On this day in physics: 11 March 1920- Happy Birthday to Nicholaas Bloembergen who turns 96 today. The Dutch physicist won the Nobel Prize in 1981 or his work in laser spectroscopy and for probing matter with lasers to discover properties which could not have been investigated any other way. He also won the Lorentz Medal.
Word of the Day- ALARA- This may be one that most of you aren't so familiar with. Today's word of the day is ALARA, which is a term used frequently near particle accelerators. It is an acronym which is used in radiation safety and means As Low As Reasonably Achievable. It is a way of minimizing risk in radiation safety program. Outside of exposure regulations, the idea of ALARA means that you do not just keep yourself within the boundaries of regulations. If you can be exposed to a certain level of radiation for 4 hours, but you can get the work done in 2 hours, you need to do it in 2 to keep all exposure risks ALARA. To respect the dangers as well as the intrigue and progress possible in nuclear and other facilities which give exposure to radioactivity, engineers, scientists and other team members must make every reasonable effort to keep any exposure hazards to an absolute minimum.
Quote of the Day: "Increased knowledge implies increased responsibility" -Nicholaas Bloembergen
Keywords: ALARA, REM, Radiation, Particle, Accelerator.
