. 5th, ' so
get that information in before then .
In closing, I would like to take the
tirne to acknowledge a few people
who 1 haven 't had a proper chance
to t.hank: to everyone who help me
with my campaign, thanks - your
time was very much appreciated.
To Dave Rashkovan and Dave Ili-
rak, for a good, clean (if only
other politicians could act likewise!) .
To Garry Thuna - your new trea-
surer, Jody Levine - your new V.P,
and Jeanntne Hooper- Yan - your
I new Executive Secretary. I'm glad
J have such a great crew of people
to work with. Finally, to Matt Snell
and Sarah Rocchi - two departing
m(>tl1bers of the ExE'c. who are mov-
ing on to bigger, badder things in
B-Soc and (hopefully) convocation.
1 think I can speak for everyone in
saying thanks for doing a great job
over the last 16 months . It has been
fun working with you and I wish you
luck in your next endeavours! You
will be hard acts to followl
Page 4 Iron Warrior November 25, 1988
The APEO Conference: Where Were You?
by Dave Gara
Humanities theatre. The confer-
ence. Bill Breukehnan , chairman
of 1M AX Systems Corp. speaks on
entrepreneurship. Studt'nts fran-
tically scribble down I.ips fired at
them. "Expand your hobbi es
they may provide an entrepreneurial
pat,h later", "learn how bankcrs
think" , "read finance magazines",
and on and on .
Basement of EL. A week hefore
t,he confNence. ConferCllce orga-
nizers debate whether it would he
ea.sier to split rooms into male and
female or make them co-cd . The
conference is renamed t.he A P
Sexfest. Kathy tells some suggestive
jokes. - Calvin turns beet red. We
get nothing done. Everybody mocks
Dave because he looks like dirt. as
usual.
Davi s Centre. The conference
again. Willem Vanderburg of U of T
speaks on social res ponsibi li ty of t.he
engineer. He parall els the in t roduc-
tion of mathematics into engineer-
ing by the Germans in the t900's
to the need to introduce courses ex-
amining the' social implications of
engineering into today 's curriculum.
Dr. Vanderburg adds that MIT has
stated that it must succeed in doing
this or give up its role as a leading
school of engineering. Students (still
groggy (rom the prevlous night's &C-
tivities) listen intently. Jt is all new
to them.
Waterloo Inn. The day af-
ter. Three Wat,erloo engineers plead
with hotel management, insisting
that Bill Kerr , the president of the
APEO, could not have been causing
any di s turbance the night before and
his bags should not be thrown out a t
5 p.m. It is 5 minutes to 5 p .m. Our
engineering careers Aash before our
eyes.
Why write an article this way?
Maybe to give you the idea that
you missl'd somet,hing . A lot is t,o
be gained in planning and attending
a conference. Meeting people from
din'eren\' universities not only makes
you new friends but you get to hear
what engineering is like at different
schools . It. is incredible the different
ideas people come up with. When
you think a bout it , you are almost
solely exposed to Waterloo's engi-
neering interests, teaching methods
and attitudes. These really do vary
greatly from school to school.
So why at,telld a conference or
semmar or guest lecturer 's presen-
tation at all? It probably won ' t
improve your technical skills. It
won't directly contribute to a higher
salary. No marks are given out and
you can probably get by without it.
o , are u in u a precious
hour or two that could have been
used staring into a text or watch-
ing "Wheel of Fortune" (What if
Vanna wore a new dress and you
missed it?!!) ... So why do it? Well,
a conference is an altogether differ-
ent beast than the dassroom. Peo-
ple present ideas, discuss them and
question each other in order to for-
mulate their own opinions. Af-
ter months (and years) of sitting
in classes for an average 5 hours a
day being fed illformation , facts , for-
mnlae and met,hons it really is re-
freshing to be able to int.eract with
ot.her engineering students and pro-
fessionals discussing important, top-
ics . YOllr electives sometimes al-
low this kind of interaction but in-
stead of taking History 130 and wor-
rying about whether' fIitler was an
intellectual psychotic or a psychotic
intellectual, you are discussing anti
helping form your own future and
the profession to which you will ded-
icate 40 or more years.
Apart from what YOll can con-
t.ribute to your engineering future
_ there is a lot to gain personally. Par-
ticipating in the APEO conference
in October as speakers and corpo-
rate representatives were : a V P of
engineering of a major consult.ing
firm (Hatch Associates), the chair-
man of an entrepreneurial firm with
international outreach (IMAX Sys-
tems Corp.) , the manager of Proctor
and Gamble, and top-notch educa-
tors from U of T and U W, to name
only' a few. Contacts made in an
informal setting a.re invaluable and
will be reme::.bered more hy a po-
tential employer than any interview.
These people were chosen because of
the insight they could bring based
on years of experience, and a half
hour chatting with them could help
. you direct your career. Oh, sure YOIl
talk to people on your work term,
but have they ever thought seriously
about aspects of engineering other
than how to keep production going?
Besides, a guy named 'Lou' hidden
away in the dark depths of the de-
sign department may not be the per-
son to mould your engineering ca-
reer after.
Think about this: when you get
out of the university you won't have
people hringing spcakt'rs right 1,0
you. There won't be the opportu-
nity to meet with 50 student.s from
different universities across Ontario
(or even Canada) . You'll have to
know where to look to find venues
to explore engi neering. Now is t.he
time to discover these venues. A lot
of cl ifferent groups 'around the uni-
versity provitle t he opportunity to
see what engineering is really like by
rHnning seminars, meetings, work-
shops, etc. There are t echnical soci-
et.ies (CSME, IEEE, Cschescehes or
whatever the hell the chemies call
theirs', etc.)' the Sandford Flem-
ing Foundation, APEO local chap-
ters, KW Eng, Breakfast meetings
plus others I have probably forgot-
ten... and then there are confer-
ences. Next time you hear of one
jump at the chance to go. The par-
ties are always blowouts. The work-
shops and speaker presentations are
incredibly valuable as they tend to
the inquisitive, communicating side
of your mind that is often neglected
in cia s. onferences reinforce the
idea that engineers can party and
be concerned about their future
and their profession, wanting to do
something to improve it . These are
not contradictory objectives.
Next time you see an obscure little
sheet taped to wall of CPH among
the hundreds of coloured papers and
it mentions a seminar or conference,
read it. Think about it . Go to it .
You won 't regret it .
The RESSA Conference: We Were There
by Sarah Rocchi
Early last Friday morning a del-
egation from Engineering Society
'A' set out for Sherbrooke, Que-
bec in a flesh- coloured rental K-car.
The reason - to represent Waterloo
at the annual RESSA conference .
The delegation consisted of myself,
Dave Gara, Jeannine Hooper- Yall,
and our fearless leader , Matt Snell .
RESSA is the Regional Engineer-
ing Student Society Association .
members consist of all engineering
Societies in Ontario and Quebec .
The purpose of the conference was
the exchange of information between
these societies in formal and infor-
mal sessions.
On our arrival at the hotel
in Sherbrooke on Friday night J
learned, to my surprise, that our
French Canadian organizers weren't
as hung up on that segregation of
sexes thing, and that Jeannine and
[ would be sharing a room wit.h
Matt and Dave for t,he entire week-
end. Friday night was spent meeting
the other delegates in the informal
atmoshpere of Club Graffit.i, where
beer was served in I-litre bottles,
On Saturday more formal sessions
took place at the University of Sher-
brooke. The workshops held :n the
morning included discussion of the
relative merits of graduate studies
versus indust,ry, humanities in engi-
neering, international co-operation,
and other issues. The topic of the
afternoon was ESSCO and COFIQ.
COFIQ is a coalition of tIle pn-
gineering societies of Qupbec. Jt
was formed five years ago to pro-
vide cheap computers for student,s
through bulk purchases, as well as
being the means for student loans
for computers . It has now branched
off into other projects such as pub-
lishing a magazine, and arranging
student exchanges between the en-
gineering faculties of the universi-
ties of Quebec. ESSCO is a pa.r-
allel orgallization for t.he engineer-
ing societies of Ontario. It has been
in place for less than a year, so its
projects are on less of a grand scale.
ILs three current projects are lobby-
ing the government for loans for en-
gineering students for the purchase
of computers, forums on engineering
education and forums on the image
of engineering students. In the fu-
ture, ESSCO and COFIQ plan to
work together to set up exchanges
between Ontario and Quebec uni-
versities. .
An interesting difference was
noted between the engineering soci-
ef.ies of Quebec and Ontario. On-
tario societies have so much spirit
they often run events which get
them into trouble with t,he com-
munities in which they are located.
They were looking for advice from
Quebec societies on how to have bet-
ter community relations . Quebec
universities don't have this problem,
however they have problems solicit-
ing funds from alumni . This would
lead one to believe that there is a
correlation between the amount of
rabble-rous,!ng done at a university
and the amount of money one wants
to don'ate to that university once one
has graduated .
Saturday evemng Mr. Jean
Charest, t.he of State of
Youth, Fit,ness and Amateur Sport
spoke to the RESSA delegates on
the subject "the Canadian Youth
Education Challenge." In the past,
he said, it was possible for someone
to graduate from high school and
fall into a job that would keep him
or her at a good standard of liv-
ing for the rest of his or her life .
Because of the increasing growt.h of
technology in the workplace, this is
'no longer possible. A person will
have to be trained and re-trained
throughout his or her career as tech-
nology
After the formal dinner there was
informal carol)sing at the University
pub, the Bahupt . We didn't get
in until lL:30, but since pubs don't
close until 3:00a.m., it didn't mat-
ter. We finished off the evening at
Chez Charlie's, where the Ontarians
were introduced to that Quebecois
treat - poutine - a mixt.ure of
fries, cheese curds and chicken gravy
which looks disgusting but more
than adequately satisfies drunken
munchies.
Sunday morn.ing was the plenary
sessioh, a summary of the previ-
ous day's This session,
like most of the workshops could
have benefited from lJetter leader-
ship, particularily in the area of
translation of key points from one
official language to the other . All in
all it was a good conference, even if [
did have to share a room with Matt
and Dave.
November 25, 1988 Iron Warrior Page 5
Great Engineering Accomplishments
The Eiffel Tower
by Ian Simpson
Ever since man has walked on the
face of this planet he has been ob-
sessed with tall objects. From the
Tower of Babel to the Eiffel Tower,
and of course the CN Tower. Many
?f these objects are just that, ob-
Jects. They have no functionality
whatsoever, or, in some cases the
functionality is completely dwarfed
by the fact that they are tall. The
Eiffel tower is no exception.
The tower was built in 1889 for
the Paris Exhibition. It was de-
signed by architect/engineer , G us-
tave Eiffel. He wanted to build the
tower partly because of a challenge
that it could not be done. The tower
came under heavy criticism when
the intent to build it VIlas announced
publicly. The people claimed that
it was utterly useless and felt that
this was reason enough to condemn
it . Many prominent artists of the
day felt that it would be an eyesore
and they drafted a petition against
it . Gustave defended his tower by
maintaining it was scientifically use-
ful. He claimed that it could be used
to investigate problems in meteoro-
logical observation , radio-electri c re-
search, and studies into the wi d
resistance of substances, but the
few dubious benefit.s that would be
gained in these areas by building the
tower certainly did not justify the
cost .
The Eiffel Tower is an ut terl y
useless structure. It is compl et ely
empty, shelters no one, holds up
nothing (except a few modern day
transmitters) and its beauty is ques-
tionable. It is a monument to Gus-
tave, a man who was able to con-
vince his government to allow him
t.o flex his technical muscles at the
world. The tower has become a
t ouri st at t ract ion . It is hard t o
11 agj. w 1a i w u li
without the tower. It has been de-
scribed as the "universal symbol of
Paris, of modernity, of communica-
tion , of science, of the nineteenth
century." Everyone who visits Paris
visits the tower. You can see each
of the more than 18,000 plates and
beams that hold all 8,757,000 kilo-
grams of it together . Even with
its enormous weight , it exerts ap-
proximately the same pressure on
the ground as an adult does sitting
in a chair. Over the years count-
less tourists, runners and even a cow
..
Alternatives
by Owen Kelly
Of all the crises facing mankind,
and all the danger signs telling us
which way not to turn, few issues
present obvious solutions to which
we can direct our energies of con-
cern. We have neither the time
to be informed nor the ability to
comprehend mORt issues with the
degree of subtlety and complexity
they deserve. Alternatives maga-
zine bridges the gap between ex-
perts in environmental and socio-
technological fields and people like
you and I who want and need to
know the consequences of our ac-
tions. It all started at Trent Uni-
versity in 1970 under the mandate
to "pose and confront the necessary
questions, and offer imaginative and
serious alternatives."
In 1984, Alternatives moved to
our campus where they are now in
their sixteenth issue. Contributors
'from as far as New Zealand and
B.C. keep their 2,500 subscribers up
to date on research, political de-
velopments and other events of in-
terest. Recent issues have covered
Work and Environment in a High
Tech World, Natural Law, Sustain-
able Development in Northern Com-
munities, and Tidal Generation all
of which are relevant to us as engi-
neers.
Pick up a copy sometime. AL-
ternatives gives important issues a
scholarly treatment but still main-
tains a provocative and readable
style. The best part of it all is
that this r e ~ p e t e d journal is put to-
gether right here on campus. Sur-
prised? Universities have lots of
nooks and crannies to hold all the
good ideas.
For the politically correct person
on your gift list, subscriptions are
under twenty dollars over in ERS.
and an elephant have climbed or de-
scended the 1,792 steps of the tower .
More than 350 people have commit-
ujci e 'Y jUPlJWtg rom e tow-
ers lofty heights.
There is something magical , ro-
mantic and mystical about Paris . It
is city of pleasures, of values, of art
and of lu xuri es. With the P I\RSRg<,
of tim<' the EilTel Tower ha..'l COllI('
to sy mbolize t hese characterist ics t o
t he rest of the world .
Barthes, R., The Eiffel '1'OUJf r and
Other Mythologies, New York , Hi II
and Wang, 1979.
Carey, fl. , Destinations Maga zint',
The Globe and Mail , 1988.
Pathmakers Program
The Faculty of Engineering is in-
volved again with the local school
boards in providing role models of
women in non-traditional careers for
female high school student,s. This
will involve a one day training ses-
sion in January plus participation in
the program at a local school. All in-
formation session is set for Tuesday
Nov . 29 at 11:30am, in CPH 1320B.
1110mas COOk
Travel
FORMERLY EATCWS TRAVa.
VISIT OUR TRAVEL
PROFESSIONALS
OFFERING STUDENT
SERVICES AT
COMPETATIVE RATES.
lOCATED AT:
UNIVERSITY SHOPS PlAZA.
170 UNIVERSITY AVE. W.
746-7999
WE SELL VIA RAIL TICKETS
Look your t for all
th<R
formal occasions
Take advantage of
Special
Student
Prices
by booking early!
We carry our own
tuxedos
in all sb.es and styles
try one on before you
make
yourchok'e
([)WNS
HOUSE OF
R1WS
659 King St W.
Kitchener
() doors from Wellington)
Open evenings until 9
Saturday tiD S
579-5420
..
Page 6 Iron Warrior
November 25, 1988
Graphics Supercomputers
Dig The New Breed
by Bryn Dyment
A new class of supercomputer is
entering the marketplace. Coined
graphics supercomputers, these ma-
chines combine the best feat ures of
both conventional supercomputers
and engineering workstations. The
result is a computing tool which
will have a pivotal inAuence on the
practice of engineering and compu-
tational science.
Until now, no single platform
could provide both the process-
ing speeds of supercomputers and
the 3D, full-colour , real-time graph-
ics required for visual i nteractioll .
Stand and hardware con figurations
today, for example, include batch-
oriented supercomputers or minisu-
percomputers teamed with , graph-
ics terminals or workstations . How-
ever, such arrangements have major
drawbacks. The thin wire links be-
tween processing and graphical ele-
ments, combined with complex de-
velopment environments and a high
entry price, act as barriers to true
user interactivity.
Graphics supercomputers have
eliminated these barriers. By tightly
integrating computational elements,
they make the same evolutionary
leap over conventional supercom-
puters that workstations make over
I
by Jeff Murdock
Once upon a time - at the be-
ginning of this term - I ventured
into the hallways of Environmental
Studies. There, among the many ar-
ticles and posters placed on doors
and cork boards, I found a Code
of Environmental Ethics for Engi-
neers. While reading this code it oc-
curred to me that this message was
ill placed if engineers were its target
audience. I hope its placement in
this engineering forum reaches open
minds and helps stimulate thought-
ful discussion.
The code of ethics that follows
was approved by the Committee on
Engineering and Environment of the
World Federation of Environmental
Organizations (WFEO) ill 1985.
Wanna Be
Interviewed?
If you want interviews next school
term (Summer '89) then make sure
that you go to a return to campus in
terview with the Co-op Department
(C.E.C.S.). Lists are posted, and in-
terv iews are in the first week or two
of May, 1989. C.E.C.S. occasion-
ally gets confused, so go have an in-
terview regardless of whether you're
scheduled to have one or not . If YOIl
don't attend, they will assume that
you don't want want ads, and you
won't be able to apply to want ad
jobs.
Remember practise safe
C.E.C.S.
minicomputers. These vector ma-
chines are now dedicated to proj ect
teams and individuals, rather than
to whole organizat.ions.
Ardent Computer of Sunnyvale,
California and Stellar Computer
of Newton, Massachusetts are two
companies at the forefront of this
emerging technology. Both are small
startup firms founded by and em-
ploying some of the computer indus-
try's t.op talent . Allen Michaels of
Ardent was founder of Convergent
Technologies, a highly successful Sil-
icon Valley firm. Gordon Bell, also
of Ardent, is among the world's most
respected computer architects . For-
mally Vice President of Engineering
at Digital, he led the PDP and VAX
development teams and is humbly
known as the father of the mini-
computer. Bill Poduska of Stellar
founded Apollo Computer and co-
founded Prime Computer, two well-
known computer firms .
Ardent's computer, the Titan,
was recently included in the Ar-
gOlllle National Laboratory LlN-
PACK test, alongside computers
ranging from Crays and ETAs to
Sun workstations and IBM PCs.
The LlNPACK test consists of com-
puter systems solving dense sys-
tems of linear equations in a For-
tran environment, and is thE; most
Code of Environmental
Ethics for Engineers
The WFEO Committee on En-
gineering and Environment, with a
strong and clear belief that man's
enjoyment and permanence on this
planet will depend on the care and
protection he provides to the envi-
ronment, states the following princi-
ples.
To All Engineers
When you develop any profes-
sional activity:
1. Try with the best of your ahil-
ity, courage, enthusiasm and
dedication to obtain a superior
technical achievement, which
will ('ont.rihllt.p 1,0 Ano pmmot.e
a healthy and agreeable sur-
rounding for all people, in open
spaces as well as indoors.
2. Strive to accomplish the ben-
eficial objectives of your work
with the lowest possible con-
sumption of raw materials and
energy and the lowest produc-
tion of wastes and any kind of
pollution.
3. Discuss in particular the conse-
quences of your proposals and
actions, direct or indirect, im-
mediat.e or long term, upon the
health of people, social equity
and the local system of values.
4. Study t.horoughly the environ-
ment that will be affected, as-
sess all the impacts that might
arise in the state, dynamics and
aesthetics of the ecosystems in-
volved, urbanized or natural, as
well as in the pertinent socia-
widely used benchmark in industry.
Cray's flagship compllter , the X-
MP / 4, completed the test in 0.012
seconds; the Titan in 0. 113. Com-
pared to Sun's 149 seconds and the
Macintosh 's 179 seconds, one can see
how fast these machines really are.
When ecomomic factors are intro-
duced, however, we see the major
diRert>nce. With an entry price of
$100 000 US, the Titan currently
has the lowest price/performance ra-
tio in the industry, beating conven-
tiona1 supercomputers by a factor of
ten or greater. Unfortunately, Stel-
lar 's GSIOOO was not available to be
tested .
.The graphics systems of these
machines are simply unparalleled
in the industry. Both machines
have custom graphics processors
and software, enabling applications
to be developed without graphics-
specific code. Ardent's Dynamic
Object Rendering Environment -
a device-independent toolkit -
supports integral ray tracer and
solid texture mapping, reflectance,
refraction, transparency, focussed
lights, Gourard shaded polygons,
etc, Users can make graphics de-
cisions which balance image qual-
ity and computation time , us-
ing structures from wireframes to
economic systems, and select
the best alternative for an envi-
ronmentally sound and sustain-
able development.
5. Promote a clear understand-
ing of the actions required to
restore and , if possible, to
improve the environment that
may be disturbed, and include
them in your proposals.
6. Reject any kind of commitment
that involves uufair damages for
human surroundings and na-
ture, and negotiate the best
possible social and political so-
lution.
7. Be aware that the princi-
plE'S of intprdrpen-
dence, diversity maint.enance,
photographic-quality imager.)' . Stel-
lar's Rendering Processor provides
similar features to its users , allowing
developers to concentrate more t ime
on modelling and analysis, rather
than writing graphics routines. One
really has to see these machines in
order to begin to appreciate their
graphics capabilities. Some of the
applications these companies have
developed are incredible - espe-
cially the chemistry simulations.
Both machines are built with
strict adherence to current industry
standards, from their UNIX V3 op-
erating systems (with Berkeley ex-
tensions) to their ANSI C and For-
tran compilers to their networking
capabilities. Target markets include
computational chemistry, mechani-
cal engineering, computational Auid
dynamics, and geophysics. Both
companies are working aggressively
(through partnership programs wit.h
both industry and universities) to
bring relevent solution software to
their users.
Given the incredible technology
and talent these machines have be-
hind them, combined with their in-
credible usefulness to engineers and
scientists, the future of computer-
aided research is growing brighter
anti brighter. Dig the new breed!
resource recovery and interrela-
tional harmony form the bases
of our continued existence and
that each of those bases poses a
threshold of sustainability that
should not be exceeded.
Always remember that war,
greed, misery and ignorance, plus
natural disasters and human in-
duced pollution and destruction of
resources, are the main causes of the
progressive impairment of the envi-
ronment and that you, as an active
member of the engineering profes-
sion, deeply involved in t,he promo-
tion of development, must use your
talent, knowledge and imagination
to assist society in removing those
evils and improving the quality of
life for all people.
FRESH!
HOIOIADE
SAVE 18%
STANLEY BURGER
REG. FRIES
REG. POP
now only
$3.89
210 lONG ST. "-
WATERLOO
-.1_
froInWLU
.. ,.. lite di 8"en o( a ",tltle 1m r
November 25, 1988
Editor's Columll
Welcome to the second issue of
SPACENEWS, a bimonthly report
on space news and technology. In
this issue, we welcome Queens
University to the growing list of
Universities that publish this
newsletter as part of their student
engineering newspapers.
The purpose of the newsletter is to
provide a forum for students across
Canada to share information on
space related activities, and perhaps
eventually organize a 'Space
Symposium' for Canadian students.
This symposium would be held
during a weekend and would be
aimed at university students.
One of the articles in this issue
describes the CASI conference. The
cost is affordable to students but
unfortunately, like many other
conferences, is held during the week
making it difficult for students to
attend. Another interesting and
affordable conference is the SDC
(see below). It is held over a
weekend in Chicago.
The initial response from the first
issue has been encouraging. I hope
you find these articles useful and
interesting. If you have an article to
share, I encourage you to send it
along with the name of your
University.
With Best Regards,
Yuri Quintana.
Systems Design Eng. MaSc'89
(Waterloo)
Coming Events
The 8th Annual Space Development
Conference will be held on the
weekend of May 26-29, 1989 in
Chicago's Hyatt Regency O'Hare
Hotel. The conference provides an
wide range of speakers on space
technology, including law and
Space, Medicine and Space,
Teaching Space, and The
Exploration of Mars (Planetary
Society). low room rates ($69) are
available and registration is only
$60. Programs are available from
your local school editor or write to
SDC, P.O.Box 64397, Chicago, Il,
60664-0397, U.S.A.
In The Next Issue
An article from SEDS in Canada -
the Students for the Exploration
and Development of Space !
SPACENEWS is a bimonthly Canadian
puhlication on space neIYs lind tcchnoloJ:}'.
Although every errort is made to ensure
accuracy, SI'ACENEWS is not responsihle ror
any inaccuracies or omissions. All matcrial
received becomes property or SI'ACENEWS
an4 the editor reserves the ril:ht to edit and
print it. Opinions expressed in articles arc
those or the authors.
Copyright 19118 hy Yuri Quintana.
All correspondence !'hould be moilcd to
SPACENEWS, 455 Regency Crescent,
Waterloo, Ontario, Canada, N2T I P2.
Editor-inChicl: Yuri Quintana
Faculty Editor!': Or. G.!" Greil: (University or
Waterloo), Ann Gawman (IUM Canada Ud).
IN
Iron Warrior Page 7
SPACE EWS
Vol. 1, No.1.
World News CASI Student Branches
U.S.A.
On October 3, 1988 the American
space shuttle Discovery completed
a 5 day mission to space, marking
the return to regular shuttle
missions. The mission's (STS-26)
primary payload was NASA's
Tracking and Data Relay Satellite.
The next space shuttle mission
(STS-27) is scheduled for November
17. Space shuttle Atlantis will be
used to launch a military payload.
U.S.S.R.
The U.S.S.H. unveiled its owryspace
shuttle called Buran - Russian for
snowstorm. According to Radio
Moscow, Buran's first unmanned
flight on October 29, 1988 was
aborted at 51 seconds from takeoff.
The problem was reported to have
been caused by a service tower
platform that did not separate
properly from Buran. The Soviets
plan to launch Buran sometime this
fall.
On November 11, two Soviet
cosmonauts on the Soviet space
station Mir broke the record .for
duration in space - 326 days.
A Record of Achievement
Canada has a long and impressive
history in space. In 1962, our first
research satellite, Allouelte I, was
already circling the earth. Designed
to last for one year, it operated for
a decade, earning Canada
international recognition as only
the third country to have a
spacecraft in orbit.
In 1972, Canada became the first
nation to have its own commercial
satellite communications system.
The launch of Anik AI provided an
instant coast-to-coast telephone
and information services. Today,
we receive radio and television
signals by satellite in all parts of
Canada including the Far North.
In 1981, Canadarm was used for
the first time aboard the Space
Shuttle, showcasing Canadian
technology around the world.
Canada is now acknowledged as a
leader in advanced space robotics.
October 1984 marked the night of
the first Canadian astronaut, Marc
Garneau, proving the capability of
the Canadian astronaut team to
carry out experiments In the
laboratory of space.
A Strategic Plan
The national space program, as
expressed in the government's 1986
long-Term Space Plan, is tailored
to Canada's special needs. In a
country with a small population
spread over it large area, factors
such as distance, rugged terrain,
and atmospheric conditions hamper
normal ground-level methods of
communications and resource
monitoring.
The Canadian Aeronautics and
Space Institute (CASI) is a
professional organization dedicated
to the advancement of aerospace
technologies and their related
applications. Its members include
engineers, scientists, doctors,
lawyers, geographers, computer
scientists, teachers and astronauts
as well as specialists in a variety of
other fields.
While CASI is as much as an
industry association as anything
else, Its emphasiS is more on the
technical development of the
industry as opposed to its financial
development. CASI publishes two
journals on a regular basis and
frequently hosts seminars and
conferences in cities all across
Canada.
On November 15-16, the 5th
annual CAS I conference on
Astronautics will be held in Ottawa
at the Westin hotel. The theme of
the conference will be "Space
Science and Engineering - Our
Capabilities for the Future".
Student registration is $15 for the
two day event and attendance
automatically makes you a student
member of CAS!.
ace
The current Plan builds on the early
efforts of the space program which
Is focussed on ommunlcatlons <It)
remote sensing applicat Ion and
encouraged growth of world-class
firms in those ar"as. It continu" .. to
support Canada's high technology
industries to ensur" that national
needs in those areas will be met.
The Investment
By world's standards, Canada is a
middle player In the space arena.
Both In terms of dollars spent as a
percentage of Gross National
Product, Canada ranks about eighth
in the world In spending on space.
This level Is far below the major
space powers like the Soviet Union,
the United States, Japan, . France
and West Germany but about the
same as the United Kingdom and
Belgium.
The long-Term Space Plan
Including RADASAT, MSI\T and
our contribution to the Space
Station, recognizes the need to
continue a national commitment to
the growing space sector. Five
years ago, spending on space
projects was about $100 million per
year; today it Is about $150 million.
By the year 1992, It Is expected to
double.
Sp. 5!JI.1o
373
CIVILlAIt SPACE EXPfltOITURES
5 Year 119881992)
$1,329 MIIIIOII
CASI has been around for over 30
years. Recently, students across
Canada are forming their own
student branches. Quebec campuses
have gotten off to a great start.
University of Alberta and University
of Waterloo are now also trying to
build their memberships.
Starting a branch isn't too difficult.
If you contact CASI, they will be
happy to help you. CASI supplies a
start-up kit, advertising resources
and a limited start-up funding. The
rest is up to you.
If you or your friends are Interested
in joining CASI or are interested in
starting a branch on your campus,
contact Mr. Timmins, Executive
Director, CASI, 601-222 Somerset
St. W., Ottawa, Ontario, K2P 2G3
or give CASI a call at (613)
234-0191.
Sean Maw
Systems Design Eng.'90
University of Waterloo
Chair U.W.S.B.CASI
Editor's Hole: U of W's Iron Warrior Jan'89
Issue will contain an arllcle of UW's CASI
Sludent Branch.
ram
A Measure fol' Success
By all m<>a'lur.,'i th" Canadian
Span' Pronrilm hilS produ pd
outlandln!} r('<;ults. In til(' last 25
yc>al S w(> hav(> dev{>lop"d an
industry thdl <><'ts world tandards
In ommunl atlon ,remot sC'nslng
and space> rohotlcs. OUI on (> small
community of pa (> S lentlsts and
C?nglneer htls be orne a national
resource, rkh in t"chnlcal
capability.
Our space industry has done
remarkably well In a hlfJhly
competitive field. The 1986 Industry
sales were $350 million and
growing at an average rat" of 20%.
Today, Canada's space Industry
employs more than 3500 people,
many In highly skilled, high
technology jobs.
It's Canada's Place in Space
Canada's storehouse of natural
resources will not, on Its own,
provide the sustainable growth
necessary to ensure our prosperity
Into the 21st century. Canada's
world class development capability
is evident in the International
success of our space industry In the
fields of space robotics, remote
sensing, manufacturing, and
communications. Today, the space
Industry operates from coast to
coast and Is 90% Canadian owned.
Fully 70% of all sales are made to
offshore customers. The Industry is
proving to other sectors that we can
compete successfully in markets
which depend largely on technical
and creative excellence.
Reprinted with permission from the Canadian
Space Program.
Page 8 Iron Warrior November 25, 1988
Waterloo Through The
Eyes Of A Former Westerner. - \tLiJ
When I tell people here at Wa- privileged to use a completely man- but Campus Centre is not quite the in Cherrl1cal Engineering. 1 was con-
by Mark Chahl
terloo that I went to Western for val model which had no integrator. place that it could and should be. sidering Materials if J didn't get ill
three years before coming here, I III fact, I never touched one, only the The University Community Centre here, in which case I would have
usually hear them list off the com- T.A.'s were allowed to. at Western is just that, the center in been one of six people in second
mon stereotypes: the country club Another outstanding thing ahout f h . . year this fall. As well, at West-
terms 0 p YSlcal location, Sf'rVlces
atmosphere, frat boys, Polo Shirts, Waterloo is the U&D concept. housed therein, and its role on cam- ern the program seems to be geared
and tons of people named BifT and There is no such thing at West- I b' to weed people out. In first year,
pus. t can be compared to a com 1- d
Muffy who've got lots of Daddy 's ern. This is because of an exclu- h everybo y takes the same courses.
nat.ion PAC, Campus Centre, Soul, d
money. While it is true that some sive catering cont,ract with Beaver C I . At the en of first year you pick
ampus Hal , Health ServIces, ra- .' I'
of these stereotypes do apply, one Foods which gives them an abso- d' d your dlSC1P Ine and hope that your
to statioll, and more all un er one
should remember that these are only l\lte monopoly on food sales on cam- roof right smack dab in the center marks are good enough to get you
stereotypes. Ask a Western student pus. They are in it for a profit and of the campus. nut the best thing into what you want. Only 30% of
ahout Waterloo and you're sure to this is evident in their prices. A about the UCC is Centerspot. This the first year class returns for second
Ileal' the following: full of compliler Iff' $ 75 d I $ 50 / h h year. This policy of attritioll con-
arge co ee IS . , are . , is a huge lounge cafeteria w ic is
geeks, nothing but cold, lifeless pco- and bagels are $.65 plus $.35 for a the place to see/watch members of tinues into the upper years as well.
pie, no parties, and no women. I foil wrapped cube of cream cheese. the opposit.e sex. Guys, this place From what I've heard about the pro-
myself held these perceptions until Ev(>n (,hr two IHHS on campus, which is incredible at lunch time, a com- gram at Water1oo, it is geared more
I came here this fall . In the two arr mere broom closets when com- binat,ion fashion show and visual to help the student stay in Engineer-
months that I have been here, all of pared to the Shelter and Fed Hall , tease. You should eat before you ing. I hope t.hat this is true! Eng Soc
my previously held stereotypes have arE' more expensive. Last year, beer get there because you'll be too busy here is quite impressive in its orga-
vanished. I would like to tak(> this was $2.30 a bottle. looking at all the women; there are nization and scope. The existence of
opportunity to allow you to sec this I could go on and on about all of jllst over two women per man at POETS, the Scunt, and Orientation
campus througb the eyes of a trans- the great things I' ve found out about UWO. III front of the UCC is a supports that observation.
feree . this campus, but I think it is only large patio area called The Concrete Another thing that surprised me
After getting acquainted with this fair to point out some of its short- Beach. It's a veritable ocean of about Engineering here was the
university and the people J've met, falls. The first thing is the amount beauties on warm fall days and dl r- IRON W ARRIO R itself. To see a se-
my previously held notion that of walking required. The buildings ing the spring. Here's another mls- rious engineering paper was frigbt-
Western was God's gift to higher ed- are so spread out here compared to conception about Western I'd like to ening since the term serious en-
ucation drastically changed. Believe Western. The longest walk there clarify: the women. While there gineering paper is oxymoronic at
me, you cannot begin to appreciate was probably Biology to Engineer- are more of them there, induding UWO. The paper at Western , called
Waterloo until you've been some- ing, about 250m. Compare t,hat nurses, phys-ed students, and girls The en gineer, would be of the
where else. One of the first things walk to the distance between El and who live in a residence run by the same genre as I've heard Enginews
that I noticed was the degree of 01'- Optometry. The ten minutes be- Sisters of Saint Joseph, I can hOI1- was. The engineer had many corn-
ganization . The registration proce- tween classes does not seem suffi- estly say that I've found the sit- plaints against it brought up by t.he
dures , Eng Soc, the bookstore, and cient here whereas it was more than uation better here. The women Women's Issues Committee, as well
the derartment of CO-()P f'd ll rl'lti()n sufficient at Western. The central- here are much more friendly, they're as subseq uent Human Rights Com-
really impressed me with their orga- ization of the Libraries and their smarter (this really is a good thing!), mission cases. On, the back page of
nization. lack of electronic theft detection are and they are less materialistic. the engineer one cou ld find a full
The next thing that knocked my two things that I've found hard to As I am in Chemical Engineer- page ad for local strip joints, in all
socks off was how well-equipped this get used to. At Western, each of ing hrre , I sh()nkl tell Y()II about their graphic detail complete with
place is! Laser-printer and Mac- the major faculties has its own li- the Engineering program at West- $2 table dance coupons! That makes
Booth services are foreign concepts brary in its own building. The Sci- ern. In short it is not even in the current uproar over Betty Boobs
at Western and likely wi ll remain so. ence i rary is connected by tunnel the same league as the one here. Tn qui over lown .
The engineering department here to Physics, Chemistry, Geology, and IL is much, much smaller, and has
probably has more computing facili- Biology and so on, which allows for nowhere near the level of facilities
ties than social science, science, and easier, quicker access to information, or stature that Waterloo has. The
engineering put together at West- especially for people doing research. faculty at Western is housed in one
ern . I went to the Natural Science Li- building, which it shares with ap-
Lahs heTe are quitE' well-st.ocked brary many times during my labs plied math and stats. The space al-
as wl'll. WIH'n r found out that stu- to check reference hooks and j()ur- lotted to Engineering is a little less
c1<'nts in my 2A Chem Eng sertion lJals, since it was only a two minute than the space in El but includes
got to lise computerized gas chro- walk by tunnel. Only punishment the Engineering Library in the same
matographs in one of their labs, J by death would make me walk from building. This space is for Chemical,
was amazed to say thr least. I spent El to the Davis Centre. Civil, Electrical, Mechanical , and
three years in the Chemis(,ry pro- The lack of a ('rnt rnl mPfll ing Materials. There are also a lot fewer
gram at Western i\nd did not once fl ' . . students in Bngineering at Western.
see a computerized GC in an under- place in a university 0 I, llS size IS
. } If II Sorry '0 say L. ast year there were twelve studellts
graduate lab let alone use one . I was a seriouS s a., (,
All told, what ['ve seen of Wa-
terloo, blows Western away in al-
most every respect. This place
has a lot of good things going for
it. The best Engineering program
in Canada, great faculty, amazing
eC]uipmcnt, and above all, really
great people. The years that [ will
be spending llere will undoubtedly
be the best years of my life. I know
that I am already very proud to say
that I go to the University of Water-
loo and hope that all of you feel the
same pride.
........ - - ...-. ..:. -..:. -.
-- -- ...... -..=.
::::e - - -- r_- -:::=-
--; = -_ ...... _.)
_riiviViv
.. .a _ ......... - --
........ i i ;liIii
aEER AND WINE
MAKING SUPPLI ES
00
OFF
ANY BEER OR WINE
STARTER KIT
WITH TN IS AD
1 00 Victoria St. N. (At Weber)
Station Plaza, Kitchener
579-2277
November 25, 1988
Book
by. Ajay Jindal
This is a book with real GUTs.
"GUTs" in this case refers to Grand
Unification Theories . This is an
all-encompassing theory which ac-
curately explains and predicts nat-
ural phenomenon from the atomic
level right on up to the scale of
the universe. Its sort of like going
into a mechanics exam knowing only
F=ma.
Stephen W. Hawking is a theoret-
ical physicist who is the Lucasian
Professor of Mathematics at Cam-
bridge University, a post once held
by Sir Isaac Newton . He is afflicted
with ALS, a motor neuron disease
which has left him almost totally im-
mobile and unable to speak (which
he does through a fiuger-controlled
computer speech synthesizer). This
has not impeded his research much
since theoretic physics is done with
the mind, the one part of his body
that is still perfectly healthy.
He decided to write a book about
space and time for people who don't
have a Ph.D. in physics and this is
the product of many years of writ-
Iron Warrior
Page 9
Review
"A Brief History of Time"
ing, research , and rewriting. His
publishers said that every equation
he included in the book would halve
the sales and thanks to someone's
capitalistic nature, there is only
one equation explicitly mentioned
Einstein's famous E = mc
2
.
Why should you buy this book
and read it? Why should YOIl care
about what electrons are made of or
how long the big bang took? Could
you ever bring up these kinds of top-
ics at a party to impress a member
of the opposite sex? Can you put it
on your resume?
The best reason to read t,his book
is not because it deals wit,h GUTs
but because of the way in which it
deals with them. Instead of jumping
right into theory concerning black
holes and force strings, he sets up
the framework required to under-
stand the logic behind these theo-
ries. The first part of the book is
essent ially a history of science start-
ing with a flat earth at the centre
of the universe to a relativistic uni-
verse where ti me depends on speed,
space is curved, and mass and en-
ergy arc quantized. It is this brief
summary that brings together e -
erything you learned in physics and
chemist.ry and give it sOllle colwr-
ence and is reason enough to read
this book.
At l.his point two theories dom-
inate - Einstein's theory of rela-
tivity which governs the large
and Heisenberg'S uncerta.inty prin-
ciple which governs the very small .
Hawking 's goal is to rome lip with
a single theory that can be applied
to explain and predict phenomenon
at both scales. The remainder of
t.he book is c1edicat,ed 1.0 unifying the
theories. Although the concepts get
pretty heavy, Hawking has done a
magnificent job in attempting t.o ex-
plain them. Many interesting ideas
are presented and it doesn't really
matter if you understand them in-
side out hut. YOII will f'l1<i up with a
new perspective of the world we live
In.
The book is not filled with un-
explained technical jargon and Lhe
analogies and anecdotes presented
along the way make it. very easy
reading. Occasional commentary on
philosophy (the universe exists the
way it is because we are here to ob-
serve it) and religion (when we find
the GUT, we will know the mind of
God) also add another dimension to
what may be thought of as a scien-
tific book .
Included at the end of t.he bonk
ar short. biographies of the three
most influential scientist.s in history :
G alileo born exact.ly 300 year!>
b('fore Hawking, Newt.on - who e
post at Cambridge Hawking now
holds, and Einstein whose the-
ory is the ba!>is ormnch of Hawking's
work.
Dropping a few words about ev-
idence in favour of a 26 dimen-
sional universe is not a sure-fire
pickup line and knowledge of mat.- .
ter / ant.imatter particle pairs proh-
ably won't help you get the joh
of your dreams but at least wh ' n
the universe collapses in ten billion
years, you'll know why.

Peace On A Silver Platter
by Isaac Szpindel
Several years ago the President of
the United States seemed to shock
\J1e world with the ani ounc
that a new defense initiative would
be undertaken. Termed the Strate-
gic Defense Initiative the program
was quickly renamed "Star Wars"
by the press. Whether motivated
purely by sensationalism or by the
President's penchant for the silver
screen this designation is, neverthe-
less, inappropriate. In order to bet-
ter understand this one musL first,
understand what comprises the SOl
program.
SDI is, basically. a space hMed
technology intended for use ill the
military defense of the United States
and her allies. A major compo-
nent of this system is expected to
eliminate much of the threat poseo
by nuclear weaponry. SOl technol-
ogy can be divided into Lhe "boost."
phase and "terminal" phase, bot,h
with the aim of destroying hostile
nuclear weaponry.
Terminal phase technology WOll Id
consist of the destruction of incom-
ing nuclear weaponry which is en-
tering the destination stage of its
intended flight path. The terminal
system would include such devices
as space-borne platforms carrying
particle beams, lasers, or even con-
ventional arms, all coordinated by
a tracking satellite. Alternatively,
boost phase technology concentrates
on the destruction of enemy missiles
before, of' -during launch. MORt of
the opposition to SDI and many of
the allegations of its infeasibility are
related to boost phase requirements.
Much of the strong opposition
to SOl is bMed on the claim that
the technology required by the pro-
gram is impossible to implement.
The large sums of money, therefore,
that the U.S. government has been
spending on SDI research is felt to
be wasLeful. This is a ridiculous ar-
gument. To say that a technology
is impossible to develop in this day
and age is preposterous. This is a
fad that should not only be obvious
to ci tistc nd en in ers bu to the
general public M well. By observ-
ing t.he world around us we are all
made aware of the limitless advances
we are making in technology. Fur-
thermore, the U.S. government has
an established budget for defense
spending. To think that dC'fells('
funds would be diverLed from SOl
to address social problems is naive
and unrealistic. The research being
funded for SOl has many beneficial
applications in other areas such M
medicine and space. Space itl:lelf is
of extreme importance as it is felt
that much fuLure scientific advance-
ment will occur there. A cut, back in
research related to space study will,
therefore, help no one. The removal
of SOl will only bring t.he implemen-
Lation of another military program.
This new program may have no ben-
eficial consequences.
Another source of opposition is
the implied offensive nature of the
boost phase component of SDJ. The
destruction of nuclear weapons in
their liftoff or boost stages would
constitute an attack on enemy ter-
ritory. This further implies an abil-
ity hy one> party t.o lannrh fin tltttlck
from space at any time directed at
targets within anoLher nation's ter-
ritories. As a possible infringement
on foreign space and sovereignty,
boost phase technology has encoun-
tered much opposi tion. The par-
ticularly difficult technological prob-
lems posed by boost phase require-
ments aggravate this problem. The
political dilemma encountered here
is quite valid and might warrant
some of the opposition it has re-
ceived. Unfortunately, due to gen-
eral ignorance and the sensational-
ism of the media. very few people are
aware of the fact that this problem
arises from just one of the compo-
nents of SD I. If . the opposi t.ion t.o
boost phase technology is valid , then
eliminate boost phase research not
the eJltire program. To my knowl-
ed ge most if not all SDI research
that is presently being undertaken
is in the area of terminal phase tech-
nology.
Allegations exist that. SDI re-
search funds are being misused.
That scit'nt.i!'l tq who claim (,n Iw I)('r
forming SDl research ar!' arillally
tlsing t.he fUllds to carry Ollt. 1111
related !>cientific Testarch. If Ihi H
is true , what are tlw consC'<)lIc'U('('H?
Money is bring diverted frolll dl'
fense to scientific re!>earch . ThiH
is actually t.he intellt of t,ll(' U.S.
governmcnt. It. is pllrp(Hwl.v flilld-
ing related research in order 10 itl-
rrease the general lev('1 of Rc i(' nt.ific
advancement wit.hin the (ollul.ry ill
the hart that SDY ncpds will also he
met. A common argument. is (hat
potenLial exists for I,he abllHc of til<'
knowledge !>lIch research provides. If
this is true it is Ollr respons ibility t,t)
ensure that this kllowledg( is prc-
!>crved for its lwnefits flnd 1 hilt, flO
abuse occurs . If we dar ' to withhold
knowledge which may be of bC'IIC'fil"
we are as guilty as thosE' who would
abuse it. themselves .
The purpose implical,ions of
SDI are quite clear . Assuming
the development, only, of I,erminal
phase equipment SOl will be di-
rectly responsible for the obsoles-
cellce of mucb of the world's nuclear
weaponry. As we have seen, nego-
tiations are capable only of decreM-
ing the number of nuclear weapons
in the world to a certain extent.
Unilateral disarmament is out of
tile fJuestion completely. Given any
knowledge of politics and history
one can immediately dismiss this op-
tion as totally unreasonable. How-
ever, through the implementation of
SOl, and with the aid of negotia-
tions we might one day be able re-
move the ' threat of nuclear warfare
enLirely. If we are truly concerned
ahollt the planet we live on we must
begin to act intelligently and respon-
sibly. H we are truly committed
t o p('(lce we will support. deterrent.s
to warfare and to nuclear weaponry.
SDI is presently the only such pro-
gram. Si t-ins and protests accom-
plish nothing as far as world peace
and nuclear safety are concerned.
Opposit,ioll 10 SDI rtPIPMII1. an OJ>
posltiollio IItl( It ar dl IIr Illanll'lI! .11111
; 111 0ppoHit lOll t.o world Pf'II(,(, . It
Ollr dut il'l r(' s pOIl ihlt illdivid
Hal. t hPTf'fore , to support. t.ltiR pro-
grlllll . AH cugin('NfI it i. ollr n'spon-
Hibi hl.y to !c. ad in Ihi", r(' pt'rl tint!
10 provide' t.he' f(,(dlmrk rt'qll1r('(] for
I hc' propt'r irnpll'Ttwlltal iOll of at
pr(,Sf'lIt ilne! in t 11(' fllt,llr1' .

FLOWERS
WESTMOUHT
10
0
/0
discoun for
students
on corsages and
all your floral needs!
holidays)
a.ae and Frank Quinn. ,.
50 W.stmounl #'
Wiler/oo. OnIIllO N2l ZAS
(519, 886-6410
f
Page 10 Iron Warrior November 25, 1988
SERVAS: The Unbeatable Way To Travel
by Carolyn Anglin
My past summer was spent travel-
ling, working, and generally soaking
up the world in and around various
parts of Europe. The Servas pro-
gram was one of the major ingredi-
ents which made my experience in-
valuable. Knowledge of this inter-
national host program is spread en-
tirely by word of mouth, as is the
intention of this article.
The motto of the Servas organi-
zation is "Open Doors Around the
World". Its primary aim is to pro-
mote cultural exchange through for-
eign travellers living directly with
the local people. Servas was started
soon after the Second World War,
with the ultimate goal of promot-
ing peace through increased under-
standing of other cultures. The
program is ideal for anyone making
plans to travel abroad with the de-
sire to "get to know" the cultures
which he or she is visiting.
Normally you would stay with a
host for two days. Staying just
overnight would be "using" Servas
as a free hotel" service; hosts want to
spend time with YOIl . Staying any
longer is not permitted unless you
are invited to remain: in my expe-
rience, however , the hosts were so
open and generous that there would
be no problem in visiting for longer
(in some cases, J felt guilty for leav-
ing so soon!). There is no rhargr at
all for either the accommodat,ion or
the meals. Does it sound too good
to be true? Believe it!
During my t.rip, I stayed with
five different ( very different) Servas
hosts. The first two, in London and
Wales, had been prearranged from
Canada; the third was a long term
stay with a wonderful family in Ire-
land . The last two came a month
and a half later in Yugoslavia.
In each case, the hosts accepted
me right into their homes and lives.
My London host. deliberat.ely went
t.o work late on the day that I ar-
rived so that. she would be home to
greet me, give me a place to put my
heavy backpack, and leave me the
key t.o her apartment. I was immedi-
ately impressed with the trust that
this entailed. Because most people
worked , I was free to roam on my
own all day, but then had a friend
to spend time with in the evening.
It made all the difference to have a
"home" to go to and people that you
could trust .
As a guest, you try to help out
when you can, but I found that
very little.was expected, or even ac-
cepted (usually dishes, helping with
the meal or babysitting). Normally,
J felt that r "cont,ributed" through
conversation by being eager to hear
about their lives, and by expressing
my own enthusiasm for Canada. As
a gift to each host, I had compiled
a series of my own Canadian photos
into little booklets.
Often it is more the kind of people
that become Servas hosts that make
a visit worthwhile. Servas people,
both travellers and hosts, are on the
"good" side of life! Many lead alter-
native lifestyles and are concerned
with t he world in gf'ner<ll; all are
friendly and open . Once you join,
you can obtain a Host List for any
country around the world, includ-
ing Canada, alt.hough most Eastern
Block countries will not allow its ex-
ist.ence.
In London, my host lived in a
flat wit.h several other architecture
students, only wandering distance
from all of the major sights. Stu-
dents the world ov r talk abo the
same things, and Jive the same hec-
tic lives! They even have rotten coop
jobs. 1 slept in their living room, but
on a very comfortable couch. 011 the
first day, I stared for an hour 01lt.
of their window just watching the
range of people hust.ling by.
My host. invited me to retllrll on
my way back to Canada. Not, only
did that, save me from having 1.0
make other plans, but it was like
catching up on an old friend's life.
All in all, 1 felt immediately at
home. In fa.ct, she had grown up ill
Kitchener, Ontario!
In Search Of

Home?
by Rena Herman
A "Leonardo de Vinci - Engi-
eer and Architect" poster hangs
o er my mattress, surrounded by an
rtment of photos of family and
frie ds, both present and past.. My
entir wardrobe has taken up res-
idence in a collection of red milk
crates, while stack-a-shelves return
. to campus specials have helped me
organize my books.
But what of my worldly posses-
sions? Assignments? An obsolete
Macintosh computer? Perhaps t.he
battered ghetto blaster and a mis-
sorted collection of tapes. [recall
days of projects, interests, of just
plain lazing around. Like most of
us, entering into an engineering pro-
gram was an important decision. A
tradeoff of sorts.
Confronted with the vast cooper-
ative educational system, a person
can get '?St. One begins to wonder if
this is really it. By choosing to spe-
cialize as an engineer, what ca be
expected? Do I really want to apply
myself for five years? Does this un-
dergraduate degree truly equip me
to enter the workforce, or will I find
the need to continue my studies at a
higher level?
Perhaps the most relevant ques-
tion to be asked is: Why ask so
many silly questions? After all,
most of you readers have probably
had it with this article. Who cares?
And wouldn't I be ever so obnoxious
if I were to yell: I do! I do!
I view "finding it" as the fight to
win home. That is, by knowing t.hat
one is in a home of sorts, no matter
how temporary that home may be,
everything else falls into place. One
finds the time to socialize, party and
(eventually .. . ) study for finals.
Maybe even pass.
Enough soul searching for one
day. After all, if you can't find it,
maybe is hasn't gone anywhere to
begin with. That's what it says on
the banner. ENGINEERING: THE
PLACE TO BE.
My experiences in Wales were
completely different from those in
London . The first distinction was
to be out in the countryside; the
second was to be with a family.
I have never met two people who
lived so much by their convictions.
They are vegetarians, grow much of
their own food , use only biodegrad-
able products, and are committed
to thinking of others. They were
also devoted to their children in the
most caring way. In general , Servas
hosts from the United Kingdom and
Ireland tend to lead more alterna-
tive lifestyles whereas those in Yu-
goslavia were involved more because
of their interest in travelling.
Yugoslavia was one of the most
fascinating places J visit.ed. Since
the country is unique in its poli-
tics, its geography, and its manner
of amassing completely different, na-
tionalities into one, it was more im-
portant to me than usual to discover
whatever I could . To anyone intend.
ing t.o visit there: it is very worth-
while to experience several places in
Yugoslavia because each one is so
dist.inct from the other.
My northern Yugoslavian host ,
being a sociologist, was extremely
knowledgeable about her country,
which is presently experiencing a se-
vere economic crisis. She was also
perfectly fluent in English , and in-
troduced me to several of her friends
in order to broaden my views (you
can never assume that a host is "typ-
ical" of t.he culture).
My ot.her Yugoslavian host was
not as fluent in English; the rest of
his family spoke none. This meant
that t,he wife or daughters would
serve me food (wit.hout accept.ing
any help), while all that [ could say
was "thank you" in the language.
1 t.herefore fell, much more that I
was "using" their hospitality. Nev-
ertheless, while the language bar-
rier call be frustrating , Servas is per-
haps most valuable in sllch countries
where it is otherwise almost impos-
sible to talk to the people.
This particular host is the owner
of a traditional souvenir shop in
Sarajevo. I enjoyed being able to
watch his craftsmanship, and know
the man behind the window, in di-
rect contrast with the tourists wan-
dering by. I even did my best to bar-
gain a better price for him from the
tourists!
The family that I stayed with in
Ireland even now remain very spe-
cial t.o me hecausr Iliv('o with them
for much longer. One of the great-
est advantages that I found of trav-
elling alone, is t.hat it is much easier
to assimilate a new lifestyle, with-
out having to simultaneously satisfy
a friend's vision of the 'old' you.
By the end of my stay on their
farm, I could not understand why
they considered themselves to live
an alternative lifestyle (described by
them as non-consumerism), because
it seemed so natural to me. How-
ever, as fair warning to any other
tra.veller: a.1I of their electricity (in-
cluding a TV) is produced by a
single wind generator (as an en-
gineer, that was well worth see-
ing); to make a phone call, I had
to bike into the nearest town; ac-
commodation for the traveller, lit
only by a gas lantern, is in an out-
door trailer (which actually allows
for much more privacy); it takes two
hours for the peat-burning stove to
heat up enough water for a bath,
so advanced warning is required(!);
and fresh milk (from their own cow)
is naturally the only milk to be
found. They, too, introduced me
to several of their friends, espe-
cially through our daily milk runs
to neighbours, and the work that I
did. My favourite time was spent
discussing philosophy while planting
spuds!
Obviously, each host varies greatly
from the others. However, because
of the listings, you can choose the
kind of people with which you would
most likely to be compatible, or
that you would most appreciate get-
ting to know. You do, nonetheless ,
have to be comfortable with meet-
ing new people, and with making
yourself feel at home in another per-
son's house. Even if it doesn't. work
out, though, you can always go to a
hostel or hotel with all of the oLher
tourists!
Of all the many things that I
learned about myself and others
while away, the most valuable les-
son was certainly one of generosity.
Moreover , that is something that I
can carry wit.h me for the rest of my
life.
Each count.ry's listing provides
the name, address, and telephone
number of the ' host, languages spo-
ken , the age and occupation, and a
brief description of interests. It is
surprising how well you can build
up a vision from just. this informa-
tion. The listing also indicates the
number of people that can be ac-
commodated, and whether they pre-
fer a traveller to make arrangements
by phone or letter . Consideration is
the name of the game: t.he great-
est frustration of hosts is short no-
tice. An interesting alternative is
that those hosts who cannot offer ac-
commodation are willing to act as
"day hosts". Wouldn ' t it be great
to have a personal guided Lour and
see all of a ci t.y's unknown treasures?
The popularity of Servas varies, but
there are 600 names listed in the
United Kingdom alone!
There is no requirement to recip-
rocate, but 1 know that I would like
to become a Servas host, both to
return the generosity that was ex-
tended to me, and so that I can vi-
cariously travel the world! To be-
come involved, contact James Mor-
gan, 24 Chestnut Street, Kitchener,
745-3602, the local Servas host. It
costs $40 to join, plus a $10 deposit
on the host lists (the hidden cost
comes with phone calls and letters to
contact. hosts). Otherwise, all that
is required is to complete an Appli-
cation Form, write a letter of intro-
duction (which you will later give to
your hosts), and submit two letters
of reference. The hosts are similarly
screened. Once this information has
been compiled, you have to arrange
for an "interview" to complete the
process.
Take advantage of this opportu-
nity. While it does require Borne
planning, it really is an unbeatable
way to travel.
November 25, 1988 Iron Warrior
Page 11
Head First Into The TUBS
by Hans-Peter Schropp
and
Bernard Tanguay
Moin, Moin! ... This greeting re-
minds us of the time spent in Braun-
schweig on exchange. A time high-
lighted by three semesters of stud-
ies and countless travel memories.
The experience of attending a vi-
brant lecture of "Schwingungslehre"
in' the "Audimax" or the enjoyment
of a "Weissbier" in the "Audimin"
are examples. Being steamed in a
winter sauna at a Finnish cottage or
savouring a "Leberkaes" at a New
Year's Eve Party in a "Bayerische
Berghuettn" are others. Now that's
education.
About ten years ago, Prof. Pin-
dera of Civil Engineering at Uni-
versity of Waterloo and Prof. Steck,
of the Institute fur allgemeine
Mechanik und Festigkeitslehre at
the Technische Universitaet Car-
010 Wilhelmina zu Braunschweig
(TUBS), after years of research ties,
initiated an exchange programme
for students of our two universi-
ties. The programme has contin-
ued to develop and offers the chance
to incorporate international experi-
ence int.o your engineering educa-
tion. The benefits of the exchange
far outweigh the initial difficulties of
studying in a foreign language. So
far at least fifty German students,
but only few UW students, have
journeyed abroad in their academic
pursuits. With an increasing aware-
ness, thanks to the efforts of Prof.
Schuster of Civil Engineering, who is
the exchange coordinator, this trend
is revt'rsing. There are presently six
UW students participating.
During our 3B term in mechanical
engineering, we became acquainted
with a few Braunschweig students,
who informed us about the exchange
programme. The ability to obtain
credit for studies in a different learn-
ing environment convinced us to ap-
ply. We were accepted and prepared
for the challenge during our last
work-term, in the summer of 1986.
We were the first from mechanical
to venture to Braunschweig, and had
limited knowledge of the language
but personal enthusiasm overcame
any uncertainties. .
In order to ease our acclimati-
zat,ion to \'he new culture we im-
mersed ourselves in the manner-
isms of German culture. What
better way to achieve this than
travel? Experienced bikers as we
are, we had both brought our bicy-
,des along and began tl)e exchange
on two wheels, exploring the south-
ern parts of Germany, from Frank-
furt through to Mittenwald, chanc-
KURZENSCHEIDTS
(small dictionary)
ing upon many fall festivities . Hei-
delherg was celebrating the "Fed-
erweisserundzwiebelkuchenfest' , we
enjoyed a "Dampfnudel" at the
Cans\'at,tcr Wasen in Stuttgart and
witnessed the last day of the
original "Oktoberfest" in Munich
. . . Prosit! .. . Aft,er that, we were in
great shape to start the term.
Mr. Refardt and Mr. Fischer of
the "Akademisches Auslandsamt",
our first contact at the university,
accused us of not knowing our way
around when we asked them for
help, but became most heJpful when
they discovered that we were actu-
ally from Waterloo. They helped
us in wrestling through the un-
avoiclnhlC' p(lperwork required t.o ob-
taill the famous "Immatrikulations-
bescheinigullg". We were also happy
to learn that places in one of the
residences had been reserved for us.
Alles klar!
We spent the next two weeks at-
tending various "Vorlesungen" of in-
terest and ta1king to prof"Cssors, in
order to make an appropriate choice
for the six month semester. There
we were put on the right track at
Prof. Steck's institute. His doctoral
student. and assistant, Frithjof Kub-
lik, who has himself taken part in
the exchange and could be described
as a "Watfriend", gave us some use-
ful tips on course choices and other
Moin, Moin!
Schwingungslehre
Audimax
Weissbier
Audimin
Leberkaes
Bayerische Berghuettn
Federweisserund-
zwiebelkuchenfest
Dampfnudel
Oktoberfest
lmmatrikulations-
bescheinigttng
Vorlesungen
Raumftugtechnik und
{leaktortechnik
A casual greeting
Vibrat,ions theory
EL 101 ill German
An interesting Brew
The Bombshelter
Liver Cheese?
Chalet in the Alps
a wine Festival
Steam Dumplings
YOll tell us!
Student Card
Lecture
Space and Reactor
Technology
.
Technische Mechanik
Stammtisch
Kneipe
Uebung
Assi
academic concerns. One of the
more confusing aspects is the ulli-
versity's organizational strurtur . [t
consists of nine "Fachbereiche", of
which Mechanical Engineering is t.he
largest (with about '2400 students,
Jawohl!). These are in turn split. up
into many independent pecialized
institutes, scattered over a large por-
tion of the northeast side of Braun-
schweig. Each institute llses its own
teaching facilities to offer courses in
its field of research . It is possihle
for UW students to participate in
the research activities of an insti-
tute by undertaking a "Studiel1ar-
beit", which is usually a four month
project including' a technical report .
Institutes such as "Raumfiugtechnik
und Reaktortechnik" or "Technische
Mechanik" illustrate the degree of
diversity.
It was quite a task to ("hoose from
the vast selection of courses oITered
but the flexible registration policy,
which entails signing up for exams
at the end of each semester, al-
lowed us enough freedom to make
a sound decision. This was t.he
topic of discussion at. many meet-
ings around the "Stammtisch" at
"Friedrich's", a "Kneipe" in Braun-
schweig, which is renowned for its
battered and baked Camembert, a
specialty which Frithjof will be glad
to introduce you to.
As fourth year students, we con-
centrated on more advanced courses
typically involving lectures, various
" ebungen" and often ending wil,h
an oral examination. Picture this:
YOll are waiting nervously in a hall-
way. A student exits a doorway wip-
ing his brow. It's your turn . .. You
enter the small dim room containing
three chairs, a few pieces of blank
paper and freshly sharpened pencils.
The professor and his "Assi" greet
you with unnerving grins. You and
the prof then proceed to "discuss"
t,he contents of the course in great
det.ail while t.he Assi scratches notes '
. .. and this in German! Time has
never passed quicker. Our prepara-
tion had never been as thorough.
Without weekly assignments and
deadlines, student.s have ample time
to participate in extracurricular ac-
t,ivities. The time could be used to
browse the library for given course
literature or explore neighbouring
European states on exciting photo-
safaris. East Germany, Netherlands
and Scandinavia made for plenty of
distracting destinations. Professor
Hecker, our "Watpadre", was always
there, however, to help us refocus on
our good academic intentions.
All in all, the study methods
placed a lot of weight on "self- teach-
ing" which means not only learn-
ing by yourself, but about your-
self and how you learn best. The
exchange was therefore not only a
travel abrnarl hilt a t.ravel wit,hin,
and an experience np-ver to be for-
got,ten. The programme can be
only be highly recommended and it
would be good to see more UW jack-
ets in' Braunschweig in the future.
For detail on the ro ramme con-
tact Prof. R.M. Schuster ofC;viJ F;n-
gineering in his office CPU 237311.
'lB2C KNj
ST,
UlOO
Applied Mechanics
a table reserved
for "Regulars"
Pub
Tutorial
Assistant
18 AM - 939 !H
18 AM - 18 PH
U PH - 7 PH
Page 12
Iron Warrior November 25, 1988
The Existence And Nature Of God
by Jim McCrea
Many people, both Christians and
non Christians, believe that God's
existence must be held on faith
alone. The existence of God and
his main attributes, however, can
be known by reason without the aid
of revelation. This is established
through a branch of metaphysics
known as natural theology .
The existence and nat.ure of God
can be understood from the essence-
existence dichotomy which flows
from the nature of being as such .
The basic definition of being is thai
which is. The subject that refers to
essence and the predicate is refers
to existence. All beings, therefore ,
are a compound of essence and exis-
tence.
"All beings, there/ore,
are a compound oj
essence and existence."
The essence-existence dichotomy
is one of the most difficult principles
of metaphysics to grasp; an exam-
ple may help. If a watchmaker is to
construct a watch the essence of the
watch or "watch ness" exists in his
mind, prior to its construction, but
not in reality. (Essence is defined
as the "what a thing is" .) When
t he wat chmaker assembl es the wat ch
he gives existence t o the essence or
"watch ness" . (Existence is defined
as the "that a thing is". ) Since the
"what it is" can precede the "that
it is," it can be said tha t essence
and exi stence a re principles whi cb
are formally distinct .
Since essence and exi stence dif-
fpr , "he roncppt, of anyt,hing dof' s not,
necessarily imply that: it i s. It can
be said that all finite things that ex-
ist can possibly not exist. In this
they have what is known as con-
tingency . A further analys is s hows
that essence has the form of a noull
COCOCWB
HOTEL MALAQUE
Approximately 40 minutes lrom Man
zanillo on a sandy beach on beautiful
Barra de Navldad Bay, facilities at the
Club Include a large pool , dininQ
room, beach and pool bar, tenms
court gilt shop and large satellite TV
screen. Manzanillo, Iound between
Puerto vallarta and Acapulco boasts
7 lovely beaches.
- it denotes "something" - and ex-
istence has the form of a verb -
it denotes an "act". (We can call
it "ising") . Now, the act of exist-
ing of a contingent being requires a
cause precisely because it is distinct
from its essence. Nothing can be its
own cause; therefore, it must have a
cause extrinsic to it, and this cause
is called God.
Bow do we avoid the obvious dif-
ficulty, which arises from the pre-
ceding argument , that God himself
would seem to require a cause?
This difficulty is solved, first , by
stating the nature that God must
possess . The immediate statement
that can be make about him is that
he is self-existent . While essence
and existence are distinct in finite
beings, the essence of God, is in fact,
his own existence. Since it is the na-
ture of God to exist he is not contin-
gent but necessary. He cannot pos-
sibly not be. This property is known
as A seity . It is his most fundamen-
tal attribute and is that from which
all his others are logically deduced.
The question "why does God exist?"
cannot be rationally answered be-
cause it has no meaning . The identi-
fication in God of essence with exis-
tence prevents I,his. He is the frame
of reference against which all hows
and whys are known.
What properties can be deduced
from aseity? If the essence of God
is his own existence, he is pure be-
ing or pure existence and, there-
fore, must, cont,flin eVf'ryt.hing t.hat
Leing or existence can possiuly im-
pl y: God, t he refore, is necessaril y
unlimited, perfect , and possesses all
positive attributes to an infinite de-
gree. We can also understand, by
looking at God's most fundamental
attribute of self-existf'oce , that the
most fitting name that can be gi ven
to him is lie who Is . (Or "1 AM" in
the first person) .
The two means of knowing the
nature of God are by negation and
analogy. Negation says what he is
not and analogy says what he is.
Any concept which, in itself, denot,es
an imperfection of any kind can be
denied him absolutely in negation.
Any concept which denotes a per-
fection , pure and simple, can be at-
tributed to him, to an infinite de-
gree, by analogy. First of all it can
be denied that God contains matter
because the concept matter neces-
sarily implies passivity and indeter-
mination which are per se imperfec-
tions . It can be denied he has form
since any form is inherenl,ly limited
by its definition. The simple name
of God "He who is" rather than "lie
who is such and such" means that he
is a universal principle which tran-
scends all forms.
It can be affirmed that God pos-
sesses the attributes of infinite intel-
lect and will. These are metaphys-
ical perfections because intellect as
intellect is the capability of appre-
hending truth without qualification
and will as will is the capability of
being inclined to the good without
qualification. Since intellect and will
are the prime attributes of personal-
ity, we refer to God as He and not
It .
It can be said that God is per-
fectly simple; t.hat is he has no com-
position of parts. This follows from
the fact that he is an absolutely pri-
mary being. With anything that has
composition that thing must. be re-
ferred to its parts and the principle
of its composition for its explana-
"The essence oj God
His own existence."
tion . Thi s makes the parts and the
principle by which it is composed,
in some manner, prior to that thing .
There cannot be anything prior to
God, therefore, he cannot have any
composition . It can be truthfully
said that the only thing in God is
God . A corollary of this is that the
attributes of God are identical with
himself. The very int.ellect and will
of God is God. God does not exist

Travel
"UK
P(RP(ASC)oI
NOlI ,..DEC.
MORE ALL INCLUSIVE
HOLIDAYS FROM CAROUSEL!
INCLUDING MEALS, DRINKS, WATER-
SPORTS, ENTERTAINMENT AND MOREl
...... IIEI'UIUC
alll1lAllOR (PRINCIPAl SIDRMI
CAMINO DEL SOL
(VILLA AM WITH PATIO)
CGLOIIIIA
SAIl ANDRES ISWID
DECAMEIION SUPER CLUB
1 WEEK
PERPfRSON
fROM
499
549
499
IIAIIZAIUD
LOS AIIBElp LOCOS
JAIWCA
CWI AMERICANA (SID RMJ
EDEll II (SID AMI
umu
PINEAPPLE BEACH CLUB
IMEK
PERPER5()N
fROM
799
769
1169
1249
DEPARTURES NOVEMBER 1988 THROUGH MAY 1989
Carousel
Holidays
in space and time because space and
time are divisible and God is in no
manner divisible. This rules out the
ant.hropomorphic conception, that
some people have of him, that he
possesses a human type body and
has human emotions. The book of
Genesis does talk about the remi-
niscence and regret of God but be-
cause they are metaphysical imper-
fections, they can only be attributed
to him metaphorically. (Reminis-
cence is an imperfection because it
is the bringing to mind something
which was previously not thought
and regret is an imperfection be-
cause it denotes an error in judg-
ment .) One very important point is
that God is not the universe itself,
as the pantheists hold . Although he
is immanent in all things in that he
sustains them in existence from mo-
ment to moment with his power , he
is a.lso transcendent; that is, he is
unique and distinct from the things
he sustains. We can understand t.his
by reAecting on the fact that objects,
which appear to our senses and rea-
son , do not. possess the ill fl n i te per-
fections proper to God.
Although the human reason can
know the existence of God and many
of his attributes, this knowledge has
limits. We can only extrapolate
from what we experience and under-
stand . (Analogy is a term for int,el-
lectual -extrapolation.) We do not
know, in itself, what it is for God
to be , for example , intelligent , fr ee
or good. This also explains why we
assign multiple attributes to a prtn-
ciple that is necessaril y one and in-
finitely simple. The human intellect
is simply not subtle enough to grasp
God through a single concept .
Note : It says in the book 0/ Gen-
esis that God made man in his own
image. This is in no manner to be
understood as referring to physi cal
likeness. The interpretation is that
man has a share in the function of
the and will of God which
are his highest attributes. After "He
who is" names which can be most
properly assigned to God are "subsis-
tent intellect " and "hypostatic love. "
PRICE MATCH!
CAROUSEL HOLIDAYS
WILL NOT BE UNDERSOLD!
See Marlin Travel for lull details on our offer.
SAVE 5
0
/0
JANUARY 4\ FEBRUARY DEPARTURESI
See Marlin travel lor all the details.
CAROUSEL'S DESTINATIONS
ANTIGUA. ARUBA BONAIRE COlOMBIA
CUBA. CURACAO DOMINICAN REPUBUC
FLORIDA. JAMAICA LAS VEGAS MEXICO
ST. MAARTEN TEXAS VENEZUELA
LONG DURATION HOUDAYS
Prices are in Canadian dollars based on double occupancy
unless otherwise shown and are those available at press
time and will vary dependent upon the departure date and
accommodation seIec1ed. Prices do not include canadian
and foreign departure taxes, hotel tax and servx:e charges.
See carousel Holidays' fallM'inter/Spling 88189 brochure
lor full details. carousel Travel 1962 Inc. Ontario license
#1227837. Departures lrom Toronlo
549
CALL MARLIN TRAVEL TODAY! 888 4054
UNIVERSITY OF WATERLOO-SOUTH CAMPUS -
200 UNIVERSITY AVE., WATERLOO, ONTARIO
Marlin Travel Marlin Travel Marlin Travel Marlin Travel Marlin Travel Marlin Travel
November 25, 1988 Iron Warrior Page 13
:>(Cf .... ..:; .
Better Than Nothing

.. '-: ( .('
" ,.;Je. ',U'
;; " .. - "". - ' &.""('

. 'c!r
. . .. Ir. -
by Chris Irie
h!:' slI!'>p('ctl'd were' a pair of t('m-
:::::=:::;;;::::=. porary artificial joints. Black mar-
The still air had form, as real as ket surgery. Probably wouldn ' t last
ground. Shaku was lying face down more than a couple of days. "Full
on a gravel covered roof overlook- body?' he asked, leaning back .
ing a school yard. The halogens had The man shook his head. "Legs.
been doused over an hour ago, leav- I need legs. By tonight." He
ing the school in darkness but for the looked directly at Shakll and was
diffuse glow of waste light from t.he still. There was no wasted move-
city core. Shaku looked through the men!. in his actions . He could easily
infrared scope that was mounted on have been a mannequin, excf'pt that
top of his rifle. A green blur called mannequins don't go looking for ex-
Baker was leaning against a jungle oskeletons.
gym, hands in pockets, looking out Shakn nodded. "Such short no-
into the darkness. Unarmed. Thank tice will be expensive. But I sllspect
someone for the business ethic. that somet,hing can be arranged ."
Shaku disengaged a hand from t.he He wrote on a slip of torn newspa-
sighting controler to brush a lick per, then placed it on the edge of
of dirty hair from his eyes. Shaku his desk, just out of reach of Baker.
considered himself to be a reason- "There are two numbers. Call one
able man. Any thing, any where, of them ill t,hree hours. The other is
any time. Like a marine of com- my fee."
meree. If you could need it , Shaku "How will I know which is which?"
could get it for you. For some ap- "My fee is the larger ."
propriate compensation, of course. After Baker had left, Shaku closed
But ... now there was someone who his eyes and tilted back as far as
was interested in Shaku's compensa- his chair would go. "Wi ll wonders
tion. And so, like any other reason- never cease, eh Paj? I don't think
able business man, Shaku had de- he knows who to thank for freei ng
cided to get to know the newcomer. him from the bonds of physical loco-
He looked Lhrough the illfrared motion . Either that) or he is more
again. Now Baker was with another of a professional' businessman than
figure. Big, fat like a sumo wrestler. I thought. Figured he'd leave town
Eclipsing the target, spoiling the at least." Paj looked back blankly.
shot. Baker passed something to "Monopolies are good for business,
the green blob who then lumbered Paj. Why do you suppose there's
away through a row of bushes that only one government? They want a
skirted the school y:!.rd. The tar- monopoly. If you could go to some-
get was alone now. Time. Shaku one else for social service or national
shifted his agai.n and brough f. uldn.' an
the zoom to rest on t.he grollnd power, would you?" Sbaku poured
in front of the green streak named himself another glass of water, then
Baker. A burst of white blossomed joined Paj in a silence that blanketed
on the scope. Smoking? Nasty ' the room.
habit, thought Shaku. He pressed
a stud on the scope assembly and a
red pinprick of coherent light lit the
ground at Baker's feet. -
"Look up. Look waaay up." Sur-
prisingly, Baker did just that. The
dot was now dancing on a place
where the green streak bent. There
was a double sound like children
jumping into puddles of rain water,
and Baker collapsed. His knees were
mlssmg.
* * *
Late afternoon was dusty and
parching. Shaku was pouring wa-
ter from a glass decanter while Paj
sweated in a wicker chair across the
room. The gurgle and splash of wa-
ter, the sound of glass kissing glass
lit the room with a momentary illu-
sion of cool. "It's a slow day, Paj."
"Yeah." A drop of perspiration
dripped from Paj's forehead onto his
tent-like shirt.
"Have some watE'r. Looks like
you're going to explode." Paj'schair
heaved with relief as he got up.
Shaku sat behind a large faded wal-
nut desk that seemed to impose on
the other mismatched pieces of fur-
niture in the room. He rested his
elbows on the desk and looked to
the chair that was across from Paj.
"Now. What can I do for you?"
The third man wore a Panama
hat, grey cotton clothing, and a pair
of crutches. "I hear you can get me
an exoskeleton."
Shaku tried to imagine the man as
a green streak. People are so differ-
ent close up. He looked at the man's
legs, but long pants covered what
When Baker came back, two days
later, he was wearing the dmne
hat and loose grey pants wiLh sus-
penders. The bulge of the skeletal
support was just barely visible when
he bent his legs. Nice work. "I' need
a rifle."
"You need many things of late ."
"I want something simple. Point
and shoot. I want laser sights.
Maybe an JR scope. Talk to me."
Shaku withdrew a compact unit
from a dust covered display case.
"Tacana," Shaku told him. Baker
hefted the rifle, and flipped on
Lhe sighting. A red dot glittered
on Paj's forehead. He brought
it slowly around, past a window
and through the lamp 6n Shaku's
desk. Ruby dopplegangers glideu
across the room as the beam split.
lIe pointed the gun at Shaku. A
buzzing like bottled flies drifted up
from Baker's legs as he held his
body still. For a moment, the air
was solid and challenging, a presence
t hat came frolll nowhere. "I'll t.ake
il." haku nodded, wrote a number
on a scrap of paper, and handed it
to Baker . "Ok," Be said.
Paj showed Raker out, snapping
his sllsp('nders by way of farewell.
"I don't like him," raj said . "He
doe n't bargaill."
"I know.' haku picked his
mont.h abs(>ntly with a toothpick
while lookillg through the dirt of an
unwashed window. He squinted for
a moment, emphasising t.he grooves
on his face. "Tonight I want you to
buy me some body armour . fie dis-
crete. " He turned Lo Paj and scruti-
nized t,he bear shaped bulk who was
standing before him. "Or not. Re-
member: bullet proof armour. Now
go."
ft was f'ight. whf'n Pi'lj rf'1Ilrnerl .
"Where is it?" Shaku asked. Paj
looked in each of his hands, then
said, "Couldn'\, find any."
"What did I ask you to get?"
Paj \'hought for a moment. His
lower lip probed its upper partner,
then twisted to make a survey of his
left cheek. Maybe the answer was
written on his feet; he looked there
next. "Bullet piercing armour."
Shaku's visage hung suspended
in mid-face for a moment before
falling. He was sitting down at his
desk now, absently clearing scraps of
paper onto the floor. Combing black
sits and two backs crack into place.
"Go home, Paj. I want to be alone."
The room is dark. The
video sputters briefly before light-
ing Shaku in a cone of bille shim-
mers. Iff' fingers the sLu b8 011 th('
remote. World War Two is on \'1'1('-
vIsIon again. oebbf'ls at a hlnrk
and white desk, Hodding at a faL
flunky with a clipboard. GOl'hbelfl
says something; the goon salut(,s
and quickly steps away. 1'h<, pidur('
freezes , and a British narrator as-
serts that the German race hali bCf'1l
diluted by the blood of undesirables .
That to purge the Fatherland of Lhe
infection is only natural, only busi-
ness.
The picture unfreezes and the
shadows continue to jerk acrosfi the
screen. The cone of light waVNS mo-
mentarily, casting Shaku in darke-
ness. Someone in a dark uniform
is working a slide The
controller is in his hand. Drawings.
Charts in black and white. The
image bleeds white and is replaced
with a map of Europe. Grey arrows
make broad strokes across nations
towards the sea. Territorial recla-
mation.
A barrage of commercials int,er-
rupt the Nazi war machine for
- " ..
a failing handful of moments for
which soldiers in muddy Lrenches
give silent thanks. Shaku ends the
war with an abrupt gesture, drop-
ping the remot.e with a plastic clat-
I cor . He to closf' h is eyes as a
desk lamp light. by degrees, yielding
pools of g(>nt\e light and :;;ilence.
Shaku looks down into his wicker
\ astf' papt'r hasket t hat holds the
remnant.s of Lilt' week's business. It
is a p('culiar feeling knowing that
SOIll("Otlf' is wait.ing for you. Wait-
ing to hurt yotl. To crush your
l('gs . Break yom eyes. Nasty, thinks
Shnku as h(' rubs his face back to
life .
The street. is dark now. The neon
was extinguished twenty minutes
ago, leaving the bars, the parlours,
the chat houses dim and frozen.
Shaku stands beneath flaking black
metal mesh that was a fire escape
before it was overwhelmed by rllst.
Thf're is wet and a tas\'e in Shaku's
mouth of oil and grit. A blink of
red in a puddle, almost too brief to
notice. Shaku drops and rolls away
from the building face to the street
gutter, waiting for the rifle to dis-
charge inevitable shots.
An unsubtle noisp" and the splash
of puddles, approaching too fast.
Tank. Momentum is the key in sit-
uations like this. If you have more)
you Win. [f they have more, they
and' metal rims holes in his
body like cookie cutters into soft
dough. The noise evaporated; water
rippled and resumed its serene drip.
SlIol(\) di ... d ... C'ing 1\ w/l::;h of r,r('('n.
Not.hing IT\()vC'd for n vI'ry long t.imC'.
Pu.j dmH d uoor, lultl
Hlippl'd av Ity illt..o tll(' night. .

P A SeA I P T ION S
We Acc.ept University Drug Pion
weSTMOUNT PLACE
PHARMACY
88&-7670
50 WesUnount Rd. N.
OPEN DAlLY
"am 10 10 pm
SUNDAYS & HOLIDAYS
11 am 10 9 om
WESTMOUNT KING
CENTRE PHARMACY
578-1610
King c.ntre
OPEN DAlLY
MTWS 9:30 5:30
Thu & Fri. 9:30 9:30
Closed Sundays
...
Pa e 14 Iron Warrior
World News Briefs
by Chris Baisley
and Dan Curtin
We're All Mindless,
Neuroscientist Says
It boggles the mind!
A renowned neuroscientist says
there's no /?uch thing as a mind. H's
just a concept people have dreamed
up because they can't conceive of
the brain's complexity, says Dr. Ver-
non Mountcastleonthehill. The pro-
fessor of neurosciences at John Hop-
kins Medical School In Baltimore
told a class of civil engineers here
at Waterloo that "There is no suc.h
thing as the mind from an ex-
perimentalist's (science researcher)
point of view" and "I know that
will subject me to scurrilous stat.e-
ments." To this the systems class
replied "Hey! We already knew
that" and pointed to a group of 2A
systems as proof.
Weather Watch
. Afl.er. a t.wo week verification pe-
flod, SCientists have confirmed that,
on Monday, November J 4th ann
part of Tuesday November 15th it
was indeed sunny outside here in
Waterloo. Scientists, using the clas-
sical definition of "sunny weather,"
concluded that the two days in ques-
tion were indeed "of pleasant tem-
perature and bright enough to re-
quire protective eye shields (sun-
glasses) ." The last confirmed sunny
day was on the 26th of October,
1988.
Debrett's "Marries"
Catholic Cardinal
Debrett's, the directory of the
British upper crust, has confessed
to an embarrassing error in listing
Cardinal Basil Hume, head of the
Roman Catholic Church in Britain,
as married. The latest 1,OOO-page
edition of Debrett's said Hume, who
as a priest is sworn to celibacy, was
married last January. When con-
tacted, the cardinal's eldest son Jake
said, " ... the whole idea is prepos-
terous, Dad would never jump mto
marriage, he would live with her
first" .
Seven Municipalities
Choose English
At least seven Ontario municipal-
ities have voted in favour of making
English the official language during
council business and the official lan-
guage of the provincial government .
A campaign by the Alliance for the
Preservation of English in Canada
led to the issue being included on
municipal ballots .
On the Waterloo County ballot,
voters were given the choice of vot-
ing for English, French, Pascal, or
"Teaching Assistant". Despite a
large turnout of MC students, "TA"
has been voted in as the new official
language of Waterloo.
Local residents are apparently up-
set that they were outvoted by the
large student population, claiming
that they "no speaky da TA". Uni-
versity officials have only responded
with "is not problem wit us, we is
good wid it presently". However
problems are expected in standard-
izing the various dialects indigenous
to campus.
,.
Chern Eng Soc Rocks
by Pierre Donaldson
We have also some pictures of the
soiree that we would like to inclllde
with the article . . Michelle Atherley
will be bringing them tomorow (Nov
17). Thanks.
Chern Eng Soc Rocks ..
So what has the Chem Eng Soc
been up to for the last three weeks?
The people who attended our soiree
at the University Club last week
found out that the society is sti ll
very active. The soiree was a slIccess
by everyone's standards, approxi-
mately 100 students (undergrads &
grads), J 5 of our profs and 13 indus-
trial guests attended. This crowd
of Chemical took control
of the University Club and kept the
bartenders on their feet all night. I
should also mention the victory of
the 2B class over Prof. Sullivan &
Douglas at shuffleboard, thanks for
the beer gentlemen!
This is the first Chem Bng soiree
this stream has had in the last two
years and will be repeated ill the
future for those of you who missed
this one. Many members of the soci-
Ind.p.n .. ...,
............
.pl.lI.
MR.
ety have already some ideas for next
summer. The society has also or-
ganized a tour of the Brick Brew-
ery on November 8th, Seagrams'
Dist,illery on November 17th and is
presently working on a tour .of Proc-
tor and Gamble's Hamilton plant for
the 25th of November. All these
tours include free samples, some of
them more consumable than others.
WE APPRECIATE YOUI
Full Service & Selection Meat & Deli
Fresh & Crispy Fruit & Vegetables from Around the
World
Delivery Service Available at 2 pm each day
Jim and Donna Morris Welcome You
WA TERLOO'S ONLY INDEPENDENTLY OWNED
SUPERMARKET
The Chem Eng Society is also
the student chapter of the Cana-
dian Society for Chemical Engineer-
ing (CSChE) at the University. Our
chapter is now affiliated with the lo-
cal Toronto chapter of the CSChE.
This means that the members of
our society can attend the activities
sponsored by the Toronto chapter,
as we are on their mailing list for up-
No More
loikes?
This week U of T engineers faced
a referendum on the future of the
Toike Oike, their version of En-
ginews. As a response to complaints
from several campus groups, engi-
neers will choose between three op-
tions: The paper should A) continue
unchanged, B) continue in a moder-
ated form, or C) be stopped alto-
gether. Unofficially it is apparent
that the administration will not be
impressed if the engineers return the
"wrQng" choice. In any case, since
the students have been allowed' (at
least in face) to decide the future
of the Toike, this affair will reach a
much more dignified conclusiQn than
did the demise of tlle Enginews.
t
November 25, 1988
Free Needles in AIDS Plan
Two downtown centres where ad-
dicts can exchange dirty needles for
clean ones are being proposed by
Toronto's health department. When
questionC'd, UW's IJealt.h and Safety
department mentioned that a simi-
lar program has been running here
for years, and contrary to public
consensus, Ira G. Needles had nQth-
ing to do with Needles Hall.
Election Confusion
The ' recent proliferation of elec-
tions confused many local voters.
Elections Canada says that many
voters turned up on the 21st trying
to vote for both Mike Dukakis and
George Bush.
Apparently many voters had been
influenced by polls saying that the
free trade supporting Progressive
Conservatives were sure winners
and thought they could save
by voting directly for the American
president.
coming events. For the students who
are going to be on a work term this
winter in Toronto and would like to
attend the Toronto chapter activ-
ities, just drop by the office (El-
2514) and give us your address and
we will include you on the mailing
list. All upcoming events will be
posted on our board by the office.
The society's last meeting of the
term will be on Tuesday November
22nd when a new executive will be
announced. All Chem Eng students
are welcomed to attend t he meeting
and voice their opinion. Anew con-
stitution for the society will also be
presented, after hours of hard work
and pizza eating by the constitution
comrnitee. We are also the supplier
of cheap and high quality engineer-
ing paper, some very useful unit. con-
version booklets and Perry's Hand-
books. All of those are sold at the
office and have to be sold before the
end of the term.
That's what the Chern Eng Soc
has been up to lately, we hope to
see you at our meeting on the 22nd
and wish you good luck with exams!
"Mind, Heart
and Vision"
Norman Ball)s book, "Mind,
Heart and Vision" will be available
through the Orifice. Cash orders
will be taken until Wed. Nov. 30th.
The CQst will be $39.95. No engi-
neer shQuld be without a copy of
this tribute to our profession. Jt is
hoped that Norman Ball will return
to campus before the end of exams
for an autogra'ph session.
,"
November 25, 1988 Iron Warrior
:'
it \

Engineering Applications:
t;",.
\0-'
Design Of An Automated Feeder
by Dave Petro
Introduction
The age old problem of orienting
non-symmetrical rod-shaped parts
will be addressed in this article. The
analysis performed uses statistics
and differential calculus. The de-
velopment presented was extracted
from "Design of a Frozen Vegetable
In-Feeder", a case study in the 4th
year Systems CAD/CAM course.
The Problem
Figure 1 shows an automated sys-
tem for preparing cylindrical ob-
jects, such as carrots. In the dia-
gram, the carrot is falling through
a hole in the vibrating bed (called
a shaker pan), with an orientation
suitable for chopping the cap.
However, if the object is \'00 short
for the gap between the pan and \'he
conveyer , the object might fall such
that its head will be orientE'd in t he
wrong direction. On the other hand ,
if the gap is too small, the object
will get "clogged". Clogging is con-
I- 0 .. ,,_ tt
-'0-"-'.'-"'-""'-_.><:.1..._-
locho()CWl -

Inlted
FIgure 1
sidered twice as serious a difficulty
as a "wrong end" orientat.ion.
The problem faced by mo!';t engi-
neers is to find the optimal gap size.
Assumptions
In order to simplify analysis, as-
sume that clogging will only occllr if
the object is longer than the gap by
more than one inch. Also, assllme
the object will fall incorrectly if the
gap is greater than the object length .
Assume that the object length is
normally distribllt,ed wit,1I a mean of
three inches and a standard devia-
tion of one-half an inch.
Analysis
Let the random variate L repre-
sent the length of the carrot (nor-
mally distri but,ed, IJ. = 3 inches and
(Y' = 4 inch) . The probability of hav-
ing a carrot of L inches or less is
given by the cumulative distribution
function, F[ L].
Let G represent the gap in inches
with the optimum gap size denoted

Consider a penalty func-
tion, Q(G), which describes the rela-
t.ive weighting of undesirable events.
Remember that clogging is twice as
bad as chopping the wrong end. The
penalty function can be expressed
as,
Q(G)
::!:: Prob[carrot will be chopped
. .. wrong end] +
2 x Prob[carrot will
= ProblL < G] +
2Probl [, G + 11
= FIGI + 2(1 - F[G + I]) (1)
Note t.hat at the optimal gap size
the penalty function will have the
minimal value, or mathematically,
min
Q(G ) = G Q(G) for all G
So that we can make use of the
normal distribu.tion of carrot length,
we perform a lmear transformation
on G.
Let Z = G;EJ.
The cumulative distribution func-
tion (cdf) for Z is the standard equa-
tion,
1
z 1 ;1
4>(Z) == rn=e T dz
00 v
21f
At the point of chopping,
G -3
Zl , =
1/2
2G - 6
At the point of clogging,
G+ 1 - 3
1/2
2G - 4
Replacing the cdr in equat ion 1
with the normalized cdf we get,
Q(G) == 4>lz.] + 2{1 - 4>!Z2])
= 4>lzll +
Minimizing this function using
differential calculus, we get a min-
imum value for the penalty function
with a 2.7 inch i.e . C
t
- 2.7 ,
From tables of the standard nor-
mal cumulative distribution func-
tion:
% carrots chopped
wrong end -: 27.4%
% carrots dogging =- 8.1 %
See Figure 2 for an illustration of
the optimal gap size relative to the
normal distribution of carrot length .'
Clo"oc too lalge-
cloU' "II .... n occur
Average
St-te CArrot
Clonal too small-
wrong end
Wtllbechopped
Acceptable
nIInge
27 Length
()pllmum Gap)
Figure 2
Millionaires' Night Success
Thanks to the patrons of Million-
aires' Night from the 4A Systems
class and the UW Graduate Stu-
dents' Association. Over $900 was
raised.
Work Hard, Play Harder
6. One of the classics of looking at
problems in a different way: 6
matchsticks make a 3-D tetra-
hedron, with 4 trill.ngular fnce!'!.
Answers from Last Issue
by Carolyn Anglin
1. abc d e
f g h
i
becomes b c d
i a f g h e
2. "If T were speaking to the other
half of your conscience, which
way would he tell me to go?"
Then go through the other
door.
FAMOUS ITALIAN
SANDWICHES AND PASTAS
VEAL
STEAK
SAUSAGE
MEATBAll
COLD CUTS
LASAGNA
SPAGHETTI
GNOCCHI'
RAVIOLI
SAlAD - OLIVES - SOUP
( PANZERorrl)
PHONE AHEAD AND YOUR ORDER
WILL IE READY FOR PICK-UPI
3. To be of equal size and mass,
the gold sphere mus\' be hol -
low. Roll the copper allel gold
spheres down a ramp, or spin
them. The one that goes fastE'r
must be the gold one because
the mass is concentrated a't, the
outside.
4. Coins cannot be dated R.C.
because they would not know
what the year was!
5. Five straight lines through
these ten points form a star.
7. The weights 1, 3, 9, and 27kR
c an be IIsed ill cornhi n al,ioll
to measure all integer wright!!
from 1 to 40 kg.
8. A dog can only run half way
into the woods; after that, he is
running out again .
9. It takes 6 minutes for the two
chariots to meet, so thl' froRh
has to run 1.5klll .
DOWn Child Blue
l
Band
Fed lIall
Nov. 2S 8:00 p.m.
$5.00 Feds $6.00 Non-Feds
SAN FRAN'CESCO
ONLY
$12.99
PIZZA SLICES
14 INCH PIZZA
THEY'RE HERE I
SAN FRANCESCO SLICES
THURSDAYS
IN FRONT OF POETS
746-4111
EAT-IN DRIYI-THRU TAICE'()UT 33 Unlverllty Ave. E. Waterloo, Ontario
Thank you Norman Ball for a great talk!
If you missed the talk the Sandford Fleming
Foundation has video-tapes of it available.
Contact the Foundation office at CPH-4366
EXCELLENT CHRISTMAS GIFT IDEAS
. ' . - ' . -. . . . .
K-W AREA'S #1 JEAN OUTLET
.'
. .
, .
I , '.
BKEW BEEK :.
\.J .....J:
COMPlr:TE 2 stage
Ike those you are payin
TOO MUCH rOR NOW!!
IHPROVl!D QUALITY
AND TASTf ...
BfYOND BUIU'
START NOWI
and
SAlVE fOREVER.
COMPlETr: 2 stage
All equipment and
All equipment and
41
99
,upplles to produce
bottles or your
type or
wine. all thl, In Ie"
than" week, .
2
!r9
supplies to produce
l 11l casu or the
beer or your choice.
(Reml as low as
$8.99)
Pl .... pr ... nt this fl,.r
for specl.l.n
KITCHEriEK CAMBKIDGE
rred .. lck 12 Odord 5t .
.It Vlctori.1 O.lt
744'BE[K 7401181
WATERLOO
55 frb St .. Erb Ctr.
(across from liquor store)
886-BREW
f[KGUS Ci
5.t ec :!Sun .
rergu, Market
83714':53 -
GU[LFH
2!1 MacDonnell St.
Downtown
8371433
JEANS "R "US
Welcome Back Students!
MEN'S
SIZES 26-38
Styles:
501.516.631,
532, 533
II
Look tor
our coupon
on Imprlnf,
Coupon Pagel .'
99
LADIES
SIZES 24-36
Styles:
501.531,900