For a nuclear physicist to include a stroll through an almond grove as part of his research may seem a bit peculiar. Unless, of course, the physicist works at the Crocker Nuclear Laboratory at the University of California at Davis, where unusual is the norm. In the name of physics--and in the pursuit of paying customers--Crocker scientists have done everything from trudging through dusty lake beds to poring over ancient manuscripts. They have studied the ink in the famed Gutenberg Bible, tracked the source of air pollution in the Grand Canyon, verified the handwriting of Johann Sebastian Bach, and analyzed the smoke from burning Kuwaiti oil wells. For two decades now, as long as the project has called for good, solid everyday science, the Crocker group has been happy to fire up its small particle accelerator for a cost that’s now just $384 an hour (volume discounts available).
We’re the ...
