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Briefs

By Daily Bruin Staff

Feb. 17, 2003 9:00 p.m.

NASA discovers date of end of the “˜Dark
Ages’ and age of universe

NASA’s Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe has found the
end of the Dark Ages.

The Dark Ages started approximately half a-million years after
the Big Bang, and NASA’s probe detected the end of the Dark
Ages to be 200 million years after the Big Bang, according to
Edward L. Wright, professor of astronomy at UCLA, who helped
develop analysis techniques for the WMAP.

NASA’s WMAP observes the universe as it looked 380,000
years after the Big Bang. It is now making a detailed investigation
of the sky’s cosmic microwave background.

Experts believe the radiant heat left over from the Big Bang
will help them better understand the structure of the universe.

Previously, many scientists believed dark matter made up 90
percent or more of the universe. The WMAP measurements found that
the actual figure is much lower.

Only 23 percent of the universe is dark matter, according to
Wright. The majority is dark energy.

The NASA probe also found that the universe is 13.7 billion
years old, with an uncertainty of about 200 million years.

NASA announced that the satellite has been renamed to honor WMAP
team member David Wilkinson, who died in September 2002.

Bruin faculty members elected to National Academy of
Engineering

Three faculty members from the UCLA Henry Samueli School of
Engineering were elected to the National Academy of
Engineering.

Henry Samueli, Tatsuo Itoh, and Eli Yablonovitch, all in the
department of electrical engineering, were chosen for this
prestigious honor.

Samueli pioneered research and development of broadband
communications systems-on-a-chip; Itoh was recognized for advances
in electromagnetics engineering for microwave and wireless
components, circuits, and systems; Yablonovitch introduced photonic
band-gap engineering and applied semiconductor concepts to
electromagnetic waves in artificial periodic structures.

In 1999, Samueli and his wife donated $50 million to the schools
of engineering at UCLA and UC Irvine, with $30 million going to
UCLA and $20 million to UCI.

Itoh has been a faculty member at UCLA since 1991. He holds the
TRW Endowed Chair in Microwave and Millimeter Wave Electronics.

Yablonovitch is a fellow of the Institute of Electrical and
Electronic Engineers, and has been with UCLA since 1992. He is
currently working in optoelectronics, high speed optical
communications and quantum computing and communication.

UCLA’s engineering school now has 15 NAE members in its
faculty.

NAE is a private, independent, nonprofit institution that
provides guidance on engineering problems and issues. The academy
recognizes individuals who have made significant contributions to
the field.

UCLA doctor will run in L.A. Marathon to honor lung
transplant patient

Dr. David Ross will be running in this year’s 26.2 mile
Los Angeles Marathon ““ just as he has for the past 17
years.

This year, Ross is running in honor of Anne Cunha, a 27-year-old
Harvard Law student from Santa Monica. Cunha battled
Hodgkin’s lymphoma and developed lung failure. She underwent
a life-saving double lung transplant last October.

“I have only been able to run a few times in the past six
months, so this marathon should not be very fun,” Ross said
in a statement. “But considering what Anne has endured
““ a marathon cannot even compare.”

Ross often runs marathons in honor of critically ill lung
patients who spend weeks in intensive care.

Next year, Ross hopes to have one of his 60 year-old patients
running with him.

The L.A. Marathon takes place March 2.

Briefs compiled from Daily Bruin wire reports and staff.

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