SRI International Digest #13

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In this edition of the Digest, independent research institute SRI International marks the anniversary of an important innovation you probably use several times a day (it's not the computer mouse, which was invented at SRI, too!). Also learn about our latest advances in tackling important world problems, robotics and education.

IN THIS ISSUE:

• How to Protect "Print at Home" Tickets from Fraud
  
• Innovative Partnerships to Secure U.S. Cyber Infrastructure
  
• Shakey Inducted to Robot Hall of Fame
  
• 35th Anniversary of Historic ARPANET Transmission
  
• Alzheimer's Drug Candidates Qualified for Clinical Studies
  
• Helping Students and Educators Learn More Effectively
  
• Tackling Important World Problems
  
• Meet SRI Staff Members
  
• SRI in the News

How to Protect "Print at Home" Tickets from Fraud

While paper currency and other documents with monetary value include security features to prevent fraud, today's popular “print-at-home” documents, such as postage and movie tickets, run the risk of being counterfeited. SRI's innovative “nonce stamp” technology can secure and authenticate paper documents against fraudulent creation and use. Our information-based indicia technology was recently awarded a fundamental U.S. patent. Read our news release to learn how it works.

Innovative Partnerships to Secure U.S. Cyber Infrastructure

In 2004, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate awarded SRI a contract to manage its Cyber Security R&D Center . The Center is the umbrella under which the DHS cyber security R&D activities are coordinated and performed. Charged with creating innovative partnerships between government and private industry, the venture capital community, and the research community, the Center acts as a catalyst for development of technology to better protect the critical cyber infrastructure of the United States in sectors such as energy, banking and finance, and emergency services. Visit the Center's website for more information.

Shakey Inducted to Robot Hall of Fame

Shakey, the first mobile robot capable of reasoning about its actions, has joined both real-world and fictional robots in the Robot Hall of Fame at Carnegie-Mellon University . At the induction ceremony, Director of SRI's Artificial Intelligence Center Ray Perrault called Shakey "the beginning of AI at SRI, with a legacy to this day," and spoke about the future of robotics. Read more, or visit the Shakey web page.

SRI's Artificial Intelligence Center also developed the Centibots, a system of coordinated robots that can autonomously explore, map, and survey the interior of unknown building structures while communicating and working together as a team.

Want even more SRI robot information? Get your copy of the SRI robotics timeline by contacting Judy Jaciow.

35th Anniversary of Historic ARPANET Transmission

The first transmission on the ARPANET, the world's earliest switched computer network, was made 35 years ago -- an event that laid the groundwork for today's Internet. The transmission was sent from the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) to SRI in Menlo Park, CA.

SRI and UCLA were hosts of two of the original four network nodes. The others were hosted at the University of California at Santa Barbara and the University of Utah . For two decades, SRI operated the Network Information Center (NIC), serving as the registration clearinghouse and support center for all computer hosts connecting to the ARPANET, which became the Internet.

Read the details about SRI's contributions to one of the most important developments of the computer age.

Alzheimer's Drug Candidates Qualified for Clinical Studies

The National Institute on Aging (NIA) has selected SRI to evaluate the preclinical safety and pharmacology of potential therapeutics for treatment of Alzheimer's disease and other diseases associated with aging. NIA will use SRI's preclinical studies to support Investigational New Drug (IND) applications to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to perform clinical studies.

Read our announcement for more information and visit the SRI Biosciences website.

Helping Students and Educators Learn More Effectively

Researchers in SRI's Policy Division continually strive to improve how teachers teach and students learn. Here's a round-up of our newest initiatives:

NanoSense: Bay Area teachers are working with SRI researchers to help high school students visualize the principles of nanoscience -- the physical, chemical, and biological behavior of particles on a nanoscopic scale. Activities will be conducted at five high schools prior to national dissemination. Learn more.

KIPP Evaluation: The Hewlett Foundation has selected SRI to measure impacts of the Knowledge Is Power Program (KIPP), a nationwide model college-prep program for historically underserved students. Under the three-year project, SRI researchers will study the success of five KIPP schools in the San Francisco Bay Area. Learn more.

National Learning Center: SRI is collaborating with Stanford University and the University of Washington in a National Science Foundation-funded Science of Learning Center that focuses on aspects of research such as implicit learning and the brain; informal learning settings for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics; and design of high-quality K-16 learning environments. Learn more.

Tackling Important World Problems

SRI's Physical Sciences Division contributes to meeting worldwide needs for clean water, energy, the environment, health care, and national security. The challenges are complex and inherently multidisciplinary. Recent achievements include:

* A novel concept for low-cost, high-efficiency water purification

* New polymers for high-temperature proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cells

* Laboratory demonstration of a low-cost method for the production of titanium and titanium-based alloys

* Rapid and efficient removal of organic wastes from contaminated soil using hot water extraction

* Analysis of small molecules in exhaled breath to speed the diagnosis of certain diseases

* MIND and SpinSafe terrorist bomb containment chambers, in production for government and commercial use in transportation centers, sports facilities and other public places

Meet SRI Staff Members

Meet Katherine Donaldson, self-described "gizmologist" and a programmer/analyst in SRI's Engineering & Systems Division.

SRI in the News

BusinessWeek recently quoted SRI CEO Curt Carlson as being confident that the U.S. will continue to take advantage of opportunities to lead R&D and innovation in science and technology. Read the article (free registration required).

SRI Principal Scientist Peter Neumann assesses e-voting in ComputerWorld. Read the article.

The Silicon Valley/San Jose Business Journal quoted Physical Sciences VP Larry Dubois in an article featuring SRI's work on innovative batteries. The research may lead to batteries that can be printed or even swallowed! Read the article (free registration required).

CONTACT US

For more information on SRI's innovations and how we can help you, contact bizdev@sri.com. The SRI Digest welcomes your feedback. Please send suggestions or comments to newsletter@sri.com. Start or discontinue a subscription by sending an email to newsletter@sri.com.

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