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The phenomenon of the lowest possible temperature will be explored during the Dec. 9 talk "Much Ado About Absolute Zero" on the University of Colorado at Boulder campus. Physics Professor Paul Beale will present the talk, which is part of the physics department's monthly Saturday Physics Series, at 2 p.m. in Duane Physics room G1B30. The event is free and open to the public.

Colorado's late fall snowstorms could disappear by mid-December due to the influence of an El Niño event in the tropical Pacific Ocean, said Klaus Wolter, a University of Colorado at Boulder and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration scientist. "Sometime in December I would expect to see the classic El Niño winter doldrums where the storm track shifts so far south that we might run dry for a very long stretch, maybe several weeks where nothing happens," said Wolter.

NIST news release Using an ultra-stable laser to manipulate strontium atoms trapped in a "lattice" made of light, scientists at the National Institute of Standards and Technology and the University of Colorado at Boulder have demonstrated the capability to produce the most precise "ticks" ever recorded in an optical atomic clock. The techniques may be useful in time keeping, precision measurements of high frequencies, and quantum computers using neutral atoms as bits of information.

Distinguished Professor Carl Wieman of the University of Colorado at Boulder is the winner of the 2007 Oersted Medal, the highest honor given by the American Association of Physics Teachers. The award, which recognizes "notable contributions to the teaching of physics," has been given since 1936. Previous recipients include Carl Sagan, Richard Feynman, Hans Bethe and Freeman Dyson.

Distinguished Professor Carl Wieman of the University of Colorado at Boulder is the winner of the 2007 Oersted Medal, the highest honor given by the American Association of Physics Teachers. The award, which recognizes "notable contributions to the teaching of physics," has been given since 1936. Previous recipients include Carl Sagan, Richard Feynman, Hans Bethe and Freeman Dyson.

Hundreds of elementary and middle school students from across Colorado's Front Range region will descend on the University of Colorado at Boulder campus next month for the FIRST Lego League science and technology state tournament. The annual competitive event will take place Dec. 9 at the Balch Fieldhouse, with some 72 teams made up of students ages 9 to 14 expected to attend. Competition will take place from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., with a lunch break at noon. The event is free and open to the public, with an awards ceremony at 4 p.m.

The University of Colorado at Boulder's Council on Research and Creative Work has awarded 14 faculty fellowships for the 2007-08 academic year for studies ranging from earthquakes in California and the genetics of eye disease to the geology of early Earth and alchemy in Renaissance England.

University of Colorado at Boulder Chancellor G.P. “Bud” Peterson today named Michael Warden associate vice chancellor for strategic communications for CU-Boulder effective Jan. 1. Warden currently serves as assistant vice chancellor for public affairs for the University of Texas system and has been with UT since 2001 following a long career in the U.S. Air Force.

Four brief talks by College Professors of Distinction at the University of Colorado at Boulder will highlight a Dec. 8 event honoring the four professors who were the first to be recognized with the new honorary title. The free, public event will be held from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. in the Wolf Law Building rooms 205 and 207. A reception will follow the talks in Boettcher Hall, also in the law building.

A public seminar to promote homelessness awareness will be held at the University of Colorado at Boulder on Saturday, Dec. 2, from 9 a.m. to noon. Organized and sponsored by CU-Boulder students in the Presidents Leadership Class program, the seminar is titled "Inform and Empower: A Seminar on Homelessness," and will be held in the Muenzinger Psychology building auditorium, room E050.