A ’Cosmic Jerk’ That
Reversed the Universe
By Dennis Overbye

Astronomers said last Friday that they had determined the time in cosmic history when a mysterious force, "dark energy," began to wrench the universe apart. The results were based on observations by a multinational team of astronomers who used the Hubble Space Telescope to reach back in time, three-quarters of the way to the Big Bang. The results should help quell remaining doubts that the expansion of the universe is really accelerating, as was discovered by the Lab’s Saul Perlmutter five years ago. Full story.

Journal Gives Science
Back to the People
By Rosie Mestel

Eisen

The inaugural issue of a new scientific publication appeared online today, its pages brimming with studies on elephants, biological clocks and thought-controlled robotic arms. Its publishers are hoping it will spark a revolution. The journal, Public Library of Science Biology, can be read, downloaded and copied free by anyone with Internet access - distinguishing it from the vast majority of scientific journals, which charge annual subscription fees that can run into the thousands of dollars. The San Francisco-based, nonprofit Public Library of Science is the brainchild of Nobel laureate Harold E. Varmus, molecular biologist Patrick O. Brown of Stanford University and Michael Eisen, a scientist at Berkeley Laboratory. Full story.

Get Your Jewelry, Just
In Time for the Holidays

Karats will be at the Lab today, in the cafeteria lobby, between 8 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. selling 14kt gold and silver jewelry. And for those who’d like to spread out their payments, Karats offers a convenient lay-away plan. The event is sponsored by the Employees Activities Association.

Open Enrollment Uses
New System This Year

Telephones are out, and computers are in. This year, employees will make Open Enrollment changes to their health plans via the Internet. Instructions on how to use this new online system will be included in the Open Enrollment Packet, to be mailed in late October. Staff who don’t have access to computers can use the computer lab located in Building 51L, on Nov. 11 and Nov. 18, between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m., and Nov. 25, between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. Those needing further assistance can contact the Lab’s Benefits Office at x6403 for help. More information about Open Enrollment will appear in this week’s issue of the View.

Larson

Warning About IM and
Chat Sessions at the Lab

The use of Lab computers to participate in chat and IM (Instant Messaging) sessions for reasons other than direct, work-related purposes is strongly discouraged. These sessions interfere with employee productivity, and can result in violation of Section 9 of the RPM.