UO E-clips, July 3

Nematodes have taste for calculus (The Oregonian): The human brain has 100 billion brain cells. The worm C. elegans has 302. But the worm's tiny brain can solve calculus problems, say researchers, including two University of Oregon scientists. Finding food motivates the millimeter-long nematode to do college math. Its food-hunting strategy works something like the hotter-colder game, UO biologist Shawn Lockery says. When a worm senses tastes getting weaker, it turns to another direction. When it senses tastes getting stronger, it wriggles forward.

Worms do calculus to find meals or avoid unpleasantness (Science Daily): Thanks to salt and hot chili peppers, researchers have found a calculus-computing center that tells a roundworm to go forward toward dinner or turn to broaden the search. It's a computational mechanism, they say, that is similar to what drives hungry college students to a pizza. These behavior-driving calculations, according to a paper published in the July 3 issue of the journal Nature, are done "in a tiny, specialized computer inside a primitive roundworm," says principal investigator Shawn Lockery, a University of Oregon biologist and member of the UO Institute of Neuroscience.

Green sneaker maker END treads carefully -- The Oregonian (Sneaker makers are going greener, step by step, cobbling soles from recycled tires and laces from used plastic milk jugs. But getting used, hardened rubber to hold up under a runner's pounding has eluded even a multibillion-dollar conglomerates such as Nike. … Kim Sheehan, associate professor of advertising at the University of Oregon and co-founder of marketing watchdog Web site greenwashingindex.com, said END is treading carefully down the sustainability path.

First-ever running film festival kicks off Thursday (KEZI 9 News): Click to watch the video. (link may be short-lived)

UO changes direction on arena parking (Register-Guard): The University of Oregon says it will use its east campus properties to provide enough parking for its proposed new basketball arena without sending cars onto nearby residential streets, a key concern of a neighborhood group. That’s a new direction forced on the university after a city of Eugene hearings officer ruled that the UO must obtain a city conditional use permit in order to build the 12,500-seat pavilion, the costliest college basketball arena ever. The UO previously had planned to include street parking in the nearby Fairmount neighborhood in its plan for accommodating fans driving to events at the arena.

Ticket sales tickle Bach festival officials (Register-Guard): The Oregon Bach Festival may be headed for record financial success this year. On Wednesday, the sixth day of the 17-day festival, ticket sales had nearly reached the budgeted goal for its entire run, a delighted executive director John Evans said. The news was especially sweet for Evans, who is in his first year on the job. He replaced festival co-founder Royce Saltzman last summer. “By the time we start our second full week it looks as though we will have reached our financial goal for the entire festival,” he said. “We are already at 93 percent.”

Bowerman tribute concert an entertaining, eclectic mix of music, video (Register-Guard): After glowing encomiums to and fond remembrances of Bill Bowerman from University of Oregon President Dave Frohnmayer and Oregon Bach Festival co-founder Helmuth Rilling, there seemed little more that could be said Tuesday in praise of the famous track coach at the Bach Festival’s program in his honor. Two-thirds of the way through the largely musical program, however, Steven Bass, president of Oregon Public Broadcasting, summarized Bowerman’s influence with two extraordinary facts: Without Bowerman there would be no Olympic Trials taking place in Eugene today, and there would be no Oregon Bach Festival.

How high will hotel budget rise? (Daily Journal of Commerce): On Tuesday, developers of the proposed publicly-owned Westin hotel at the Convention Center (Portland) presented a final budget estimate to the Metro council, citing skyrocketing construction costs and an expanded scope of work for a $59 million cost increase over previous estimates. … “If current trends were to extend themselves, that estimate would be wildly low,” said Tim Duy, an economics professor at the University of Oregon.

Olympic time trials use wi-fi mesh (Wi-Fi Planet): This week as Olympic hopefuls take to the track at the University of Oregon in Eugene, OR, they will not only be hoping for speedy time trials, but for speedy Wi-Fi connections, as well. Thanks to a Cisco indoor/outdoor wireless mesh network, roughly 4,000 American athletes will have free Wi-Fi access while they compete at the U.S. Track and Field Olympic Trials, June 29-July 6.

Hangers on move in 'Track Town U.S.A (OBP News): It's no surprise that one of the main entrances to the University of Oregon takes you right by 'Track Town Pizza', possibly the city's most popular local pizza joint. In very few other places would 16,000 people rise to their feet to cheer a women's steeplechase event. But Oregon Track club runner Nick Symmonds says, remember, this is Track Town U.S.A.

Location for planned alumni center moves closer to new arena (Daily Emerald): The future University alumni center has changed locations and will now sit next to the northwest corner of the University's new basketball arena. The new alumni center, which will be built simultaneously with the arena and a new academic learning services center for student athletes, was originally designed to be situated next to the learning center on the corner of Franklin Boulevard and East 13th Avenue. This relocation is the latest in several schematic changes made to the design of the alumni center over the past two years. "Part of the reason there is more shifting going on now is that there is so much activity going on in this corner of campus," University spokesman Phil Weiler said. "(The University) is really better off exploring all the options before putting shovels in the ground. This is going to be the gateway to campus and they really want to get it right."