Saturday, November 13, 2004

Jansky lecturer stresses importance of serendipity

Tom Treweek El Defensor Chieftain Reporter

TTREWEEK Dr. Ronald Ekers stressed the importance of serendipity in cosmological discovery during his recent presentation, the first in the Karl G. Jansky Lecture series. Ekers' appearance at Macey Center was the first stop on a lecture tour that also includes Green Bank, W.Va. and Charlottesville, Va.

Ekers gave a brief history in the advances of radio astronomy, starting, of course, with Jansky and finishing with Ekers' vision of the field's future. As he touched on events and discoveries, he pointed out how serendipity played a part.

Serendipity, as Ekers defined it, is discovering something you are not in search of. Ekers also laid out a pattern that most serendipitous discoveries follow.

First, Ekers said, they are technology driven. Most serendipitous discoveries, he said, occur within five years of the invention of a new technology.

Second, the discoveries are unanticipated. Jansky, for example, discovered radio signals from outside the Milky Way while investigating static.

Third, the discoverers must know their equipment. They must be able to know the difference between an error or malfunction in the equipment and an unexpected result. John Bolton, a former Jansky lecturer and Ekers' mentor, required his students to build their own radio telescopes before they could use the existing equipment, so they had a working knowledge of how the machines functioned.

Fourth, Ekers said, the observers must have curiosity and persistence. In the example of Jansky, Bell Telephone, Jansky's employer, said the interference was negligible and did not want him to pursue it.

The fifth element is a flash of insight, as when Jansky realized that the signal was coming from a distance that was beyond our sun.

Finally, serendipitous discoveries must be made in the right time. Black holes were rumored to exist, but could not be proven until the discovery of quasars in 1963.

The biggest obstacle facing serendipitous discovery today is government funding. The federal government, Ekers said, wants to know exactly what is being studied and a timetable for discovery before they are willing to fund the research.

Ekers said that often research will go in a direction that was original unintended.

"If you build a great radio telescope, it will do great things, but it might not be the things you proposed," said Ekers.

"You can't plan a discovery," said Ekers. He added that you can plan an environment that fosters serendipity.

Another hinderence to discovery, according to Ekers is people who "know too much." Ekers said that if you already know what to expect, you may miss the unexpected.

"If you know too much, sometimes you won't make the obvious discovery."

Ekers outlined his view of future research. He said that he saw the only remaining advancement in radio astronomy as an increase in observing area.

"The volume of space sampled is the biggest area remaining," said Ekers, who described a telescope he envisioned that would be able to accomplish this feat.

Ekers said that he wanted to speak in Socorro because of his time spent at the VLA. He was an assistant director for the National Radio Astronomy Observatory, and in charge of the VLA from 1980 to 1987.

ttreweek@dchieftain.com

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