The Role of the Tropics in the General Circulation of the Atmosphere (29 Dec.) Arranged by Henry M. E. van de Boogaard and Edward D. Zipser (National Boulder, Colorado). Center for Atmospheric Research, Postwar developments in meteorology have depended in large part on the electronic computer. Computer studies have led to better physical understanding of temperatelatitude atmospheric circulations and to dynamic modeling which has made numerical weather prediction possible for these latitudes. Until now meteorological research in the tropics has not benefitted a great deal from these developments, largely because of the lack of sufficient observations to diagnose the far more complex structure of the tropical atmosphere. The tropics constitute a great heat engine which is partly J. M. Campbell, Transportation. F. D. Rosi, Compiunications. Fred Leonard, Rehabilitation and Biomedicine. Self-Assembly of Matter (29 Dec.) Arranged by Sidney W. Fox (University of Miami). The program on Self-Assembly of Matter is concerned with the ways in which matter, especially biological matter, tends to organize itself structurally. Some of the most striking examples of this tendency are found at the level of protein molecules and of models of primitive cells. Are such tendencies discernible at more fundamental chemical and physical levels? Sidney W. Fox, Victor Weisskopf, William N. Lipscomb, Lester J. Reed, and Angus Wood. responsible for driving the global atmosphere. Much of the solar heat received by the tropical ocean and land surfaces is released to the lower layers of the atmosphere by contact, ASTRONOMY(D) evaporation and radiation. This heat is then further trans- Plasma Astrophysics (27 Dec.) of releasing its accumulated energy. Arranged by Russell Kulsrud (Plasma Physics Laboratory, Princeton University). The subject of plasma astrophysics comprises those areas of astrophysics in which a thorough knowledge of plasma effects is needed for understanding and interpretation. Such areas are the mechanism for cosmic and solar radio emission; the origin and behavior of cosmic rays, and the effect they play on structure of the galaxy; the influence of the supernovae and H-II regions on the latter; solar ported to the higher layers of the tropical atmosphere by means of cumulus cloud convection, and also by radiation. In turn, this accumulated energy is gradually transported poleward and transformed into kinetic energy, experienced in the form of wind or air currents. Highly organized and intense tropical cumulus cloud development sometimes leads to development of tropical storms and hurricanes. These in essence are safety valves which provide the tropical atmosphere with another method The locations of these regions of organized cumulus convection are essential data for tropical weather analysis. The recent synchronous ATS-1 (Applications Technology Satellite) satellite with its cloud camera has shown the way for ultimate instantaneous global cloud observations. New technology such as the ATS-1 has encouraged scientists to have another look at the tropics. Future research programs, like the recently completed Line Islands Experiment, will provide a much more complete understanding of the behavior of the tropical atmosphere. Louis J. Battan, Henry M. E. van de Boogaard, Ed- ward D. Zipser, Robert H. Simpson, Joanne Simpson, Tetsuja Fujita, and Dorothy L, Bradbury. CHEMISTRY (C) Present State of the Art (27 Dec.) Arranged by H. F. Mark (Polytechnic Institute of Brooklyn) and 8S. M. Atlas (Bronx Community College). James E. McEvoy, Catalysis: Present State of the Art. David Harker, X-ray Crystallography as a Chemical Discipline. Sir Robert Robinson, Recollections of Sixty Years of Organic Chemical Research. H. F. Mark, Synthesis and Uses of Organic Polymers, Chemistry and Urban Problems (29 Dec.) Arranged by H. F. Mark (Polytechnic Institute of Brook- lyn) and S. M. Atlas 8 DECEMBER 1967 (Bronx Community College). activity and the resulting solar wind with its terrestrial interaction producing storms; and many other areas of astrophysics. In recent years, there has been a growing appreciation of the fundamental importance of the newer developments in plasma physics in understanding these phenomena and a new subject of plasma astrophysics is growing up and attracting both astronomers and plasma physicists. It seems appropriate at this time to have a symposium in which experts in a variety of subjects in this field review these subjects. For this reason, the symposium consists of a number of somewhat unrelated topics to illustrate the broad scope of the subject. Bruno Coppi, A. J. Dessler, Derek Tidmann, Russell Kuisrud, Barry Lasker, and Eugene Parker. Structure and Evolution of our Universe (28 Dec.) Arranged by Hong-Yee Chiu (Goddard Institute for Space Studies and State University of New York at Stony Brook). In this symposium, the be reviewed by experts cosmological theories as man, with emphasis on current status of cosmology will in this field. Chiu will review originally formulated by Friedobservational properties of the Universe. Thorne will discuss some new ideas in cosmologi- cal theories, including anisotropic models. Wilkinson will * ' discuss radio observations of the Universe, including some new results obtained recently on the 3°K black body radiation. Kristian will summarize astronomical observations dealing with the gross structure of the Universe. Hong-Yee Chiu, Kip S. Thorne, David T. Wilkinson, and Jerome Kristian. 1349