In a customary sign of spring, a number of newborn fawns have been spotted on the hillside surrounding the Lab. Not only are the small animals sometimes unsteady on their feet but the Hill's vegetation and tall grasses can make them difficult to see until they've stepped into an open area or onto the pavement. Drivers are urged to be on the lookout while navigating the Lab's parking lots and roads. Those who encounter the animals should avoid contact. The photograph above was recently taken near the Pit parking lot by Alyce Herrera of EH&S.
Following the SOFeX iron-fertilization experiment in the Southern Ocean, deep-diving Carbon Explorer floats continuously collected data for over a year, straight through the Antarctic winter. Earth Sciences Division oceanographers Jim Bishop and Todd Wood analyzed the data and found that most of the carbon from lush plankton blooms, whether artificially fertilized or natural, never reaches the deep ocean. More>
[San Francisco Chronicle] Technology is no longer the biggest barrier to producing advanced biofuels. Money is. Those meeting this week for the Symposium on Biotechnology for Fuels and Chemicals (sponsored in part by the Energy Biosciences Institute) said the industry stands at a major turning point. Companies are building demonstration plants across the country. Within the next two or three years, the world will finally see whether these cellulosic ethanol plants can make large amounts of fuel at competitive prices. But this turning point comes as the economy struggles through a severe recession. More>
President Obama has announced the formation of the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E), a Department of Energy group that will focus on high-risk, high-reward research that will create transformational new energy technologies and systems. ARPA-E anticipates awards totaling up to $150 million under its initial Funding Opportunity Announcement. Most awards are anticipated to be between $2 and $5 million, with a floor of $500 thousand and ceiling of $10 million. National Laboratories will need to apply as part of a collaboration. Berkely Lab researchers are strongly encouraged to seek out collaborative funding opportunities. More>
People: Schröder Wins Young Scientist AwardThe International Organization for Medical Physics has named Leif Schröder of the Materials Sciences Division recipient of the International Union of Pure and Applied Physics Young Scientist Award in Medical Physics. A postdoctoral fellow in the Alexander Pines Lab, Schröder has led research into groundbreaking new technologies for using ultrasensitive xenon biosensors in targeted nuclear magnetic resonance imaging and spectroscopy. The award, consisting of a medal and $1,000, will be presented this September at the World Congress on Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering in Munich, Germany. More>
HR Employee Development: Class on Archiving, Transferring RecordsWhile many questions remain about dark matter in our expanding universe, staff at the Lab's Archives and Records office have the answers to help deal with the "dark matter" that is expanding in your office. To help employees learn more about the archiving and transferring of records and files, the Archives and Records Office, along with the Berkeley Lab Institute, is conducting a 1.5 hour workshop on the topic. The session is scheduled for Thursday, May 21, in Perseverance Hall from 10:30 a.m. to noon. Go here to register.
A new vulnerability in Adobe Acrobat and Reader is being actively exploited. If you open a malicious pdf file an attacker could control your computer and access your data. Berkeley Lab is temporarily inserting a warning message in e-mails with pdf attachments that originate from outside the Lab. More>
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