Melting the Snow

So fast is the pace of modern science that many a trained engineer, after spending a few years as an administrator, feels professionally obsolete when confronted by bright young slipstick artists who talk facilely about plasma physics and celestial mechanics. The oldtimer tells the youngsters to go ahead, but is often not quite sure what they are up to. To bring executives back into the conversation, the University of California at Los Angeles has devised a six-week executive cram course (fee: $2,340) in all the latest scientific and technical developments. Last week the first 34 graduates of the U.C.L.A. school arrived back on the job ready to defrost any snow jobs given them by young Ph.Ds.

Holed up in the comfortable Ojai Valley Inn near Santa Barbara, the 34 executives labored 5 1/2 days a week through classes on such subjects as Boolean algebra and stochastic processes. Instructors came from the U.C.L.A. faculty and from Santa Monica's Rand Corp.; guest lecturers included Nuclear Physicist Dr. Edward Teller and Nobel Prizewinning Chemist Willard Libby.

All the executives came away enthusiastic. "Now at least I have some common ground with the engineers under me," said George F. Miller, 53, chief engineer of the Pacific Telephone & Telegraph Co. "Before, the young fellows thought that the boss didn't understand them." Another Ojai graduate has gleefully prepared a list of up-to-date scientific jargon phrases, which he intends to throw at his young lions to help keep them in their place. Among these newly acquired verbal weapons: Monte Carlo Method, the St. Petersburg Paradox and bang bang control.*

* Monte Carlo Method: use of random numbers in solving physical problems, e.g., how often a roulette ball will land on red. St. Petersburg Paradox: a theory used to estimate the limits and practical values of possible gains before beginning a venture. Bang bang control: a control system that automatically goes "bang on" and "bang off" as the situation requires.

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