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Shangri-la, issue 7, July-August 1948
Page 3
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THE WEAPON SHOP MIKE SCOLES On May 8th, 1948, with impressive ceremonies before a large crowd of scientists, industrial executives, high military officials, and Navy workers, the Navy dedicated the huge new Michelson Research Laboratory at the U.S. Naval Ordinance Test Station, located in the heart of California's Mojave Desert. Named in honor of the late Dr. Albert A. Michelson, noted American physicist and Nobel Prize Winner, the lab is said to be the most complete scientific research facility of its type in the world. The dedication address was made by Robert A. Millikan, Professor of Physics Emeritus of the Cal Institute of Technology. Dr. Millikan was for many years closely associated with Dr. Michelson. Michelson's work in physics was centered largely in measurments pertaining to the interference of light and the speed of light. The Michelson interferometer, invented prior to his tests for etherdrift, was a classical development of optical physics. It established a new standard of precision in measurements of length. It was the etherdrift experiment, conducted in collaboration with Professor Morley, which provided the foundation for the theory of relativity. Michelson's superb scientific achievements constitute the best interpretation of Lord Kelvin's famous commentary: "When you cannot measure (what you are speaking about), cannot express it in numbers, your knowledge is meagre. It may be the beginning of knowledge, but you have scarcely advanced to the stage of science." THE WEAPON SHOP, as it could be called, was started in the summer of 1943 as an adjunct to the California Institute of Technology program for the development and testing of rockets for the Navy's Bureau of Ordinance. The Naval Ordinance Test Station at Inyokern has grown to be one of the most important scientific and military installation in the country---in the words of a Navy news release. Actually, it is the most important installation in the world. Located in the heart of the Mojave Desert, this thriving community supports more than 12,000 people, including naval personnel, who staff the facilities. About the size of Rhode Island, the Station is approximately 1,000 square miles of desert plains and mountains located in the counties of Kern, Inyo, and San Bernadino. At the present time, the community has about 2,000 permanent buildings, including shopping district, recreational areas, and schools. There is a well-equipped dispensary, a chapel, large gymnasium, swimming pool, modern theatre, library, officers' & scientists' club, baseball & football fields, and tennis courts. The Station has nearly 3,800 employees, about 500 of whom are scientists and engineers. There are approximately 100 Naval officers and 600 enlisted personnel. (3)
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THE WEAPON SHOP MIKE SCOLES On May 8th, 1948, with impressive ceremonies before a large crowd of scientists, industrial executives, high military officials, and Navy workers, the Navy dedicated the huge new Michelson Research Laboratory at the U.S. Naval Ordinance Test Station, located in the heart of California's Mojave Desert. Named in honor of the late Dr. Albert A. Michelson, noted American physicist and Nobel Prize Winner, the lab is said to be the most complete scientific research facility of its type in the world. The dedication address was made by Robert A. Millikan, Professor of Physics Emeritus of the Cal Institute of Technology. Dr. Millikan was for many years closely associated with Dr. Michelson. Michelson's work in physics was centered largely in measurments pertaining to the interference of light and the speed of light. The Michelson interferometer, invented prior to his tests for etherdrift, was a classical development of optical physics. It established a new standard of precision in measurements of length. It was the etherdrift experiment, conducted in collaboration with Professor Morley, which provided the foundation for the theory of relativity. Michelson's superb scientific achievements constitute the best interpretation of Lord Kelvin's famous commentary: "When you cannot measure (what you are speaking about), cannot express it in numbers, your knowledge is meagre. It may be the beginning of knowledge, but you have scarcely advanced to the stage of science." THE WEAPON SHOP, as it could be called, was started in the summer of 1943 as an adjunct to the California Institute of Technology program for the development and testing of rockets for the Navy's Bureau of Ordinance. The Naval Ordinance Test Station at Inyokern has grown to be one of the most important scientific and military installation in the country---in the words of a Navy news release. Actually, it is the most important installation in the world. Located in the heart of the Mojave Desert, this thriving community supports more than 12,000 people, including naval personnel, who staff the facilities. About the size of Rhode Island, the Station is approximately 1,000 square miles of desert plains and mountains located in the counties of Kern, Inyo, and San Bernadino. At the present time, the community has about 2,000 permanent buildings, including shopping district, recreational areas, and schools. There is a well-equipped dispensary, a chapel, large gymnasium, swimming pool, modern theatre, library, officers' & scientists' club, baseball & football fields, and tennis courts. The Station has nearly 3,800 employees, about 500 of whom are scientists and engineers. There are approximately 100 Naval officers and 600 enlisted personnel. (3)
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