Scientist, researchers, company executives and military officials from around the world are meeting throughout the month of June to discuss solid electrolytes. But thanks to School of Engineering and Applied Science Dean Gregory Farrington transportation to the conference is free. That is because the conference is being conducted via the information superhighway from the University. And the "virtual conference" is one of the first of its kind, according to Associate Director of Computing and Educational Technology Services Helen Anderson. Farrington designed the entire worldwide internet forum and a program called Adobe Acrobat allows the magic to happen. Two hundred scientists throughout the world began meeting Monday over the World Wide Web to exchange ideas about solid electrolytes, the material batteries are made from. In this "virtual conference," authors from around the world have electronically submitted papers on the topic. Forty-five papers can be accessed on the Web for those who are part of the conference. Some of the countries participating include Sweden, India, Australia, Great Britain, Japan, Denmark, Brazil, Germany, and Spain. And Anderson said language is not a communication barrier, even though all the articles are written in English. She added that English has become the language of international science because most of the scientific journals are published in English. The purpose of the internet meeting is twofold, Anderson said, serving both scientific needs and experimenting with the new information technology. Batteries are a "hot topic" because of electric cars and the push to make more powerful, longer-lasting batteries, she explained. "Maybe there is a paper in their that revolutionizes batteries," Anderson said. From the Universities viewpoint, the real benefit of the "virtual conference" is the chance to experiment with new technology, cutting edge tools that might be the wave of future. "We have never tried to exchange information in this way before," Anderson said. Anderson said the conference not only attracts scientists and university researches, but military officials and large corporations like Dow Chemical. "It's of great interest to all kinds of people," she said. The first few days of the meeting have encountered some glitches, Anderson said, adding that this is to be expected in the initial stages of most new endeavors. After the month-long experiment concludes, Elsevier, a Netherlands based company is going to publish the papers.
The Daily Pennsylvanian is an independent, student-run newspaper. Please consider making a donation to support the coverage that shapes the University. Your generosity ensures a future of strong journalism at Penn.
DonatePlease note All comments are eligible for publication in The Daily Pennsylvanian.