of oxygen-17 may give them important clues about the currentchemical environment of the moon (from surface samples) andabout the presence of a lunar sea or ocean in the distant past(from core samples).

Present-day commercial NMR spectrometers are capable ofaccomplishing, unaided, the work assigned to the JPL team witha creditable degree of success. But when you're analyzing sam-ples that cost about a million dollars a gram to acquire, you'renot satisfied with anything short of the best possible performancefrom your analytical instruments.

In the JPL team's quest for enhancing NMR sensitivity, theydevised a system that combines the NMR spectrometer with afrequency synthesizer and signal analyzer under the control of asmall digital computer, the HP 21 15A, dedicated to this taskalone.The computer-con-

trolled system ex- HP 2115Atracts very weak Digital ComputerNMR signals fromheavy noise, enhanc-ing instrument sensi-tivity as much as 100times. It also per-forms fast FourierTransforms of the HP 5100 NMR HP 5480NMR signal, con- Frequency Spectrometer Signalverting it from time Syntheszer I Analyzerto frequency domain,for a further increase in sensitivity of another order of magnitude.

Here's how it works: the computer digitally sweeps both thefrequency synthesizer and signal analyzer through programmedfrequencies. Synthesizer output excites the NMR spectrometerwhich develops noise-covered resonance spikes for each nucleusin the lunar sample; under computer control, the frequency syn-thesizer also shifts NMR excitation between the resonance andtransition frequencies of the nucleus under observation, therebypermitting measurement of relaxation or resonance decay times.The NMR output signal is fed to the signal analyzer which ex-tracts the data from the noise and presents a calibrated displayof the average signal at all times. The computer then processesthe waveform, converts it from time to frequency domain byFourier transformation and displays the result immediately inanalog as well as digital form. End results of computer-controlledsignal averaging and Fourier Transform is to increase spec-trometer sensitivity as much as a thousand-fold. (Photo courtesyof NASA.)

Detailed information on HP Signal Analyzers and Computersis available on request. Write to Hewlett-Packard, 1507 Page MillRoad, Palo Alto, California 94304. In Europe: 1217 Meyrin-Geneva, Switzerland.

HEWLETT& PACKARD

ANALYTICAL INSTRUMENTS 00971

Mind and Brain:A Philosophy of Scienceby Arturo RosenbluethThe author, who is Director of the Centrode Investigaci6n de IPN in Mexico City, isboth a scientific generalist and a specialist,and the two aspects together serve to guidehis philosophic approach.As a generalist, he organized a seminaron scientific method in the 1930s, as astudent and later a collaborator of WalterB. Cannon at the Harvard Medical School,to discuss these questions with exponentsof many disciplines and to see them whole.Norbert Wiener, a member of the group, haswritten about the influence of Dr. Rosen-blueth on his formulation of cybernetics, anotable scientific synthesis embracinganimal and machine. In his book, Rosen-blueth continues his search for scientificuniversals.As a specialist, the author is a neuro-

physiologist. He is thereby an experimentalphilosopher, for this is the field most likelyto provide hard answers to the centralquestions of perception, sensation, volition,and the nature of human knowledge. Anonneurological epistemology can be onlyimpressionistic, and in order to allow thelay reader to follow the later discussions, thebook reviews the present state of theneurological sciences, including the spec-ulations on intrinsic uncertainties andindeterminacies, and neural events at thequantum level. $5.95Neurosciences Research SymposiumSummaries: An Anthology of Work SessionReports from the Neurosciences ResearchProgram BulletinVol. 4, edited by Francis 0. Schmitt,Theodore Melnechuk, Gardner Quarton, andGeorge AdelmanThis is the fourth annual anthology of theNeurosciences Research Program WorkSession reports which have appeared in theissues of the Neurosciences ResearchProgram Bulletin for 1969-1970. It continuesthe coverage of "hot" areas in the neuro-sciences begun in 1966 with the first volumeof this series. The current volume includescore research topics from a wide range ofthe neurosciences (neurophysiology, cellbiology, neurochemistry, and animalbehavior) in five critical summaries ofresearch. $15.00The MIT PressMassachusetts Institute of TechnologyCambridge, Massachusetts 02142

t% N

LETTERS

Two-Way Benefits ofDefense Research

Like many scientists in the NewYork area, I was gratified to read theeditorial in the New Yor-k Times (13Jan.) on the funding of academic re-search. It is most encouraging that asubject of truly national importance,which has been surrounded by a greatdeal of irrational and partisan debate,should have been brought to publicattention.The Times article which pleaded for

"orderly transfer" of nonmilitary Penta-gon research to other federal agenciesoverlooks the harsh reality of researchbudget cuts everywhere; cuts in researchfunds at this time are likely to under-mine many universities' financial struc-ture. To eliminate defense funding with-out facing up to real needs is to replaceexpedience with neglect. A sharp de-lineation between basic, nonmilitary,and mission-oriented research is notpossible and research is not a supplyline than can be turned on or off at will.

Scientific contributions to man'sknowledge have always been in theservice of all of man's needs including(rightly or wrongly) his armory. FromArchimedes to Leonardo da Vinci tothis day, science in war and peace pro-vided the potential from which militaryinventiveness designed its hardware. Ifthe present law stipulates that cooper-ation by universities be limited to areasof evident military application, thisviolates the basic mission of universitiesand excludes true academic participa-tion. The cooperation between the De-partment of Defense and universitiesis far from a one-way affair, on thefinancial or the intellectual level. Thevast storehouse of factual informationat the disposal of DoD is of very greatvalue to the academic man who in turncan prevent DoD from becoming insu-lated from the trends of the day orfrom investing in dubious causes. Inany case, to undertake to decide be-forehand which piece of scientific in-quiry is going to be useful to the mili-tary is trying to chart the unknown.Therefore, apart from the facts pointedout in the Times editorial that the newcongressional rule can only serve toreduce seriously the support for scien-tific inquiry in this country, it must beemphasized that diluting the military-university partnership is not only boundto cauLse serious delays in transmission

1198

of new knowledge, but will impair thebuilding of a force of academic menwho have the necessary defense back-ground in case of emergency. If theBritish had delayed the development ofradar by only 6 months, if France hadnot insisted on butter before guns be-tween the wars, or if Hitler's politicshad not interfered with the develop-ment of nuclear physics at a time whenall the trumps were in his hands, historywoLIld have taken another turn. Intimes when the next war may comeundeclared and be over in a few hoursor days, we are flirting with catastropheto stifle the military-university inter-change.

FREDERICK R. EIRICH22 Deerfield Avenue,Eastchester, New York 10709

Campus Computer Costs

Mark Oberle's article entitled "Cam-pus computers: Federal budget cutshit university centers" (26 Sept., p.1337) failed to consider what we be-lieve to be a major inequity in regardto the use of university computer fa-cilities by government research projectson campus. He states that "The Bureauof the Budget requires that all usersof a computer that handles government-sponsored projects be charged the samerate for the same service." However,this is not necessarily true. Under somecircumstances the government requiresthat the cost to university users notfunded by government contracts orgrants must be greater than the cost touniversity users who are government-supported.

This situation arises because thegovernment refuses to recognize inter-est charges (on money borrowed topurchase, rather than lease, a computer)as an allowable cost to governmentcontracts and grants. Although the in-terest expense which is included in thelease price of a computer by the manu-facturer or by a third party is an allow-able expense, the university is not al-ways given the option of leasing. Shouldthe lease payments on a system exceedwhat would have been the annualizedamortization of that system's purchaseprice, the government can disallowlease costs in excess of that deprecia-tion figure. Since many universitiesplan to retain their systems for beyondthat break-even point, they are in a

sense "forced" to purchase their com-

puter equipment. Economic considera-SCIENCE, VOL. 167

tionIs may also poinit toward a purchasedecision. However, it is often inecessaryto borrow money in order to purchasea major computing system today. Thisis particularly true in view of the cur-renit financial straits of most univer-sities. Yet, the government will not per-mit its users to pay their fair shareof the interest charges on the fuLndsused to puLrchase the conmputer, re-quLirinig insteiad that the Liniversity-fulnded tusers pay nlot oinly for theirownl share buLt for the government-spoonsored user-s' share ats well. 1 hemalgnitLde of the iileqLlity becomes ap-parent wheni onie considers that the in-terest costs for a S3-million computCrs\ stem anmortized over 5 years amountsto more than $780,000 at today's in-terest rates.

It is easy to understand how thegovernmenit policy of not allowing in-terest expen1sc camne into existenlcC.WN'herc commercial profit-making orga-nizations are involved, the governmenltcan validly argue that profit is definedto incluLde retuLrni oni capital investmentas well as rewards for risk-taking andaccomplishmllenit. Thuis it wouild neitherbe fair nor in the government's interestto permit a contractor to exercise highlc\ erage through debt rather than equlityfiniancinig, recover the interest cost ofbo-rrowed capital anid obtain a profitoni it while other conitractors, usillginvested capital, muLst pay their capitalcosts from profits alone. Therefore, nocost allowance is permitted for "inter-est" comptuted on invested capital, fordividends on equity caIpital1, or for in-terest paid on borrowed capital. ThesouLrce of capital is niot of concern,anid the contractor is expected to paythe cost of capital froml- profits. In thecase of nonprofit CduLcational institu-tionls, however, it is clear that the abovefactoIrs are irrelevant.

Private colleges ancd universities op-erating tin(der the Initcrnal RevenlLueService regulations for nonprofit insti-ttutionls cann11ot V cry well sell stockto raise capital, so borrowing froImlthe bank must be the avenue for fi-nlalllcin1g equipment acquLisitioIns. Evenif an instituLtion wcrc willing to itnvestcendowment capital in aI InCW COMpLitcr.the loss of endowment income wotuldrepresent a real cost to the instituLtion,eqUivalent to the payment of interest.Yet, when suLch an institution performswork for government-sponsoredtusers,it is allowed neither profit nor interestrecovery regardless of the fact that acapital cost is incurred. One muLst thellconcltde that the government is ad-27 FEBlRtUARY I97)

versely discriminating against collegesand universities in the handiling ofcomputer costs.

Further, the policy of not allowinginterest expenise can also result in gov-ernment funded users paying more forcompLiter usage than they woulld if theinterest expense of nonlpr-ofit organiza-tions were allosved. For exanmple, anonprofit contractor often elects tolease compulters from the malluLlfactureror from a third party (interest on thecapital being included in the leaseprice) for shorter periods of time thanthey otherwise would so that cUmuLla-tive lease costs are less than purchaseprice. Yet, the purchase price plusthe interest expense less the residualsalvage value of the equipment at theend of the period will frequently turnout to be less expensive than the cumu'rlative lease payments over the period.

PAUL ARMERNORMAN NIELSENWILLIAM YUNDT

Stanrford Con pl t((itior Center,Staniford Univ'crsitkv,Staniford, California-t 94305

New Ringnmaster-Sanie Circus?

The article by Carter (26 Dec., p.1603) records the departure of Yanna-cone as general counsel of the Environ-mental Defense Fund (EDF) and statesthe scale of compensation which fur-nished the incentive for his cross-examination of scientific witnesses.Wurster [BioScdiLce 19, 809 (1969)]has extolled Yannacone's COurtroomtactics as furnishing the "acid test ofrelevance and competenice" for obtain-ing information on DDT. Yiannaconewas described in Scienzce (22 Dec. 1967,p. 1552) as without "formal trainingin. ecology."The bizarre tactics employed by Yan-

nacone at the Wisconsin hearings, ac-cording to the hearing exa.miner, in-cluded "histrionics and badgering wit-nesses." I have hoped that the materialin those hearings might some day bereexamined in anmore orderly scientificaitmosphere, but this seems doubtful:EDF's new general counsel boasted inthe hearings at Seattle on 16 Octoberof his lack of training in biology. Myprediction for the EDF is: same travel-ing circus, different ringmaster.

THOMAS H. JUKESSpace Scienc es Laboratory,University of California,Bertkeley 94720

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Two in one Hewlett-Packard now offers you a new extra advantage inX-Y recording - the 17176A Dual -Trace unit - a new ac-cessory for the world's first truly "plug-in" recorder, the7004A. It lets you plot, with a standard recorder, two vari-ables against a third - without the expense of a two-pensystem.Teamed up with the 7004A and the 17012B Point Plotter,the new 171 76A gives you two y-traces by alternately scan-ning between two y-input channels. Plotting rate is continu-ously variable between 10 points per second and 6 pointsper minute, depending on the resolution you need. Pointsare divided equally between the two traces. A built-in atten-uator modifies the additional channel.Price, too, is part of the new plug-in's uniqueness: $300.The 7004 X-Y Recorder costs $1395. The 17012B PointPlotter, $95. Additional plug-ins for either x or y channelsstart at $25.To find out how you can get double your money's worthin an X-Y recorder, call your local HP field engineer. Orwrite Hewlett-Packard, Palo Alto, California 94304; Europe:1217 Meyrin-Geneva, Switzerland.

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