The Lab’s Construction Safety Team, subcontractors, and craft persons recently celebrated two years of construction work without any accidents or injuries. Jean Myers, leader of the Construction Team, attributes this record to a thorough project evaluation process. Providing an up-front analysis of the hazards, implementing controls, and following the work closely contributed to reaching the milestone. More>
Research: Accelerators and Light Sources of Tomorrow — Accelerating With Light Sophisticated as it is, a superconducting linac is a conventional particle accelerator that, in a machine like the Next Generation Light Source now under study, can be used to produce superbright laser beams. The inverse is also true: powerful lasers can be used to accelerate charged particles – but in ways that are anything but conventional. More>
This is the second of a two-part series. Go here for part one.
Research: Molecular Worm Algorithm Navigates Inside Chemical LabyrinthJames Sethian and Maciej Haranczyk, of the Mathematics Group in Berkeley Lab’s Computational Research Division, have developed a “molecular worm” algorithm that makes it easier and faster to simulate the passage of a molecule through the labyrinth of a chemical system. Such progressions are critical to catalysis and other important chemical processes but current computer simulations of these events are expensive and time-consuming to carry out. More>
In The News: Fueling the Future [California Magazine] Echoes of “Drill, baby, drill,” may still be reverberating through the hallways on Capitol Hill, but the American electorate made it clear in the last national election that an alternative energy path is in the best interests of the nation. And 3,000 miles to the west, Berkeley Lab is on point in that campaign. Under the aegis of the Lab’s new director, Paul Alivisatos, the drive for earth-friendly energy remains in high gear. Berkeley Lab and the other national laboratories involved in alternative energy research are under pressure to produce palpable results, real technology that can both sustain the global economy and mitigate global warming. So how’s it going? More>
[Wall Street Journal] To Paul Williams, spurring more exercise out of the half of Americans who are already active is just as important as coaxing the sedentary off the sofa. In Williams' study of more than 100,000 runners over nearly 20 years, stepped up exercise was found to have some powerful benefits. But his research is controversial. While Williams is well respected by other exercise scientists, he is shunned by those in the public-health field. Public-health officials also worry that touting Williams's research could discourage the sedentary from doing any exercise at all, or lure them off the couch with goals too lofty to engender success. More>
To accommodate repairs, the Lab’s Badge Office will be closed tomorrow while it relocates to another section of the Building 65A trailer. Operations should be up and running again by 8 a.m. on Friday. The repairs will take about four weeks, during which the office will be reduced to one station. This may result in some delay for those who need ID badges, parking permits and other services. For more information, contact Sam Houston (x4855).
Today at Berkeley Lab is produced by Public Affairs' Communications Group
