The Lab will host its first-ever offsite Science Café on Thursday, Feb. 4, featuring the creator and lead actor of Eureka, the hit SyFy Channel series. The show centers on a secret town created by the government for elite researchers to live in and conduct their to work. Show creator Jamie Paglia and star Colin Ferguson will join Lab Public Affairs Head Jeff Miller at the Brower Center in downtown Berkeley at 7 p.m. for a fun, informative, and interactive evening of science and entertainment. Two front-row tickets to the event, and a chance to meet Paglia and Ferguson, will be given to the Lab employee who comes up with the best plot for the show that involves Berkeley Lab in some way, using our researchers, scientific discoveries, or facilities. Go here to learn more about the show and watch previous episodes. Send your ideas (75 words or less) here by Friday, Jan. 29.
It’s one of Berkeley Lab's top strategic priorities, but what exactly is Carbon Cycle 2.0 and how can employees get involved? Find out Feb. 1 - 4 during a week of lunchtime symposia from noon to 2 p.m. daily. On Monday, Feb. 1, Director Paul Alivisatos will launch a "teach in" with the Lab's energy and environmental research leaders, who will show how our diverse research portfolio can be leveraged to help curb climate change and create a sustainable energy future. All staff are welcome and invited to bring their lunch. Details on the symposia will be announced in future issues of Today at Berkeley Lab.
The Bevatron, the historic site of numerous scientific milestones and launching pad for several Nobel Prizes, was decommissioned in the early 1990s and is currently being demolished. But Lab employees have an opportunity to take a last look at this magnificent facility before it is completely torn down. Tours will be offered this Friday, Jan. 15, for groups of 10 at 1, 2 and 3 p.m. Visitors will be led by Bevatron veteran Bob Miller, who will explain the ground-breaking work that took place there and how it was accomplished. Send an e-mail with first, second and third choice for tour time. Slots will be assigned on a first-come, first-served basis.
The Lab’s Earth Sciences Division hosts its next Distinguished Scientist Seminar on Friday at 10:30 a.m. in the Building 50 Auditorium. Patricia Dove, with the Department of Geosciences at Virginia Tech, will discuss “Investigating the Physical Basis of Biomineralization.” Dove’s research is focused on understanding calcification and silicification in experimental and theoretical studies of mineral nucleation, growth and demineralization in skeletal tissues and diverse earth environments.
As part of the transition to a new bus services vendor, the NextBus service, which announces the arrival of buses via electronic signage and phone, will be out of commission until Tuesday, Jan. 19. The buses will continue operating on the regular schedule during the transition period.
The Information Technology (IT) Division will be implementing an upgrade tomorrow at 6 p.m. Most business applications, including LETS, Visitor Pass Request and HRIS, will be down for as long as two hours. Go here for a complete list of affected applications.
The Berkeley Lab Learning Institute will offer classes Wednesday, Jan. 20, on enhanced features available for Microsoft Office 2007 for Excel (BLI0141) and Wednesday, Jan. 27, on Excel Pivot Tables for 2003/2007 (BLI0111). The classes, taught by CMC, are $70 each. Due to limited space, interested employees are encouraged to sign up soon. Go here for information and to register. Send Project ID numbers to Karen Paris.
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