UNIVERSITY The Michigan Daily - New Student Edition - Fall 2005 - 11C *Student cracks mystery of Mona Lisa's deterioration By Adrian Chen and Michael Kan JANUARY 7. 2005 Daily StaffWriters Cracking a smile more than 500 years ago, the mysterious woman in Leonardo da Vinci's "Mona Lisa" inspired the artist to create one of the world's most recognizable works of art. Now the painting itself is cracking, and conserva- tionists at the Louvre - the renowned Paris museum that houses the painting - are rushing to determine the cause of the deterioration, using X-rays and infrared technology to diagnose the problem. The crack has conservationists stumped, as the Mona Lisa is kept in a sealed, temperature-and humidity-controlled environment that should protect it from damage. But Evan Quasney, a University Engineering junior, thinks he has explained the phenomenon - without ever looking at the painting in person. "I've never seen the thing," Quasney said. "I've never even been to the Louvre." Instead, Quasney explored the effects of different forces - changes in temperature and humidity - on the painting using a computer model he helped develop dur- ing an internship at the Smithsonian Center for Materi- als Research and Education, an organization dedicated to researching conservation techniques. Quasney, his supervisor, Marlion Mecklenburg, and anoth- er student spent last summer finishing and perfecting the model, which can simulate the effects of these forces onto any painting from the high renaissance period done on a thin panel of wood, such as the Mona Lisa. Using the model, Quasney and his colleagues ran simula- tions to determine the effect of humidity on the paintings and came to some surprising conclusions - surprising because, if their results are correct, the centuries-old practices of con- servationists hoping to protect artwork is actually doing more harm than good. On its own, a panel painting will warp as changes in humid- ity cause parts of it to expand. The flexibility of the panels is impressive: A 20 by 40-inch panel can bend as much as four inches without breaking, Quasney said. Although the bending itself is not harmful to the work, people were unhappy with the appearance of the warped paintings, so conservationists and collectors began attaching dense pieces of wood called battens to the backs of paint- ings to correct and prevent warping. However, as years went on, warping continued despite the battens, and so additional criss-crossing frames of wood called cradles were attached. But according to Quasney's model, these measures caused more harm. "(With battens and cradles) the panel is not allowed to move the way it's supposed to - as a result, very high stress levels are introduced into the back of the panel," which can lead to cracking, Quasney said. The cracking of the Mona Lisa gave Quasney and his col- leagues a good chance to apply their model to a prominent, real-world situation. Quasney entered the parameters corresponding to the Mona Lisa into the model and went to work. Ten weeks later, he was able to offer an explanation for the Mona Lisa's mys- terious deterioration. The Mona Lisa is stored in an airtight, climate-controlled glass case, but it was still subjected to changes in the weather outside that ultimately damaged it, Quasney said. "What we believe was happening is that, because the glass container was placed against an exterior wall, in the winter the glass wall of the case would be cooler than the surround- ing air," Quasney said. This led to condensation of water inside the case on the glass wall, which eventually dripped down into the wood panel of the painting. Then, because of the battens attached MIKE- -HULBUS/Dalcy Engineering junior Evan Quasney crouches next to The Parable of the Unmerciful Servant, a panel painting by Jan Sanders van Hemessen in the University's Museum of Art. to the painting, the Mona Lisa started to buckle and crack as stress built up, according to Quasney's computer model. Quasney's findings are controversial and have met resistance in the conservation world because their accep- tance would mean a complete re-thinking of traditional conservation practices. Regardless, Quasney is grateful for his experience working on the Mona Lisa. "It's cool to be able to do a little bit of research on preserv- ing one of the most priceless pieces of art on the planet." Panel discusses controversy over women in science fields By Julia F. Homing APRIL 19, 2005 Daily Staff Writer Engineering Prof. Valeria Bertacco said it was not until she entered the science field that she discovered the stigma surrounding women scien- tists. She said she does not think the stereotypes are meant with malice, but that it is hard to avoid the conception that women cannot accomplish as much in physical sciences as men can. "(People) still expect an old guy with a long beard to know the most," she said. Three months after Harvard University Presi- dent Lawrence Summers sparked a national debate with a comment on the innate differences in abilities and preferences of women in sciences, the Society of Women Engineers hosted a panel discussion on the controversial remarks with three University of Michigan professors of physical sci- ences and engineering on April 18. Physics Prof. Timothy McKay said Summers's comments were not appropriate because he disre- garded existing research done on gender issues in the science fields. "For someone with that much authority to speak publicly without understanding the research behind it is disconcerting," he said. The research on the subject includes a recent study by Jacquelynne Eccles of the Institute of Social Research, which followed 1,200 par- ticipants from childhood to 30 years of age. The study found evidence for significant differences between the two genders. Eccles said she found women to be less inter- ested in engineering positions because they felt they would be working individually instead of with others. She said women have been seen to be more social than men, as social disabilities are more prevalent in men. Eccles said Asperger's Disorder - a variant of autism in which those affected experience social isolation - is much more common in men. "There are more men who aren't interested in working in social groups - there are brain dif- ferences between males and females," she said. "(But) we don't know the extent to which those brain differences contribute to the abilities of men and women." But McKay said cultural influences are a greater factor in dissuading women from entering sciences than these inherent differ- ences. "The cultural expectation that people have for what kinds of careers certain groups pursue has an effect on the careers that those groups pursue," he said. McKay said the differences in women's repre- sentation in sciences in other countries is indica- tive of the 'influence of cultural norms. Eccles agreed, adding that there are more women than men in engineering in India. The professors at the event spoke about the burdens placed on women in physical science fields. While Summers said some women would not want to work in the fields because of the large time commitment, Bertacco said the homogenous environment is a greater factor. "It is difficult to work in an environment where you are the only person who stands out," she said. The National Science Foundation's ADVANCE program at the University works to promote women in faculty positions in science and engi- neering. The program has committees and advi- sors who work to make the academic environment friendly for women. Chemistry Prof. Mark Banaszak Holl said the program has been beneficial for his department. "We can identify (women) as great candidates, but we can't make them come. We've been able to get them here, and these resources have helped," he said. Another factor Summers cited was the innate preference differences between men and women, who may have more interest in having a family. The professors all spoke against this notion, say- ing both men and women take time off from their careers following the birth of a child in their fami- lies. McKay said two men in his department have taken advantage of this option. "I don't see why I can't have a husband (and this job)," Bertacco said. "Why would a man be able to work 50 hours a week and a woman couldn't? Only because your grandmother didn't." Eccles's study found that the controlling fac- tors in the low numbers of women in science and engineering are a result of a lack of confidence at a young age, brought about by both parents and teachers. "Parents are more likely to attribute their daughter's math achievement to hard work rather than talent," she said. "When you tell a girl that she's doing it because she's working hard, she doesn't draw the same confidence." The study also discussed the influence of the classroom setting on young women, as physical science and engineering classes tend to focus on competition with other students over overall improvement. Holl said it is important for all instructors to look into this type of research. "We try to provide enough differences in the learning approaches that are offered in the class to appeal to all the different learning types," he said. Joe Serwach, a University spokesperson, said the presence of women in these fields has been important in scientific study at the University. "If any of these women had not gone into science, all of these things that they discovered would not have been known," Serwach said. McKay stressed the importance of not alien- ating women in these fields because of both the need for diversity and simply raw numbers. "Being a leader in science and technology in the U.S. is essential - we need more than our fair share of smart people. We need everyone who is qualified to be working on it," he said. Engineering sophomore Elizabeth Perez, who organized the event, said she has seen the stereo- typical attitudes that her male peers hold while working on group projects. "(They say), 'You do the write-up, we'll crunch the numbers.' You wonder, is it my abilities that are flawed?" she said. "It's really uplifting to hear that the Michigan faculty don't have the opinions that women don't have the abilities to participate in these fields," Perez added. U U LS s government Ever wonder what student government at Michigan is like? Come find out at our Open House Meeting on September 13 6PM in the Wolverine Room of the Michigan Union Apply for appointments to: *MSA-LSA Student Government Representative *LSA Student Government Representative *Student Life Committee *Public Affairs Committee *Communications Committee *Academic Affairs Committee *Homecoming Task Force