Using colorful hand puppets and a catchy, toe-tapping tune, Berkeley Lab materials scientists Patrick Bennett and Ryan Miyakawa have made a video that creatively explains the basics of nanotechnology. The movie was submitted as part of a video contest hosted by the American Chemical Society to help explain what “nano” is. Bennett and Miyakawa’s film combines the cuteness of Sesame Street with the exhilaration of a Broadway musical to get the message across. Bennett helped with the filming, editing and puppet construction while Miyakawa wrote the music. 
[Science Matters] Egypt's Cave of the Swimmers (pictured) depicts human figures swimming in what is now the Sahara, the world's largest hot desert. UC Berkeley professor and Berkeley Lab earth scientist John Chiang studies how interactions between the oceans and our atmosphere can drive climate conditions from drought to deluge, or transform a landscape from green and lush to virtually uninhabitable. More>
Special Event: Earth Sciences Lecture on Biofuels and Climate ChangeThe Earth Sciences Division is hosting the next installment of its Distinguished Scientist Seminar Series on Friday, March 6, with a talk by Jerald Schnoor on “Responding to Climate Change: Biofuels, Energy Security, and Management Options.” Schnoor is the co-director of the Center for Global and Regional Environmental Research at the University of Iowa. His talk will explore the future of biofuels under a carbon-constrained economy, and other management actions that can be taken to cut U.S. greenhouse gas emissions. The event will take place at 10:30 a.m. in the Building 66 Auditorium. More>
The University of California's Management Skills Assessment Program (MSAP) takes place April 27 - May 1 in Asilomar. Participants will receive feedback on their skills through group work in simulated management scenarios. The Lab can send three supervisors to be assessed and one person to serve as an assessor. The deadline to apply for these positions is Friday, March 6. More>
UC Update: Latest Edition of Our University Now Available Stories on the Regents vote on proposed contributions to the UCRP retirement system, the budget outlook, and the 20 UC grads who have become astronauts are among those included in the latest edition of Our University, an electronic newsletter for UC faculty and staff. An article on developing cutting-edge cures at UC Irvine, an update on admissions, and a feature on the Riverside campus are also included. More>
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