Serving The Students Of The University of North Carolina at Asheville sinoe 1982 [Volume 3, Number 11 Thursday, November 3, 1983 iHfl Enka scope enlarging at GNCA The Magnificent Magnifier: Dr. Alan Comer, UNCA associate professor of biology, explains the intricacies of the scanning electron microscope donated to the university by American Enka Company. The instrument creates new research opportunities for the science departments. Photo by Pam Walker By Leigh Kelley UNCA students major ing in biology now have a sophisticated new tool at their disposal —a scanning electron microscope. American Enka Com pany, a local textile manufacturer, recently donated the microscope to UNCA. Sylvia Boone Mast, a scientist for American Enka's research depart ment, says the company management decided to donate the microscope to UNCA because the school was a worthy recipient. "It just seemed the logical place to donate it," she says. Dr. Alan Comer, an associate professor, of biology at UNCA says the microscope is very :| useful to the depart- ment. "There are at least three areas here that it will be used for," he says. "It will be used for cellular biology class es" to aid in learning principles, says Comer. Also, he says "stu dents can take pictures of cells with it." Comer says the elec tron microscope "will be used by senior bio logy majors for their research projects and members of the faculty will use it for their own research." Mast says the scanning electron mi croscope has a higher magnification than an ordinary microscope. "It makes an image much larger than a reg ular microscope does," she says. "It helps in looking at surface de tail and it has a greater depth of focus" than most microscopes. Although the micro scope is 11 years old, it is still operable and the company did not want to just throw it away. Mast says. "So far it hasn't given us any major pro blems," Comer says. "When it was moved from Enka to here the microscope had to be taken apart and re assembled . A tech nician from Cambridge Electronics, the people Continued on page 8 Living in the nuclear age By Ramona Huggins Twenty million people died during the Black Plague in Europe. Over 40 million died in World War II. After the next war human life may cease to exist altoge ther, said Dr. Phillip Bennett, speaking in the Carmichael Lecture HaU Oct. 27. Bennett is an asso ciate professor of phi losophy for the State University of New York. He is also a member of the Ithaca Society of Friends which is spon- sponsoring Ms lecture tour which began last June.. Slides of survivors of the World War II Hiroshima/Nagasaki bombing illustrated what could be the fate of those who might sur vive a nuclear attack. The environment, as well as human life would suffer, perhaps irreparably, from a nuclear holocaust. Bennett said that the use of large numbers of nuclear weapons could deplete the ozone layer which screens out ultra-violet radiation from the sun. "Without the ozone layer this radiation would blind all animals and humans as well as cause severe sunburn to plants and animals," said Bennett. He said a 10 percent depletion of the ozone layer would kill all one celled organisms in the ocean. This would have a devas tating effect on the food chain. Bennett recommended that people "come to realize their inter connectedness" and work together to prevent a nuclear build-up. The sense of personal powerlessness is strong in people, Bennett Said. However, there is power in unity. Traveling throughout the east and midwest, Bennett has been speak ing in churches and universities and to peace groups Whether or not the weather: Career Day, spon sored by the UNCA SG, gave freshman Veronica Johnson a chance to look >at the weather as an occupation (rather than a preoccupation). Here Boy Wall, UNCA senior atmospheric science stu dent, counsels her about what courses she would take for a meteorology major. Photo by Sue Ives Weather Forecast courtesy of the Atmospheric Science Department. INSIDE Editorial 2 Sports 3 Features 4-5 Entertainment 6-7 Increasing cloudiness today. Showers early Friday, clearing and turning much cooler. Partly ctoudy Saturday. Sunday, fair. Highs Thursday and Friday in the upper 60's, dropping to the 50's Saturday .and Sunday. Low in the 40's Friday and Saturday.

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