February 2001 Newsletter

Contents:������ STOP PRESS (Flyer included in this issue!)

1. Editorial
2. BCA Spring meeting - Industri al Group Programme 7-10 April, Reading
   • Industrial Group Posters
   • Basic Powder Diffraction Workshop 8-9 April 2001
   • Why Industry Uses Crystallography 9 April 2001
   • New & Future Possibilities in Powder Diffraction 10 April 2001
   • Industrial Group AGM 10 April 2001
3. Pharmaceutical SIG 7th June, GlaxoSmithkline, Harlow, - Programme
4. Autumn Meeting 1st November 2001 Pilkington plc, Lathom, Lancs- Programme
5. Newsletter mailing list
6. Spreadsheet library
7. IG Website
8. Structural Materials WorkshopReport
9. Autumn meeting 2000Report
10. Industrial Group AwardDavid Dyson
11. Committee Members and Addresses (2001)

Editorial

Forthcoming Events

2001 BCA Spring Meeting - Reading University, 7 - 10^th April.

Pharmaceuticals SIG, GlaxoSmithKline, Harlow 7th June 2001

Autumn Meeting, Pilkington, Lathom, Lancs 1st November 2001

100 years ago crystallography was in its infancy, diffractometers did not exist and textbooks were non existent. If you wanted to work in the field the first thing you did was build the equipment and then understand the physics, only after that could you make a measurement. Yet now look at us, the most complex analysis is becoming routine, equipment is an off the shelf item and there are libraries of books, analytical routines, CD-ROMs etc. all available at the press of a bu tton. Even more impressive is the increased rate of change. Every meeting, periodical, and paper seems to bring to ones attention new developments at an ever-increasing rate. What worries me with this increased rate of change have we forgotten to teach the basics? We are so busy developing new tools hardware and analytical software that we have forgotten that you need a fundamental understanding of what you are doing in order to ensure the quality of the answer you are giving. I have dealt with som e organisations who treat their systems like black boxes; they put a sample in, press the button, and get the answer out. Even worse is the answer 'It must be correct the machine said so'. Not only is the answer wrong, they have no idea that (a) it is wrong (b) why it is wrong. The BCA has a central role in counteracting this attitude - we have the skills and knowledge to help educate those that need it, encourage best practice and communicate these ideas to everyone working in the area. All those m eetings and workshops are important - it is through this medium we get our message out. So come on circulate the information, get the BCA educational role noticed. You never know - it might help someone and prevent a wrong answer.

Colin Small

Newsletter Mailing list.

To keep cost down and to ensure that the newsletter gets to the appropriate people it is essential that we know your correct address. Also if there is a mo re appropriate contact in your organisation or if you no longer require a copy please let us know by contacting any of the committee officers.

If you would like an e-mail notification of the WEB posting of future IG Newsletters then send an E-mail to [email protected] - with the title SUBSCRIBE WEB NEWS

Dave Taylor

Spreadsheet Library.

Library of Excel Routines for Diffraction and Crystallography

The Industrial Group has set up a library of Spreadsheet routines running on Microsoft Excel.

The first release was made available for download on 19 Jan 2000. The files can be downloaded in a single zip file or just the individual files you require from:
http://www.ccp14.ac.uk/ccp/web-mirrors/bca-spreadsheets/

If you have developed an XRD/Crystallography spreadsheet routine you wish to share then please e-mail a copy to djtay [email protected]

Dave Taylor

The Industrial Group Web site

The Web site has seen several changes over recent months. We have simplified the start page by creating links to new index pages for meetings, newsletters, group information and group reports. The Industrial Group WebEditor (Dave Taylor) now has access to edit and add web pages directly. This means that we are able to update the site as soon as new material is ava ilable. Over the last few months the archive of past meeting programmes and reports has been enlarged thanks to the efforts of Ian Langford. Ian trawled through his files, before his retirement from Birmingham University last year, and sent copies of many early articles going right back to our inception in 1983. We now have over 100 articles in this archive, but are still missing some. Dave Taylor would welcome copies of any that are missing. We also have a committee archive with photographs of offi cers past and present, if your picture is missing then send one in! We would like to get more technical articles into our Newsletter and on the WEB. Take a look at what we have from the Newsletter index and start sending them in.

We are open to new ideas to enhance our WEB site so let us know how we can improve it. Finally we don't always get it right first time, so if you find any errors or omissions on our web pages then please inform the WebEditor.