Berkeley Lab Director Charles Shank clearly relished the opportunity to be the bearer of good tidings at his annual State-of-the-Laboratory address, especially in contrast to 1995's version.
"Last year, I talked about imminent disaster," Shank told an audience that filled the Bldg. 50 auditorium on July 11. "This has been a great year, a very exciting time. It doesn't mean life will go on like this forever, but our laboratory has placed itself in a wonderful position to do very well."
To emphasize Berkeley Lab's status at the scientific cutting edge, Shank announced that his talk was the first to be transmitted live to computers via the Lab's award-winning MBone technology. ICSD's Van Jacobson was one of MBone's inventors.
He said the Laboratory budget has been on an upward trend since 1990 and has received a major boost from several key programs in FY96--chief among them the addition of the National Energy Research Scientific Computing Center (NERSC); the Drosophila partnership between the Lab and the UC Berkeley campus; and the Facilities Initiative, which supported work at the Advanced Light Source (ALS), the National Center for Electron Microscopy (NCEM), and the 88-Inch Cyclotron.
He expressed "cautious optimism" about the fiscal year l997 budget, predicting "rough stability" except for energy efficiency programs, which are targeted for further cuts. He voiced major concerns, however, about 1998 and beyond. Washington officials are talking about annual 8-to-10-percent reductions for the Department of Energy over three years.
"We'll work hard to keep something so devastating from happening to us," Shank promised, emphasizing continuing contacts with key officials to tell them the value of science and what's at risk if funding is reduced.
Much of the future hinges upon the success of computational sciences and its integration into Berkeley Lab's research programs. Shank pointed to the special efforts being made to fund joint projects in the Laboratory Directed Research and Development (LDRD) program, and he noted 19 proposals for computing collaborations in the DOE's "Grand Challenge" competition. He also cited successful efforts to partner with UC Berkeley's computer science program through new joint faculty appointments.
"We are seeing the pieces fall into place where supercomputing will drive our science," Shank said. "It's the glue that will keep us together as we move into a new dimension of research."
He expressed special thanks to the Facilities Department and others responsible for accommodating nearly 700 separate moves ("building a whole new infrastructure in zero time," he said) to make a home for NERSC.
Berkeley Lab's strength in tough times, he said, is its excellent science, and he elaborated on research highlights from the past year and views to the future. They included:
"We want to be the Laboratory of choice, where people spend their money and get the best science at the right cost," he said. "We hope to further reduce our costs in 1997, with new ways to handle our administrative work and reduce duplication."
He concluded by reiterating the tenets of "Vision 2000"--Berkeley Lab is a place that produces "terrific advances in science, working at a cost people can afford, maximizing our effectiveness through partnerships with others, and committing to our people."
CAPTION: Lab Director Charles Shank gave his annual State-of-the-Laboratory address to employees on July 11 in a packed Bldg. 50 auditorium. Photos by Roy Kaltschmidt
Levine, who has led the Energy Analysis Program since 1986, is the convening lead author on the Human Settlements Mitigation Report for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. His primary research areas are energy conservation in buildings; energy/economic modeling; electric utility economics; international energy studies; and energy policy analysis.
Levine received his bachelor's degree in chemistry from Princeton University and his doctorate in chemistry from UC Berkeley. Before joining the Lab in 1978, he was a staff scientist with the Ford Foundation Energy Policy Project in Washington, D.C. (1972-74), and a senior energy policy analyst for SRI International in Menlo Park (1974-78).
All employees, students and guests are invited to attend these brown-bag, non-technical talks, all scheduled for noon to 1 p.m., Wednesdays:
| Bldg. 50 auditorium | |
|---|---|
| July 24 | "Greenhouse Gas Emissions: Can Policies Make a Difference?" |
| Mark Levine, Energy & Environment Division | |
| July 31 | "How to Weigh the Universe Using Supernovae" |
| Saul Perlmutter, Physics Division | |
| Bldg. 66 auditorium | |
| Aug. 7 | "Synthetic Membranes: Teaching an Old Polymer New Tricks" |
| Deborah Charych, Materials Sciences Division | |
The Science Exploration Camp's summer program for school-age children of Lab employees will begin July 22 and run through August 30. The program consists of morning science activities at the Laboratory, and off-site recreational activities in the afternoon. The science component is based on weekly themes such as "The Sky's the Limit," "Get Energized," "Amazing Matter," "Our Living World," "What's Underground," and "Chemistry is All Around Us."
The program is run by the Science Exploration Camp, Inc., a non-profit corporation formed by Berkeley Lab employees. SEC directors have volunteered their time to organize the camp and to hire staff.
The camp will be staffed by two group leaders and two counselors. A curriculum specialist has been hired to develop lesson plans based on the weekly science themes.
This year the lower cafeteria will be the home base for the program (and will therefore be unavailable for use by other Lab groups).
The Science Exploration Camp directors welcome volunteers to participate by giving demonstrations related to Lab research or business activities, teaching planned science modules, or preparing materials to use in the program. To volunteer, send e-mail to [email protected] or call Jim Lutz at X7302.
Library news
INSPEC, the premier bibliographic database for physics, electrical engineering and electronics, computers and control, and information technology is one of the databases on the MELVYL system that was previously unavailable to Laboratory employees. Through negotiations with the publisher (the Institution of Electrical Engineers), the Library is now able to offer it to Berkeley Lab staff.
Through the MELVYL INSPEC databases, users may retrieve citations to articles in more than 4,000 scholarly journals, conference proceedings, books, reports, and dissertations. Because of its size, INSPEC is divided by years into four databases on the MELVYL system. They are:
INS85: 1985-1989
INS80: 1980-1984
INS69: 1969-1979
Please note that only those with campus affiliation have access to the IEEE and IEE images that are linked to many of the INSPEC citations. For more information, contact Carol Backhus at X6307 or [email protected].
Other features include: Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary; the Britannica Book of the Year; Nations of the World; and a Current Interest link that provides background information about current events of the week. Britannica Online's Web address is http://www.eb.com:180/. Access is also available through the Library's Web page: http://www.lbl.gov/library/.
Martha Krebs, head of DOE's Office of Energy Research (ER), and other DOE officials have downplayed the importance of the dire budget planning tables for FY98 and beyond, provided by the Office of Management and Budget. OMB's projections show ER, the primary funding agency of Berkeley Lab, to be a major loser among the DOE divisions for these so-called "out-year" budgets. Under the OMB proposals, ER-funded research would be slashed about 8 percent in FY98. Krebs has told reporters that while she is "worried" by the projections, she does not believe they represent the Clinton Administration's priorities, and that she expects to see the figures to be revised upward. In an interview, Krebs said Energy Secretary Hazel O'Leary and Deputy Secretary Charles Curtis "understand the problem [the FY98 projections] pose for American science. They will be working hard to get the proper consideration for these issues." Krebs also said she expects ER to be treated comparably to NIH and NSF, whose budgets are expected to remain stable or even increase over the next several years. However, she said, "I don't think we can expect to have an official reconsideration of this until after we see what Congress is going to do with the '97 budget."
SUMMER OPERA FEATURES HAWKING MUSICAL:
The City College of San Francisco is staging a musical fantasy based on the life and ideas of British astrophysicist Stephen Hawking, featuring lyrics and music by two of Berkeley Lab's own. The lyrics and book were written by Judith Goldhaber, former science writer in the Public Information Department. The music was composed by astro-physicist Carl Pennypacker, founder of the Physics Division's Hands On Universe project. "Falling Through a Hole in the Air: The Incredible Journey of Stephen Hawking" is billed as a work in progress, with about half the scenes fully staged, and the rest narrated. The musical was inspired by Hawking's life and writing but is presented in the classical tradition of fantasies such as Dante's "Divine Comedy." It will be presented in CCSF's Diego Rivera Theater at 8 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, July 26-27, and 2 p.m. on Sunday, July 28. Seating is open and a $5 donation is requested at the door.
SPIRIT OF TIBET IN BERKELEY:
The Tse Chen Ling Center for Tibetan Buddhist Studies in San Francisco, which is managed by Carol Corradi of the Engineering Division, is sponsoring a benefit concert in Berkeley to raise awareness of the plight of the Tibet and to raise money to support the cause for freedom in Tibet. The program, entitled "Wild life, Tamed Mind: The Spirt of Tibet," is a multi-media presentation with live dance, costumes, chanting, slides and film, performed by the Lamas of Sera Je Monastery, Karnataka, India. The Lamas, who have been on tour in the United States for several months, will perform at 8 p.m. on Wednesday, July 24, at King Jr High School, 1781 Rose St., Berkeley. For free tickets, call (415) 339-8002, or contact Corradi at X4848 or [email protected].
MISSING A BOTTLE OF HEINEKEN?
Experiments on LEP2 at CERN, the world's most powerful electron-positron collider, were recently delayed several days because of a mysterious malfunction. Technicians finally traced the source of the problem: two empty bottles of Heineken beer had been left inside the accelerator's 27-kilometer long, 10-centimeter wide, circular high-vacuum beam pipe. The makers of Heineken have long claimed that their beer "refreshes the parts other beers can't reach." CERN officials were not amused and have requested that Swiss police investigate whether the unwanted intruders were the result of carelessness, sabotage, or a bad joke.
Monday, July 22 "Home Composting and Vermiculture"
The Alameda County Home Composting Program will present the latest in composting and vermiculture (worms) techniques. This is an opportunity to ask those organic gardening questions you have been waiting to ask. Hands-on materials will be on display.
Friday, July 26 "California Bat Conservation"
Christine Scott from the California Bat Conservation Fund will discuss the habitats and lifestyles of several native bats. The Berkeley/Oakland hills have always been home to native bats. Come see live bats, as well as the latest in bat housing.
The data warehouse is embodied in an Oracle database which serves as a centralized repository for a wide range of institutional data from diverse sources, including Berkeley Lab's IBM mainframe (e.g., General Ledger), the Oracle Purchasing system, FOCUS systems, the new Peoplesoft HR system, and more. The most useful subsets of data from these source systems are brought together and "massaged" in various ways to make the collection available in a coherent, integrated model.
The data warehouse forms a foundation upon which a new generation of information-delivery applications can be built. Of particular interest is the utilization of the World Wide Web for information delivery.
All employees are invited to attend Tuesday's demonstration and give their feedback to steer future development. IRIS may be accessed through the ISS home page at http://www-iss.lbl.gov/.
Be sure to get your tickets for this year's Berkeley Lab Family Day Picnic, to be held from 10:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 25, at WaterWorld USA in Concord (see Currents, July 12 for details).
In addition to all the park's attractions, there will be a barbecue picnic from 12:30-2 p.m., and unlimited soft drinks from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tickets are on sale at the cafeteria from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. weekdays. Cost is $17 per person; children 3 and under are free.
SHOEMOBILE
7:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. near Bldg. 77
THEORETICAL PHYSICS SEMINAR
"Implications of Low Energy SUSY Breaking" will be presented by Jim Wells of SLAC at 4 p.m. in Bldg. 50A-5132.
EMPLOYEE MUSIC CLUB
Classical Group Rehearsal, 5-7 p.m. in the cafeteria, for info. contact Wesley Steele at X7893.
PHYSICS DIVISION RESEARCH PROGRESS MEETING
"The Tevatron Collider Beyond Run II" will be presented by Steve Kuhlmann of ANL at 4 p.m. in Bldg. 50A-5132; refreshments, 3:40 p.m.
IRIS DEMO
ISS's new web-based Oracle Data Warehouse system, IRIS, will be demonstrated at noon in the Bldg. 50 Auditorium by Mark Dedlow of ICSD.
SUMMER LECTURE SERIES
"Greenhouse Gas Emissions: Can Policies Make a Difference?" will be presented by Mark Levine of the Energy and Environment Division at noon in the Bldg. 50 Auditorium.
ALS/CXRO SEMINAR
"X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy at the S and Cl K-edge: Applications in Biology and Bioinorganic Chemistry" will be presented by Vittal Yachandra of LBNL at 4:10 p.m. in Bldg. 2-100B
EMPLOYEE MUSIC CLUB
Folk Group Rehearsal, 5:30-7:30 p.m. in the cafeteria, for info. contact Larry Bell at X5406.
CENTER FOR ENVIRONMENTAL BIOTECHNOLOGY SEMINAR
"In Situ Bioremediation at Hanford: The Application of Fundamental Research in Subsurface Science" will be presented by Blaine Metting of the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory at noon in Bldg. 50A-5132.
BUILDING ENERGY SEMINAR
"Update on U.S. Residential and Commercial Lighting" will be presented by Judy Jennings and Diana Vorsatz of the Energy and Environment Division at noon in Bldg. 90-3148.
SUMMER LECTURE SERIES
"How to Weigh the Universe Using Supernovae" will be presented by Saul Perlmutter of the Physics Division at noon in the Bldg. 50 Auditorium.
EH&S CLASS
Radiation Protection - Sealed Rad Sources (EHS 438), 1:30-2:30 p.m., Bldg. 51-201
BUILDING ENERGY SEMINAR
"Assessing Federal Appliance and Lighting Standards" will be presented by Jim McMahon and Steven Pickle of the Energy and Environment Division at noon in Bldg. 90-3148.
CENTER FOR BEAM PHYSICS SEMINAR
"Radiation Damping and Quantum Excitation In Focusing Systems" will be presented by Zhirong Huang of Stanford/SLAC at 10:30 a.m. in the Bldg. 71 conference room.
'73 PLYMOUTH Satellite, a/t, p/b, p/s, chrome rally rims, $1700/b.o. Jon, 582-3079
'75 MERCEDES 300D turbo, clean, mech. special, 160K mi., needs rings, driveable, $2K/b.o. Charlie, X7119, (415) 252-0287
'78 OLDSMOBILE Cutlass Supreme, 75K mi., gd mech. cond.,maint. records, $1K/b.o. (leaving). Jean-Michel, X7538, 548-0626
'84 HONDA Accord LX, 5-spd, 2-dr hatchbk, new clutch, tires & timing belt, exc. cond., orig. owner, $2800. Monte, X6761, 855-0895
'84 NISSAN Pulsar, burgundy, 103K mi., a/t, a/c, AM/FM/tape, sun-roof, runs well, $800. Lisa, X4840
'84 VW Rabbit, diesel, 4-dr, 110K mi., 5-spd, gd cond., dependable, 35-42 MPG, low insurance, low maint., $1100. Kim, 215-1960
'85 NISSAN Sentra, 113K mi., 4-dr, a/t, AM/FM, new breaks & starter, $1990. 525-4594
'85 NISSAN Sentra, silver, 5-spd, 140K mi., needs some maint., $1K/b.o. 524-3751 (eve. only)
'87 HONDA Accord LX, 4-dr, loaded, 89K orig. mi., 2nd owner, great cond., $5900. Laura, (415) 893-9019
'87 HONDA Accord LX, smoke gray, a/t, a/c, exc. cond., maint. records, 180K mi., $1500. Sandra, X5592
'87 HONDA Civic, 2-dr, 5-spd, 96K mi., v. gd cond., avail. end of July, $2700. Giulio, X6555, 841-1865
'87 HONDA Civic, 3-dr, 5-spd, a/c, stereo, 111K mi., engine replaced, new tires, $2490. Ulli, X5347, 601-6541
'87 VOLVO 240DL, a/c, stk, 120K fwy mi., AM/FM/tape, ProLock, well maint., serv. records, $5000/b.o.). Chu, X6119, 704-9677
'88 CORVETTE, blk on blk, 37K mi., coupe w/2 tops, auto, Z52 pkg., exc. cond., all pwr, $17,600/b.o. Mark, X7451, 895-0151
'94 MITSUBISHI Montero LS, 46K mi., AM/FM cass., a/c, a/t, p/s, pwr windows, cruise control, air bag, sec. alarm, new brake pads, brand-new ski carrier, leaving, $18K/b.o. Ken, X4829
'95 TOYOTA 4-runner, 14.5K mi., V-6, extras, exc. cond., $25,700. Kitty, (510) 709-1339
ENGINE, Ford 390, w/C6 manual trans., carburetor, headers, etc., like new. 906-9786
"WILDLIFE, TAMED MIND: THE SPIRIT OF TIBET," multi-media event w/the Llamas of Sera Je Monastery, Wed., 7/24, 8 p.m., King School Aud., 1720 Rose St., Berkeley. X4848, (415) 339-8002
COMPACT CAR, used, standard equip., reliable & in gd cond., up to $ 3500. Alan, X4740
HOUSE-SITTING appointment in East Bay, prefer Oakland, Berkeley, San Leandro, for duration of Fall semester (Aug.-Dec.). Debra, 428-1941
PICKUP or similar truck, reasonably reliable mechanically, OK if looks bad, inexpensive. Guy, X4703, 482-1777
CABINET, audio/video rack style, 6' tall, 30" wide, 12" deep, 4 adj. height shelves - 2 glass, wd finish, 2 units., $60 ea./b.o. Philip, X6583
CAMERA BODY, under warranty, Canon Elan, auto focus, 35mm, Canon F1.8 50mm lens, both in exc. cond., $350. 841-6285
COLOR TV, Zenith, 19", 8 mo. old, like new, caption mode, antenna, leaving, must sell. $150. Jean-Michel, X7538, 548-0626
COMPUTER, Macintosh Quadra 650 CD, 16 MB RAM, 1MB VRAM, 500 MB hard drive, 68040/33 processor with blt-in FPU, Ethernet, 24 bit graphics accelerator (gives 2-monitor capability), lots of software, CPU only. $1K/b.o. X5124
DINING SET, antique, very sturdy Victorian-style table w/5 leafs, 6' buffet, serving mirror & 6 chairs, $875. Karl, X6129
FREESTYLE BICYCLE, Predator, $150. Jon, 582-3079
MOUNTAIN BIKE, Gary Fisher Supercaliber, all XT, rapid-fire, JUDY XC, race ready, exc. cond., $1200. Tim, X5304
MOVING SALE, dining table w/glass top $30; 4 chairs $20; folding table $10; standing lamp $5; color TV, 18", w/table, $40; color TV, 14", $30; couch, best offer; armchair, $25; table lamp, $10; woman's bicycle, $10; woman's sport bicycle, 15-spd, $30. Kristina, X4399, 527 9307
MOVING SALE, futon, $40; sofa bed, $30; desk w/bookshelf, $35; woman's bike, Bridgestone, 6-spd, commute bike, $99; indoor grill, elec., $9. 644-0513
MOVING SALE, microwave, 950 watts, 3-4 yrs. of use, $60/b.o.; man's mountain bike, brand-new cond., incl. lock & helmet, $175/b.o. 649-0667
RECLINER CHAIR, barely used, neutral colors, best offer. X5006, 524-2327
REFRIGERATOR, bar sz., 2.1 cu. ft. w/freezer compartment, $50. Viki, 549-1876 (after 5:30 p.m.)
SAILBOAT, Hobie Cat, 14', w/trailer & cat box, $1099. Tom, 376-6212
TENT, new, 8'X10', never used, waterproof flr, $125; workout machine, Cardio Glide, like new, $150; Wentworth China, "Pampas" pattern, service for 8, incl. platter, serving bowl & gravy boat, $150. 799-3608 (eve.)
TRAVEL BED, Fisher-Price 3-in-1, folding infant's bed, like-new cond., $40. Kevin, X7731, 339-3635
WATER FILTERS, NSA, sink installation. Marek, X5029, 582-5867
BERKELEY, Bancroft, 5 min. walk from shuttle, 2-bdrm, washer/dryer, non-smoker, avail. 10/1, $475/mo. utils. incl. Stefano, X5584, 845-5945
BERKELEY, nr Clark Kerr, 3-bdrm house, English garden, hot tub, avail 8/19-10/3 (flex. on each end), $500/wk. 849-2639
BERKELEY, Walnut Sq. (Vine & Shattuck), studio apt, hardwd flrs, easy walk to LBNL shuttle, upper flr, sublet for Sept. & Oct. only, $500/mo. Joanne, 527-9977
BERKELEY HILLS, furn. 2-bdrm, 1-bth house, washer/dryer, on #8 & #63 AC bus lines, walk to LHS, LBNL & UCB, avail. 8/1, $1350/mo. 841-2837
BERKELEY HILLS, furn. 1-bdrm, 1-bth apt, newly remodeled, nr shopping & trans., non smoker, $875/mo. + utils. 524-8308
NO. BERKELEY, in-law apt, pvt. entrance, deck, convenient location, nr public trans. & Solano shopping, non-smoker, $485/mo. incl. util. J. Klems, 528-9522
SO. BERKELEY, furn. 2-bdrm. apt, split-level, newly refurbished, skylights, 10 min. walk to UCB, nr bus & shops, quiet 4-unit brn. shingle, $1100/mo. all utils. incl. Kathy, 482-1777
EL CERRITO, nr plaza, sm., sunny 2-bdrm cottage, laundry, eat-in ktchn, pvt. yd, quiet St., nr BART, avail. 8/1, $950/mo. 268-1393 (eve.)
EL SOBRANTE, share spacious, rural house w/pvt bdrm & ofc., 25 min. to Berkeley, lots of yd/shop/storage & living space, pets OK, no smoking, $575/mo. Karl, X6129
MONTCLAIR HILLS, mid-July or early Aug. until mid-Oct., house-sitting in SF-view home, 2 cats, plant watering, single or couple, non-smokers, $250/mo. 339-0243
RICHMOND, nr Hilltop, unfurn/part furn, 3-bdrm, 2-1/2 bth townhouse, bay view, swimming pools & tennis courts, for lease, avail. 8/1, $1200/mo. 222-3172
WANTED: house to rent by ALS visitors, late Sept. & Oct. Fred, X4892
WANTED: rm.(s) in house or lg. apt, prefer Rockridge or Solano neighborhood, laundry in-house. Karen, [email protected]
WANTED: studio/1 bdrm flat for responsible, clean, quiet, female grad. student, non-smoker, no pets, long term, starting 8/15 or earlier, pref. safe neighborhd, $400-$500/mo. Carla, 525-1756
WANTED: 1 rm in shared house, in Berkeley nr LBNL, for 8/27 - 10/30, for a post grad student, ~$450/mo. [email protected].
WANTED: 2-bdrm, 1 or 1-1/2 bth house w/garage, within walking distance of Rockridge BART, hope to occupy 8/1. Brian, X8668
WANTED: 1-bdrm apt in Berkeley, for LBNL staff & Berkeley grad stdnt, no pets., @ $680/mo. Mark, X7472, [email protected]
WANTED: 2-bdrm + yd for LHS consultant, physics instructor & fiancée, 5 yr. old & sm. dog. (415) 479-5346, (916) 587-0386
WANTED: 2-3 bdrm house for UC alumni couple w/2 elem. school children for ~6 mo. while remodel own home, start ~end Aug., prefer No. Berkeley/E.C. & furn. John, X6318, Pris, 644-8160
WANTED: short term housing for German LBNL/ALS post-doc w/spouse, Aug. only. Winni, (+49)40 4398236, (+49) 5452 665
WANTED: 1-bdrm, cottage, apt or share, unfurn., for LBNL employee. Steven, X6966, 204-9494, [email protected]