"This is the latest installment in the "This Isn't The Bush Administration" chronicles."

[babylonsister]

http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2010_05/023814.php

WHEN ALL ELSE FAILS, BRING IN THE SCIENTISTS..... It sounds a bit like the script of a Hollywood blockbuster, but I'm pretty sure Bruce Willis will not be joining this team.

U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu signaled his lack of confidence in the industry experts trying to control BP Plc's leaking oil well by hand-picking a team of scientists with reputations for creative problem solving.

Dispatched to Houston by President Barack Obama to deal with the crisis, Chu said Wednesday that five "extraordinarily intelligent" scientists from around the country will help BP and industry experts think of back-up plans to cut off oil from the well, leaking 5,000 feet (1,500 meters) below sea-level.

Members of the Chu team are credited with accomplishments including designing the first hydrogen bomb, inventing techniques for mining on Mars and finding a way to precisely position biomedical needles.

In the wake of the unsuccessful "dome" effort, Chu has tasked this team to develop "plan B, C, D, E and F," while looking for solutions to stop the oil from gushing into the Gulf.

Looking over these scientists' backgrounds, they look like a pretty creative bunch. Here's hoping for the best.

On a related note, Chu has also crafted a plan to use gamma rays to better understand the geologic nature of this specific leak. The Energy Secretary was asked yesterday how in the world he knew about gamma rays. He replied:

"Because I'm a physicist. And I dabble in many areas of physics. I did experiments when I was a graduate student on weak interactions, which are the forces of nuclear decay. And so I kept in my brain certain nuclear sources and what their energies were and I knew what the ranges were for how penetrating gamma rays could be. Very high-energy gamma rays can penetrate several inches of steel."

This is the latest installment in the "This Isn't The Bush Administration" chronicles.

—Steve Benen

[vaberella]

1. My brain capacity doesn't understand much of the article except. Good job Obama, Chu & Gamma rays.

And when I think of Gamma rays----I only think of the Incredible Hulk, and when I think of that...I figured Obama told Chu to get the Incredible Hulk to stop the oil leak. Ugh...I need sleep and food because obviously nothing is making much sense.

In all seriousness. This is definitely good news---on Obama trying to curb this disaster. I have always been against this off-shore drilling and I hope to God, when we see how badly this disaster is, he'll end up wanting all off-shore drilling stalled. This is out of control, environmentally dangerous---and I have to say I consider Obama very eco-friendly. Which makes wonder why the hell he thought it might be a good idea to do off shore drilling. There is always a chance a leak would hurt our eco-system that much worse. Ugh.

I'm happy with his response to this disaster, considering it's the best he can do after the fact. But it would have been better if he blocked off shore drilling from the onset.

[HughMoran]

3. Gamma rays and shit - it must be good!

:rofl:

I'm joking - your post made me chuckle.

[BlancheSplanchnik]

2. Well, all I can say is I got chills reading this....the good kind of chills

So that's good.

I certainly don't understand what he's talking about, but I sure understand the difference between calling in top scientists and banning them.

Thank goodness that at least we've got this much.

[BlancheSplanchnik]

4. Well, all I can say is I got chills reading this....the good kind of chills

So that's good.

I certainly don't understand what he's talking about, but I sure understand the difference between calling in top scientists and banning them.

Thank goodness that at least we've got this much.

[eppur_se_muova]

5. "How do you know about gamma rays"? Has the questioner ever been anywhere near an encyclopedia?

Your typical science nerd knows what a gamma ray is by Junior High, at least.

If he had mentioned offhand that he knew all the career stats for a baseball player from the 1950's, no one would have asked "how do you know that?". No one questions the accumulation of useless, trivial, pop-culture knowledge, but showing an interest in understanding how the Universe works requires justification in this society.

[Hekate]

6. KnR.

:kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick:

[Jeff In Milwaukee]

7. Aw, Stick a Sock In It!

That's not directed at the OP. I'm just telling you what technological approach the Bush Administration would have taken to stopping the leak.

[Neron616]

8. K

Unable to R. Sorry.

[annabanana]

9. Calling in actual scientists?. . .. elitists. . .

Oh hells yeah...