Materials sciences researcher Ramamoorthi Ramesh provided congressional staffers with information about Lab energy research yesterday

Congressional Staffers Get Updates on Research

The Lab hosted a briefing yesterday for staff from local congressional and legislative offices, including U.S. Senators Barbara Boxer and Dianne Feinstein, Representatives Barbara Lee and Lynn Woolsey, California State Assemblywoman Loni Hancock, and the U.S. Department of Commerce. The briefing covered a range of energy topics including advancements in building technologies, the potential of nanoscale science in the energy sector, synthetic biology, and research into solar-to-chemical fuels. Director Steve Chu urged the congressional staff to take what they learned back to their offices and to continue to engage the Lab on these critical issues.

'Road Show' Will Offer
Creative Services Info

The Creative Services Office — home for high-quality illustration and design, web site development, photography and video, technical writing and editing, and printing — will be showing its wares tomorrow in a "Road Show" display in the cafeteria lobby. From 11:45 a.m to 1 p.m., representatives from each functional area will be on hand to describe the job process, from cost estimate to completion, as well as demonstrate previous contributions such as publications, posters and Internet sites.

Vendor Info Event For Electrical Subcontract

Employees are invited to attend an informational event sponsored by Procurement that features Alameda Electric, Berkeley Lab's new subcontracted small business vendor for electrical supplies, tomorrow from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. in Perseverance Hall. Meet representatives from sales, automation engineering, data communications, telecommunications, and three of their suppliers. Demonstrations on how to order electrical supplies will be given. Additional details are available here. Contact Diana Hopper (x4593) for more information.

Increase in Dust
Affecting Climate
By Dennis O'Brien

Bishop

It's a world traveler that affects climate and may have wiped out the dinosaurs. Dust, scientists say, is more than something vacuumed from under our beds. Dust storms in China routinely affect Pacific Ocean chemistry, says Berkeley Lab earth scientist James Bishop. They have a strong - if short-lived - effect on the Pacific's phytoplankton. The storms pump tons of iron-rich dust a thousand miles out to sea, increasing phytoplankton populations. But the effect lasts only two weeks, he said. Full story (registration required).

Audio Preservation Talk
By Haber Today at Noon

The second talk in Berkeley Lab's Summer Lecture Series, which is dedicated to the World Year of Physics, illustrates just how the principles of physics can apply to real-world challenges — in this case, how to preserve the historic sounds captured on fragile and aging mechanical recording devices. Today at noon in the Building 50 Auditorium, physicist Carl Haber will explain how he and colleague Vitaliy Fadeyev adapted particle detector technology to create a digitial process for preserving, and enhancing, decades-old music, speeches and archival recordings — and why the Library of Congress is interested. Staff and guests are invited to bring their lunches.

ITER Will Be Sited
In Cadarache, France

Yesterday in Moscow, Russia, the ministers representing the six International Thermocuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) parties, including Raymond Orbach, Director of the Energy Department’s Office of Science, announced the ITER international fusion reactor will be located at the EU site in Cadarache, France. Go here to read statements from U.S. government officials on the siting. The text of the announcement is available here.