Nobel Laureate Rings Energy Alarm Bell

Richard Smalley, a Rice University professor who won a Nobel Prize in chemistry in 1996, is calling on the United States to mount a multibillion-dollar campaign to fund research into alternative energy or else face the consequences. Smalley, who is mostly known for his work with carbon nanotubes, is part of a growing cadre of scientists and technicians focusing on what happens as oil, coal and gas supplies shrink over the next two decades. Nobel prize winner Steven Chu, for instance, left Stanford to head up the federally funded Berkeley Lab, in part he said, to promote energy research. Full story.

There's Hope for My
Shawn Cassidy Record?

Vinyl anachronists who've refused to digitize their collections, citing the inferior quality of bits versus grooves, might want to pay a visit to Berkeley Lab, where scientists Carl Haber and Vitaliy Fadeyev have developed a novel means of making perfect digital reproductions of vinyl recordings — with the same technology used to search for the Higgs boson. Go here and scroll down to fourth story.

Ergonomic Tips
For Computer Users

Employees who use a desktop computer, whether at work or home, can improve their own personal ergonomics — and avoid injury — by incorporating a few basic principles. Go here to learn more about making computer use safer and more comfortable.

Important Dates
For Facilities Services

Mailroom employee Chris Blanchard.

Services provided by Facilities will be adjusted, due to the holiday shutdown, which runs Dec. 24 through Jan. 2. The mailroom will be open Dec. 27 to 30. Receiving will be open on Dec. 28 and 29. Those requiring the delivery of packages during the shutdown period should send an e-mail message to Tammy Brown by Dec. 22. Bus, transportation and fleet services will be closed throughout the shutdown. All services will be operational on Monday, Jan. 3.

Pager Radio System
Stops on Thursday

The Lab's voice pager radio system will cease operations at close of business on Thursday, Dec. 23. This is due to new National Telecommunications and Information Administration regulations. Old voice pagers (see photos) may be turned in to the Radio Shop at Building 41 or mailed to MS 25A-119 for recycling. Go here to view replacement non-voice numeric and alphanumeric commercial pagers. For more information, contact Telephone Services (x7997).

Lab Anti-Virus Software
Covers Home Computers

Did you know that the Lab has a special license with Symantec to cover Lab employees' home PC's and Macintoshes? You can download Norton Anti-virus from the Lab's software download page without charge — provided that you own the PC or Mac to which the software is downloaded. Be sure to also update the anti-virus software on your home machine every day, just as you do on your Lab computer.