Page 102 - Neutrons for Sciences and Society

Neutrons for Science
college 2. More recently a college 1 has been re-created for instrumental techniques and the college 10 “New projects” has been replaced by “Structure and dynamics of soft-condensed matter”, a topic that really emerged after the beginning of the ILL (the term “soft-matter” was invented is 1970). The titles of the colleges have changed a little to account for the current themes
of study. From early on it was necessary that a scientist took on some organisational work for the college. A secretary for the college was co-opted by its members. Later this appointment was replaced by formal election. The secretary received a small bonus (initially 200 francs per month) to perform this function, and was given a small budget which enabled speakers to be invited to give seminars, and to make small purchases.
This lack of rigid hierarchy, and the youthful age of most of these scientists produced an atmosphere that was both studious and relaxed. The hard work was compensated by more or less improvised parties. Fasching, the German carnival, was celebrated regularly, with the very active presence of Maier-Leibnitz and his wife. There were also moments of relaxation entirely improvised, for example, between midday and two o’clock when a group would leave to ski in the Vercors. There were no traffic jams in those times, and the snow reached down to low altitudes. The atmosphere was described as “very young student-like” by one of these early scientists.
Maier-Leibnitz started implementing his programme in 1968. Guy Gobert, who had worked with me at Saclay, came to run the design office. Reinhard Scherm and Bernd Maier, two experienced German scientists came the same year. The choice of the first
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