The Question: This element is not found in nature in its pure form. The US Nuclear Regulatory Commission has made a radioisotope of this element available for commercial use at $10 per microgram. Neutron penetration into materials makes this element useful in detection instruments such as fuel rod scanners; neutron radiography of aircraft and weapons components to detect corrosion, bad welds, cracks and trapped moisture; and in portable metal detectors. This element derives its name from a university in the United States. Which element is being described? The Answer: The element is Callifornium (Cf)! Microgram quantities of californium-252 are available for commercial use through the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Only two sites produce californium-252: the Oak Ridge National Laboratory in the United States, and the Research Institute of Atomic Reactors in Dimitrovgrad, Russia. Californium was first synthesized at the University of California Radiation Laboratory in Berkeley, by the physics researchers Stanley G. Thompson, Kenneth Street, Jr., Albert Ghiorso, and Glenn T. Seaborg on or about February 9, 1950. It was the sixth transuranium element to be discovered; the team announced its discovery on March 17, 1950. The discoverers named the new element after the university and the state. The winner of the quiz is Matthias Mansfeld, Mansfeld Elektronik PCB Design and Assembly and will get the services of Clumpy and Kloumpios for the week. Lots of folks with the correct answer so it was a very close contest this week but Matthias was the quickest to respond. The boys are looking forward to spending the week under his supervision. So far Clumpy and Kloumpios have done the following: Past Quiz winners/tasks: Week 1 Ravinder Ajmani, Western Digital Week 1 Ron Feyereisen, SigmaTron Intl. Week 2 Louis Hart, Compunetics Week 3 Mark Kostinovsky, Schlumberger Ltd. Week 3 John Burke Week 4 Drew Meyer, Benchmark Electronics Week 5 No Winner - no correct responses! Week 6 Bhanu Sood, NASA Week 7 Keith Calhoun, Sopark Corp Week 7 Ian Fox, Rolls Royce Week 8 Leland Woodall Week 8 David Bealer, SMT Week 9 Tom Carroll, Boeing Week 10 Louis Hart, Compunetics Week 11 Tom Carroll, Boeing Week 11 Scott Decker, UTAS Week 12 Matthias Mansfeld, Mansfeld Elektronik PCB Design and Assembly Week 13 No Quiz, Week 14 Matthias Mansfeld, Mansfeld Elektronik PCB Design and Assembly Week 15 Bhanu Sood, NASA Week 16 John Maxwell Week 17 Leland Woodall Week 18 Leland Woodall Week 19 Tom Carroll, Boeing Week 20 Robert Kondner Week 21 Tom Brendlinger, ClearMotion Inc. Week 22 Carl Van Wormer, Cipher Engineering LCC Week 23 Juliano Ribeiro, DATACOM Week 24 Gerry Gagnon, FLIR Commercial Systems Week 25 Graham Collins, Sunsel Systems Week 26 Joyce Koo, IPC International Week 26 Todd MacFadden, Bose Week 27 Bhanu Sood, NASA Week 28 Leland Woodall Week 29 Mordechai Kirshenbaum Week 30 Leland Woodall Week 31 Leland Woodall Week 32 Steve Gregory Week 33 Leland Woodall Week 34 Jerry Dengler, Pergamon Corp Week 35 Frank Kimmey, VeriFone Inc Week 36 Graham Collins, Sunsel Systems Week 37 Richard "Dean" Stadem Week 38 Leland Woodall Week 38 Tom Carroll Week 39 Matthias Mansfeld, Mansfeld Elektronik PCB Design and Assembly Week 40 Leland Woodall Week 41 Tom Carroll Week 42 Matthias Mansfeld, Mansfeld Elektronik PCB Design and Assembly Week 43 Joyce Koo Week 44 Russell Kido, Practical Components Week 45 Leland Woodall Week 45 Frank Kimmey, VeriFone Inc Week 46 Ian Fox, Rolls-Royce Control Systems Week 47 Fred Cox, Bluering Stencils Week 48 Tom Carroll, Boeing Week 49 Todd MacFadden, Bose Week 49 Leland Woodall Week 50 Russell Kido, Practical Components Week 51 Ravinder Ajmani, Western Digital Week 52 Leland Woodall Week 53 Scott Decker, UTAS Week 54 Leland Woodall Week 55 Tom Carroll, Boeing Week 56 Mordechai Kirshenbaum Week 57 Steve Herring, Pennatronics Corp Week 58 Leland Woodall - The boys will be doing a round of golf tomorrow morning, yard work tomorrow afternoon, and we'll all be eating grilled burgers tomorrow evening while watching the Kansas race. I want them to relax a bit before they continue helping me perform more TS to IATF document conversion next week. Week 59 Drew Meyer, Benchmark - Wow! Simply amazing timing. Our leader will be gone next week so we will be two people doing the work of three. The boys will be greatly appreciated. The good news for them is that we finally have some decent weather here. Will have to get them some time outside to enjoy it! Week 60 Leland Woodall - Just in time for Memorial Day! I can see the guys mowing, trimming bushes, cleaning cars, and exercising their grilling skills. I might mix in a little work at the plant next week, just for good measure. Week 61 Matthias Mansfeld, Mansfeld Elektronik PCB Design and Assembly - assisted with ???? I hope everyone has a awesome week! Dave Hillman Rockwell Collins [log in to unmask]