Today at Berkeley Lab: June 27, 2006

Tuesday, June 27, 2006

Today

8:30 to 10:15 a.m.
Human Resources
New Employee Orientation
Bldg. 50 Auditorium

9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
EHS
Onsite Chair Massages
Bldg. 26-115

11 a.m.
Berkeley Lab Institute
Writing Your Self Assessment
70A-3377

1:15 p.m.
Environment, Health and Safety
EHS739/735/738
Bloodborne Pathogens/Biosafety Training
Bldg. 70A-3377

3 p.m.
EHS730
Medical/Biohazardous Waste
Bldg. 70A-3377

Tomorrow

9:30 a.m.
EHS 604
Hazardous Waste Generator
Bldg. 70A-3377

11 a.m.
EHS 622
Radioactive/Mixed Waste Generator
Bldg. 70A-3377

Noon
Yoga Club
Class with Chris Hoskins
Bldg. 70-191

Noon
Yoga Club
Class with Naomi Hartwig
Bldg. 937-302

1:30 p.m.
Material Science
Isokinetic Effects in Catalysis Ragnar Larsson, Lund U.
Bldg. 62-203

2 p.m.
Environmental Energy Technologies
Model-Based Control: Development of a Software Tool for Responsive Building Research, Design and Operation
Brian Coffey, Concordia U.
Bldg. 90-4133

4 p.m.
Interdisciplinary Instrumentation
Shaping the Future of Electron Microscopy: The TEAM Microscope
Christian Kisielowski
Bldg. 50 Auditorium

Morning Editions: 3 Pancakes with Bacon and 2 Eggs
Market Carvery: Beef Brisket with Potatoes and Salad
The Fresh Grille: BBQ Turkey Sandwich with Coleslaw and Fruit
Menutainment: Fiesta Taco Salad

B'fast:	6:30 a.m. - 9:30 a.m.
Lunch:	11 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.
Full menu

Dinosaur Extinction Talk Starts Summer Lectures

As part of the Lab's annual Summer Lecture series, Berkeley Lab physicist Richard Muller will discuss how he, Nobel laureate Luis Alvarez and colleagues discovered how an asteroid impact killed the dinosaurs. The event takes place on Friday at noon in the Building 50 Auditorium. He'll also explain what scientists have learned in the subsequent 27 years. Alvarez's team detected unusual amounts of iridium in sedimentary layers. They attributed the excess iridium to an impact from a large asteroid. This year, the Summer Lecture Series celebrates the Lab's 75th anniversary. Go here to see a schedule of this summer's lectures.

JGI, Lab Players
In Ethanol Programs

Two recent articles by Contra Costa Times reporter Betsy Mason outline how the Joint Genome Institute is using genetic research on Poplar trees and switch grass for use in producing ethanol, grain alcohol that can be used as vehicle fuel, and how JGI and Berkeley Lab figure large in the effort to host one of two new Department of Energy institutes for researching bioenergy, such as ethanol.

Generator Test Run
Takes Place Today

The Facilities Division will be performing 12kV switching today in order to test run the Lab's 2MW generator. The procedure will be transparent and it is highly unlikely that an interruption will occur, but the possibility always exists. Employees should take all necessary precautions to protect data and equipment. For questions or additional information, contact Jim Murphy (x4175).

New Light on Water
Controversy Shed





Head-Gordon

The curtain may be coming down on a scientific controversy regarding the structure of water, which arose two years ago. A new study led by Berkeley Lab physical bioscientist Teresa Head-Gordon has provided further evidence that the traditional structure of liquid water, in which the average water molecule is hydrogen-bonded to approximately four other water molecules in a tetrahedral arrangement, is correct. Analyzing data collected at the Advanced Light Source, Head-Gordon's team showed that while "rings and chains" may exist for a few femtoseconds, the average structure of liquid water is the familiar tetrahedral network. Full story.

Daya Bay

Daya Bay Could Answer
Key Neutrino Questions

Physicists want to measure the mixing angle theta 1,3 to learn how the masses of the three flavors of neutrinos combine. Kam-Biu Luk of the Physics Department found the ideal place, the nuclear reactors at China's mountainous Daya Bay. Luk is co-spokesperson for a collaborative experiment that includes China, the U.S., and other countries; the Engineering Division's Bill Edwards is U.S Project Manager for construction. With Associate Laboratory Director James Siegrist they recently returned from China, helping plan the next steps in the $30 million undertaking. The Chinese Academy of Sciences has approved, and DOE has made a significant investment. Read more about Daya Bay here.

Santa Cruz Chancellor
Died on Saturday





Denton

Denice Denton, chancellor of the UC Santa Cruz campus, died on Saturday after falling from a high-rise building in San Francisco, in what appears to be suicide. The former engineering dean at the University of Washington was appointed Santa Cruz's chancellor a little over a year ago. Go here to read a statement from UC President Robert Dynes.

WEATHER

Partly cloudy.
High: 76° (24° C)

Extended Forecast

SECURITY CONDITION

SECON level 3

More Information

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