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The viability of a developing human embryo appears to be related to the clustering and subsequent symmetrical distribution of tiny DNA structures in the egg's fluid surrounding its nucleus prior to the first cell division, according to a new Colorado study.

The scientific concepts of light, polarization and optics will be explained through a number of experiments, including creating a giant soap bubble and watching a group of parents posing as molecules during the Dec. 30 CU Wizards show "Liquid Crystals." University of Colorado at Boulder physics faculty members Noel Clark and Joseph Maclennan and chemistry Professor David Walba will present the show at 9:30 a.m. in Duane Physics room G1B30.

The external program review team on diversity initiatives at CU-Boulder has issued its final report on the status of diversity efforts at the university. During an October visit, the team reviewed documents and conducted interviews with administrators, faculty, staff and students. The report recognizes the institution's best practices, highlights the challenges and concerns it faces and includes recommendations for more fully implementing the campus diversity plan.

Note to Editors: Photographers and reporters are invited to attend the events at Macky Auditorium and the CU-Boulder Heritage Center in Old Main. CU-Boulder astronaut-alumnus Jim Voss, headed to the International Space Station in three months, will be on campus Dec. 21 and Dec. 22 to receive an honorary degree, speak at the Macky Auditorium and meet with local schoolchildren.

Note to Editors: MillerÂ’s presentation is at 3:20 p.m. PST on Monday, Dec. 18, in San Francisco. The AGU press room telephone number is (415) 905-1007. A study of old and new emu eggshells collected from central Australia indicates a dramatic loss of grasslands beginning roughly 300 years ago was due to the arrival of Europeans and the introduction of exotic grazing animals, according to a new study.

Ancient ice cores indicate air temperatures in Antarctica rose up to 18 degrees Fahrenheit in just a few decades as the last ice age began to wane some 19,000 years ago, the largest and most abrupt warming spike ever recorded in the Southern Hemisphere.

Special recognition ceremonies will be hosted by most University of Colorado at Boulder schools and colleges in addition to the main university commencement ceremony on Friday, Dec. 22, at 9:30 a.m. in the Coors Events/Conference Center. Following is a schedule of special events in the schools and colleges to honor the graduates, their families and guests. * Dec. 21 at 3 p.m. in Macky Auditorium, School of Journalism and Mass Communication recognition ceremony. Douglas Looney, senior sports columnist for the Christian Science Monitor, will be the speaker.

NEWS TIP SHEET Noteworthy Graduates for CU-Boulder Commencement December 2000 Marion Brew

Chancellor Richard L. Byyny and Vice Chancellor Phil DiStefano announced today they will step up efforts to correct gender inequities in salaries among University of Colorado at Boulder faculty by doubling the equity salary pool for next year and revising methods for distribution to ensure improved equity. Last year, noting a 2 percent discrepancy between salaries of male and female faculty members, Chancellor Byyny announced a three-year program to rectify the differences and allocated $80,000 for the first year of a gender equity salary pool.

With the holiday shopping season gaining momentum, more consumers than ever will be buying gifts online. Those who bid at Internet auction sites such as eBay should beware of shilling, an illegal practice in which a seller or their friends covertly pose as bona fide bidders and continuously raise the highest bid. The result is that the buyer pays an artificially high price and the seller makes a fraudulent profit.