Accurate measurements of the 4He/H abundance ratio are important in constraining Big Bang nucleosynthesis, models of stellar and Galactic evolution, and H ii region physics. We discuss observations of radio recombination lines using the Green Bank Telescope toward a small sample of H ii regions and planetary nebulae. We report 4He/H abundance ratio differences as high as 15–20% between optical and ratio data that are difficult to reconcile. Using the H ii regions S206 and M17 we determine 4He production in the Galaxy to be dY/dZ = 1.71 ± 0.86.

We summarize the past 17 years of our efforts to determine the cosmic abundance of the 3He isotope. The vast majority of our 3He+ observations were made with the NRAO 140 Foot telescope in Green Bank, WV. The 140 Foot ceased operations in July 1999 so that NRAO could prepare to commission its replacement, the Green Bank Telescope (GBT). Our 3He experiment was the last scientific program at the 140 Foot. It is thus poignant and timely for us to reassess the astrophysical context of our 3He results. Here we argue that the existence of “The 3He Plateau” for our sample of simple sources and recent advances in the understanding of the evolution of solar analog stars together suggest that we can finally estimate the primordial abundance of 3He. Our current best estimate for the primordial abundance is 3He/H = (1.5 ±0.6) × 10−5 (s.e.) by number.

We have detected the 8.7 GHz hyperfine line of 3He+ in the HII regions W43, W51, and W3 and obtained significant upper limits for M17, W49, and Orion A. Even though the abundances derived from measured line parameters can have large uncertainty due to the detailed structure of the sources, it seems almost certain that the 3He+ abundance in W3, 12 kpc from the galactic center is significantly higher than in sources closer to the galactic center. If this is the result of general chemical evolution of the galaxy, it is exactly the opposite of what is expected.

This paper is a partial systematic test of Morton A. Kaplan's “theory” of alliance behavior in balance of power international systems first proposed in his well-known System and Process in International Politics (1957). Three hypotheses are inferred from Kaplan's writings predicting that in a stable balance of power system, (a) alliances will occur randomly with respect to time; (b) the time intervals between alliances will also be randomly distributed; and (c) a decline in systemic alliance formation rates precedes system changing events, such as general war. We check these hypotheses by applying probability theory, specifically a Poisson model, to the analysis of new data on fifty-five alliances among the five major European powers during the period 1814–1914. Because our research questions are so general, our findings should not be regarded as definitive; however, the data very strongly support our hypotheses. We conclude that Kaplan's verbal model of a balance of power international system has had its credibility enhanced as a result of this paper.