Project for a Day: Graphene

We dabbled a bit with the idea of making graphene, but didn’t manage it, given our limited resources.  However, it turns out that a stick of 2B 0.7mm pencil lead from one end to the other has a surprisingly low resistance: ~1.4 ohms.  Unfortunately, since pencil lead is a mixture of graphite and clay, it is unsuitable as a source of graphite for graphene extraction with scotch tape.  A source of graphite with less foreign material is necessary to extract a meaningful amount of graphene.  Don’t forget also that we don’t have an easy or reliable means of verification at our disposal.  Nevertheless, graphene is fascinating and we had fun discussing it.

Here’s a few links about the various interesting properties of graphene:

A short summary of interesting properties:

http://www.pbs.org/wnet/need-to-know/five-things/the-big-little-substance-graphene/4146/

The Nobel Prize in Physics for 2010:

http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/physics/laureates/2010/press.html

Some informational videos about graphene and other topics:

http://vega.org.uk/video/subseries/27

And as always, a google search will turn up many, many more.  We’ll leave that to you.

Winter 2011 Survey

Here’s our survey for this quarter. It’s going to be online, since around half of our members cannot come to the Tuesday meetings. Please fill it out so we can know what everyone’s availability and interests are.

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Link

Club Constitution Review

We are currently in the process of our annual club constitution review.  Linked below is the current version of our club constitution.  Please email us with any comments or changes and we will discuss this in our next meeting.

SEA Constitution

Upcoming: The Physics Show

Event: The Physics Show
Date: January 9 and January 10, 2010
Venue: 11:00 AM and 2:00 PM in Smithwick Theatre at Foothill College
Admission: Free (parking is $2)

The Physics Show is a live demonstration of fun and vivid applications of scientific principles. Foothill SEA members will be helping with the show, so if you are interested, please leave a comment here.

For more information, please visit the Physics Show website: http://www.foothill.edu/~cascarano/physicsshow/

Upcoming: Trip to California Academy of Science

Event: Trip to California Academy of Science
Date: November 18, 2009
Meeting time: 1:00 P.M. at Room 5407
Admission: Free

The California Academy of Sciences is a multifaceted scientific institution committed to leading-edge research, to educational outreach, and to finding new and innovative ways to engage and inspire the public.

The Academy’s mission – to explore, explain and protect the natural world – extends to all corners of the institution; from a research expedition in the highlands of Papua New Guinea, to a teacher training program in a California classroom, to an interactive game on the museum exhibit floor. Link

If you are interested in this joining us on this trip, please submit the following in a comment below.
1. Name
2. email
3. phone #
4. carpool status (need carpool, can provide, etc.)
Only your name will be shown publicly.

Highlights of the Academy of Science (pdf)
Promotional Flyer

Club Restructuring

Last meeting, we voted to create new positions in the club. Here’s the list and their duties.

Vice President
Assists the President with his duties. The Vice President presides over meetings when the President is absent.
Treasurer
Manages SEA account and prepares the budget report. All documents have to be in accounting style
Internal Public Relations Director
Responsible for communication and cooperation with Foothill staff and other clubs at Foothill.
External Public Relations Director
Responsible for communicating with any company or organization outside Foothill Campus. Good writing and speaking skills are needed.
Chief Design director
Responsible for all artwork for SEA events; need to be good at design and use of graphic software.
Technology Manager
Maintains SEA website. Has to be good at website design and upkeep.
Activities coordinator and marketing director
Responsible for holding and promoting events

ALL OFFICERS HAVE TO BE SERIOUS, ACTIVE and RESPONSIBLE.
** Each position other than Treasurer and Vice President will have a team to manage**
All members are welcome to be a part of the team.

Details of election
1. Nomination
2. Presentation of each candidate (3 mins of presentation – open topic)
3. Q & A section
4. Vote

More Info: Computer History and Intel Museum

Event: Trip to Computer History Museum and Intel Museum
Date: November 7, 2009
Meeting time: 10:30 A.M.
Admission: Free

Schedule: Foothill to Intel Museum (10:30 am to 11:00 am)
Intel Museum (with tour guide) (11:00 am to noon)
Lunch (noon to 1:00 pm)
Computer History Museum (1:00 pm to 2:00 pm)

Intel Museum: The Intel Museum, located in Santa Clara, California, USA, showcases Intel’s history through unique, educational exhibits designed to let you explore Intel’s advanced technology and manufacturing first hand. Link
Computer History Museum: The Computer History Museum invites you to visit us to see and experience one of the world’s largest collections of computing artifacts. Link

If you are interested in this joining us on this trip, please submit your name, email, and phone number to the meebo chat box on the right.

Promotional Flyer
Driving Instructions
Foothill College to Intel Museum – Google Maps (pdf)
Intel Museum to Computer History Museum – Google Maps (pdf)

Upcoming: Computer History Museum and Intel Museum

Event: Trip to Computer History Museum and Intel Museum
Date: November 7, 2009
Meeting time: 10:30 A.M.
End by 3:00 P.M.
Admission: Free

We will have a tour guide in the Intel Museum.

Welcome

Welcome to Foothill SEA. For more information, see the about page.

News and event notification will be posted here. You can subscribe to updates by clicking on the “Entries RSS” link on the right.