The 2003 Benjamin Franklin Medal in computer and cognitive science presented to John McCarthy (Stanford California). John McCarthy's multiple contributions to the foundations of artificial intelligence and computer science

Since the mid-1950s, John McCarthy has made seminal contributions to a remarkably diverse range of important areas in computer science. In this report, we examine several of these contributions: As one of the fathers of artificial intelligence, he originated the logic-based paradigm of artificial intelligence (AI) research, arguably both the most productive approach to AI problems to date and the most promising for the future. He invented the time shared use of computer systems for the interactive development of software, a technique that allowed a single computer of large capacity to appear to a large number of simultaneous users as if that machine were theirs alone. He invented the LISP programming language, creating a program language design for the first time that was based on mathematical foundations rather than a partial abstraction away from the underlying computer hardware. The practical impact of his work has been enormous. Functional programming languages, of which LISP was the first, remain widely used, and the programming language constructs he invented remain the basis of modern programming control structures. The notion of time sharing, which he invented, remains a principle paradigm for the use of large computers even today. McCarthy's use of logic was among the primary intellectual sources of logic programming and automated theorem proving, and of many of their important applications.     

Girl's Education in Zambia: Everyone's Responsibility -- A Policy Framework for Participatory Process

This paper is based on a panel in which the four authors participated at the 10th World Congress of Comparative Education Societies in Cape Town in July 1998. The overall focus of the panel was on how an initiative to promote girl's education in Zambia -- involving governments, NGOs, donor organizations, teachers and girls themselves -- has influenced policy development to the point where the Zambian Ministry of Educaion now has clear directives on girl's education. The authors analyse some of the important factors that contributed to this outcome.     

Innovative Practice: Sister‐Friends: A Counseling Group for Black Female Undergraduates

Sister‐Friends, a counseling group for Black female undergraduate students, was implemented to help Black female students cope with isolation at a predominantly White university. This group seemed to help members reduce their feelings of isolation and to persist with academic studies during the semester.     

The effect of dimple error on the horizontal launch angle and side spin of the golf ball during putting

This study aimed to examine the effect of the impact point on the golf ball on the horizontal launch angle and side spin during putting with a mechanical putting arm and human participants. Putts of 3.2 m were completed with a mechanical putting arm (four putter-ball combinations, total of 160 trials) and human participants (two putter-ball combinations, total of 337 trials). The centre of the dimple pattern (centroid) was located and the following variables were measured: distance and angle of the impact point from the centroid and surface area of the impact zone. Multiple regression analysis was conducted to identify whether impact variables had significant associations with ball roll variables, horizontal launch angle and side spin. Significant associations were identified between impact variables and horizontal launch angle with the mechanical putting arm but this was not replicated with human participants. The variability caused by “dimple error” was minimal with the mechanical putting arm and not evident with human participants. Differences between the mechanical putting arm and human participants may be due to the way impulse is imparted on the ball. Therefore it is concluded that variability of impact point on the golf ball has a minimal effect on putting performance.     

Enzymatic decolorization of bacterial pigments from culturally significant marble

Marble monuments and facades are susceptible to microbial colonization. Microbial growth on a marble surface can develop into unsightly red stains whose removal has proven problematic. The purpose of this study was to determine if the red-brown stains on Isamu Noguchi's marble sculpture Slide Mantra (1991) could be caused by pigment-producing microorganisms and to assess the potential of enzymatic stain remediation. Traditional cell culture methods were used to isolate a pigmented bacterium from a stained area of the sculpture. Sequencing and analysis of the 16S rRNA gene identified the organism as a strain of Serratia marcescens, and FT-IR spectroscopy demonstrated that the pigment produced by the bacteria was most likely a prodigiosin. Decolorization of the pigment in solution demonstrated that the enzyme laccase from the fungus Trametes versicolor has potential as a decolorizing agent. This study suggests that enzymatic decolorization may be applicable to stains on culturally significant marble caused by microbial colonization.     

Behavior of positive ions in hydrogen

It has been shown that electrons with 11.5 volts energy can dissociate a hydrogen molecule into its two constituent atoms, but up until recently no experiments have been performed to see whether fast positive ions are able to dissociate hydrogen.In the present experiments Li or Cs positive ions of various velocities are produced in a tube containing hydrogen molecules. The tube is immersed in liquid air, and the rate of decrease of pressure of hydrogen is measured as a function of the velocity of the positive ions. It is found that with no positive ions entering the tube there is a certain decrease in the pressure of the hydrogen due to its thermal dissociation on the hot filament and its subsequent condensation on the cold walls of the tube. With ions of energies from 15 to 320 volts flowing in the tube the rate of decrease of pressure is greater, showing a formation of some condensible product due to the action of the ions.The rate of pressure decrease with the voltage applied has been found to be proportional to the ion current flowing. The rate per unit current is proportional to the pressure; and the rate per unit current per unit pressure is practically independent of the voltage for Li and Cs ions of energies from 15 to 320 volts.The effect has been shown not to be due to secondary electrons.The process may be due to the formation of alkali hydrides in the gas phase. The number of hydrogen molecules disappearing per positive ion entering the tube varies from 0.01 to 0.5. No critical potentials have been found in this experiment, in disagreement with recent experiments of Leipunsky and Schechter.