‘Peacenik’ Einstein Topic
Of Special Physics Talk

Badash

Albert Einstein is internationally famous for writing three scientific papers 100 years ago whose ideas have since influenced all of modern physics and provided the intellectual seeds for so many other technological developments. But few recognize the great scientist’s social influence as an activist, and the dangers that Einstein’s outspoken views created for him. In his talk “Einstein the Peacenik,” Santa Barbara history of science professor Lawrence Badash explores this side of Einstein’s life. A “World Year of Physics” lecture, it is free to the public and begins at 7 p.m. next Tuesday at Berkeley High School’s Florence Schwimley Little Theatre. Go here for details.

UC Gives Employees
Open Enrollment Preview

The University of California Office of the President has issued a statement on this year’s November Open Enrollment period for changes in employee benefits. Its highlights include good news on the healthcare front, key changes on supplemental disability and in carry-over of unused reimbursement account balances, and increases in some monthly medical premiums and co-payments. Go here to read the UCOP report, and here to access the University’s At Your Service” web site.

Running the Numbers
On Micro-Spectroscopy

Scientists at Berkeley Lab have developed instrumentation and algorithms that expand and enhance the capabilities of single-molecule spectroscopy. The inventions make strides towards establishing a quantitative relationship between the static structure and the dynamic function of biomolecules — a relationship the scientists believe needs to be better understood if rational drug design is to make significant advances. The apparatus includes an inverted microscope that uses a continuous laser source while retaining many of the advantages of pulsed sources, including the ability to register photon arrival times. Licensing is being invited. Read the Advanced Imaging story here.

‘Invention’ Column Cites
Lab’s Neutron Scanner

Barry Fox of New Scientist magazine’s web site has trawled the world's patent applications each week, digging out the most exciting and intriguing new ideas. His latest column, Invention, features an explosives scanner patented by Berkeley Lab that could improve security at airports and border checks. Existing security systems use X-ray wavelengths to look at the shape and density of suspect objects. The Lab system could, however, pick up explosives automatically, by firing a beam of neutrons through a target bag or package. Read the story about scientist Ka-Ngo Leung’s invention here. Read the explosives alarm patent here.

Spin-cast film of nanocrystal solar cells

Imagine a future in which the rooftops of residential homes and commercial buildings can be laminated with inexpensive, ultra-thin films of nano-sized semiconductors that will efficiently convert sunlight into electrical power and provide virtually all of our electricity needs. This future is a step closer to being realized, thanks to a scientific milestone achieved at Berkeley Lab. Lab and UC Berkeley researchers have developed the first ultra-thin solar cells comprised entirely of inorganic nanocrystals and spin-cast from solution. These dual nanocrystal solar cells are as cheap and easy to make as solar cells made from organic polymers and offer the added advantage of being stable in air because they contain no organic materials. Full story.

From the ALS
To Opening Night

Caldwell

By day, Sander Caldwell is a UC Berkeley Earth and Planetary Science geophysicist working as a guest at the Advanced Light Source. But for the past several months, he has also shared his knowledge of tectonic plates with a San Francisco-based dance troupe called Capacitor. The group’s latest production, “Digging in the Dark,” uses dance, innovative props, and interactive media to take audiences on a journey through the layers of the Earth into the core. The show, which uses the Earth’s stratum as a metaphor for human consciousness, runs through Oct. 30 at the Project Artaud Theater in San Francisco. Read more about Caldwell’s role as scientific adviser in the Nov. 18 issue of The View. Go here for more information on the show.

Give Boost to Science
Education for Kids

One in a series of profiles of local charities highlighted in the Berkeley Lab SHARES charitable giving campaign.

Community Resources for Science is a non-profit that helps elementary school teachers use science resources to give kids access to hands-on learning experiences. The Berkeley-based group believes that an early exposure to science will not only inform students' future decisions as adults and citizens, but also can offer exciting routes for learning in the elementary classroom. Find out more about Community Resources for Science here. Berkeley Lab employees can donate to the group, and many more, through the SHARES campaign, now through Nov. 18. To learn more about SHARES, go here. To make online contributions, go here. Send any questions to the SHARES answer line here.