Special Event: SyFy’s Eureka Topic of Tonight’s Science Café

Think there are a lot of weird scientists walking the streets of Berkeley? Wait until you learn about a secret town in the Pacific Northwest, the setting for the SyFy Channel’s hit TV series Eureka. The show’s co-creator Jaime Paglia will join Lab Public Affairs Head Jeff Miller tonight at 7 p.m. for a conversation with audience members on how science and Hollywood mesh. The free event takes place at the Brower Center (2150 Allston at Oxford) and all Lab employees are invited (actor Colin Ferguson is unable to attend, but will make an appearance via Skype). Those unable to attend the event can watch a live webcast.

Research: Black Carbon a Significant Factor in Melting of Himalayan Glaciers

The fact that glaciers in the Himalayan Mountains are thinning is not disputed. However, few researchers have attempted to rigorously examine and quantify the causes. Berkeley Lab scientist Surabi Menon set out to isolate the impacts of the most commonly blamed culprit — greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide — from other particles in the air that may be causing the melting. Menon and her collaborators found that airborne black carbon aerosols, or soot, from India is a major contributor to the decline in snow and ice cover on the glaciers. More>

In The News: David Schlegel on the Universe’s Ancient Sound Waves

This week on the science radio show Earthsky, David Schlegel of the Physics Division defines the mysterious term “baryon acoustic oscillation” and how it can be used to study dark energy. "When we look at the sky, we see structures on a very, very large scale ... in particular, one of those features is the propagation of sound waves from when the Universe was very young.” Schlegel and his colleagues at Berkeley Lab and the Sloan Digital Sky Survey are building a 3-D map halfway back to the beginning of time with the Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey, BOSS. The full interview, as well as a 90-second version that aired on public radio, are available here.

Education Outreach: CSEE Seeks Mentors for Students and Teachers

The Lab's Center for Science and Engineering Education (CSEE) is seeking mentors who would like to work with undergraduates, teachers, and high school students this summer. Those interested in volunteering can learn more about the program, as well as view student applications, here.

Employee Development: Enhance Your Research Publications

What’s the most compelling way to describe your research findings? Attend Berkeley Lab Learning Institute’s Writing for Research Journals Workshop for useful tips on improving the clarity and effectiveness of research publications. This free, two-hour workshop will help postdocs, research assistants, and scientists better understand and respond to the needs of research journal editors and publishers. Learn how to write a clear abstract, organize and edit work to meet journal standards, and obtain useful peer feedback. The instructor is director of UC Berkeley’s Technical Communications Program in the College of Engineering. Registration required.

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