Famous Research Laboratories

· In 1871, Maxwell was invited to become the first Cavendish professor of physics at Cambridge University. The post was named for Sir Henry Cavendish (1731-1810) eccentric English scientist, who was famous for, among other things, his accurate estimate of the density of the earth. Taking up the offer, Maxwell designed and set up the Cavendish Laboratory, which opened in 1874 and became renowned as a centre of significant research in experimental physics.

 

· Laboratory of Molecular Biology (LMB) started as a part of the Cavendish Laboratory. The first director Braggs shared the Nobel Prize with his son who was the youngest person to be awarded the Nobel prize. For its amazing number of the Nobel Prize winners the laboratory got a nickname the Nobel prize factory. The Nobelists Watson and Crick, who deciphered the DNA, are undoubtedly the most famous.

· Los Alamos National Laboratories were established in 1943 as the US government’s nuclear research center. In the northern New Mexico. The atomic bomb and the hydrogen bomb were developed there. Now the Los Alamos Laboratories are operated by the University of California and its work in education and research includes a Neutron Science Center.

 

LISTENING COMPREHENSION Company structure

Listen to the description of the structure of a typical organization.

1. What are the main departments of the company?

2. What do the abbreviations PR, HR, IT R&D refer to?

3. In what departments are the graduates of your faculty more likely to be employed?

 

UNIT 25 ENVIRONMENTAL HAZARDS

Read the text.

Environmental Problems

   Ecology is a scientific study of the environment. Ecologists are people who study the environment. Environmentalists are people not necessarily scientists who are concerned about environment.

Eco-product (or green product) is a product that does not damage the environment or does less damage than a normal one. Political parties whose main concern is environment are green parties and their supporters are greens. Long-term economic planning designed not to damage the environment is called sustainable development (growth).

  Pollutants are substances especially man-made chemicals that produce negative impact on the environment. They include various types of waste, including industrial, toxic, nuclear waste. Unintentional or unauthorized release of chemicals, gases or oil are referred to as leaks or spills or spillage. Releases of poisonous gases are referred to as fumes. Substances that present danger are called hazardous. Releases into atmosphere of gases from industry and car exhaust causes acid rains which harmful to plants, animals and buildings.

  If the reaction in the heat-producing core of a nuclear power plant goes out of control, there may be a melt-down causing a radioactive material to release into the environment radiation in the form of radioactivity and radioactive fall-outs.

Most scientists agree that the earth’s surface is increasing in temperature as a result of changing atmospheric conditions and referct o this as global warming. In part it is due to emission of gases caused by burning of fossil fuels such as coal, oil, gas in industry and vehicle. These gases are called greenhouse gases. They act as a blanket and produce greenhouse effect by allowing less gas to escape from the earth and causing its temperature to rise.

   Depletion of the ozone layer over the earth’s poles and in other areas is another source of concern as ozone layer protects the earth from harmful radiation from the sun. This process is thought to be caused by CFCs (Chlorofluorocarbons) that are used in aerosols and refrigeration fluids.

   Other major environmental problems include deforestation, especially the destruction of rainforests, desertification as a result of soil erosion and degradation of natural habitat of many species which causes reduction of biodiversity in many areas.

 

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