Hot Debate Over How
Islands Are Formed
By Keay Davidson

DePaolo

One of the most popular ideas of modern geology is in trouble — the theory that plumes bring us scientific treasures from near the center of the Earth. Geoscientists rely on plumes to push those treasures from the edge of Earth's core through its overlying mantle to the surface, where they gush from volcanoes. Geoscientists also invoke plumes to explain so-called swells where Earth's crust bulges upward. For these and other reasons, "if there were no plumes, it would be a great disappointment," says Berkeley Lab geoscientist Donald DePaolo. And that's the rub, for now some experts are starting to question the whole plume hypothesis. Full story.

Iglesia Receives
Catalysis Lectureship

Iglesia

Enrique Iglesia, professor at UC Berkeley and scientist in Berkeley Lab's Chemical Sciences Division, has been awarded the 2005 Robert Burwell Lectureship in Catalysis. The award is given in recognition of substantial contributions to one or more areas in the field of catalysis. Iglesia was commended for creating "fascinating stories connecting the chemistry of materials, kinetics, in situ characterization, and reaction-transport models to understand industrial catalysis and to design new catalysts." The lectureship provides an honorarium and a travel stipend that will allow him to present lectures at catalysis clubs throughout North America. More details are available here.

Chemistry Nobelist
Will Speak Today

Agre

Nobel Laureate Peter Agre will give today's Biosciences Distinguished Lecture — entitled " Aquaporin Water Channels: From Atomic Structure to Clinical Medicine" — at 4 p.m. in the Building 66 Auditorium. Agre is Professor of Biological Chemistry and Professor of Medicine at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. He shared the 2003 Nobel Prize in Chemistry "for discoveries concerning channels in cell membranes," specifically for his discovery of highly selective water channel proteins known as aquaporins. Agre's serendipitous discovery of the first aquaporin protein in red blood cell membranes has led to important new insights into normal cell physiology and to better understanding of selected human disease states. Go here for more information about Agre's research.

Comments on Health
Services Sought

The Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care (AAAHC) will survey the Lab's Health Services on Jan. 20 to measure the quality of its performance against nationally recognized standards. In conjunction with this survey, employees are invited to provide comments about the Lab's Health Services to AAAHC, following these instructions.

New Weight Watchers
Series Starts Tomorrow

Those interested in joining the Lab's onsite Weight Watchers group can attend the first meeting of the next session tomorrow at 1:15 p.m. in Health Services (Building 26). Members of the last session (Sept. 15 through Dec. 22) collectively lost more than 215 pounds. Cost is $153.30 for the next 14-week session. For more information, contact Cathy Wentworth (x5334).