Is Nuclear Power
A Viable Energy Source?

As the U.S. begins to take a serious look at how to tackle climate change and its ongoing dependence on foreign oil, nuclear energy is capturing widespread attention for the first time in more than a generation. No new reactors have been ordered since 1979, but the Bush administration is pushing development of new nuclear plants and the refurbishment of existing ones. While some scientists have expressed concerns over cost and safety, others, such as Berkeley Lab Director Steve Chu, feel exploring nuclear options, along with renewable energy and conservation research, is important in the fight against climate change. Full story.

iPhone Search Tool
Technology Released

SeeqPod, Inc., a search and discovery technology company which allows users to instantly play search results, recently announced the release of a new iPhone widget. The widget enables iPhone users to search for, discover, and play music from the Internet. Originally developed at Berkeley Lab, SeeqPod’s technology, based on a biomimetic approach, works by mimicking the way the human brain processes information and creates associations. Full story.

Lab Issues Notices
For Helios, CRT Projects

Berkeley Lab issued two Notices of Preparation yesterday for two draft environmental impact reports (EIRs) that will evaluate the environmental impacts of the Helios Energy Research Facility project and the Computational Research and Theory (CRT) Facility project. Go here for more information on the proposed projects and to download copies of the two Notices of Preparation. The documents are also available at the Berkeley Public Library and the Berkeley Lab Library. The period to provide comments on the scope of the draft EIRs is 30 days, extending from July 26 to Aug. 24.

New Website Launched
For Scientific Reports

The Department of Energy’s Office of Scientific and Technical Information has recently launched a new website — Science Accelerator — that offers the ability to perform one-stop searches for documents generated by Science Conference Proceedings, DOE R&D Accomplishments, DOE R&D Project Summaries, Energy Citations Database, EnergyFiles, E-print Network, Federal R&D Project Summaries, and Information Bridge. Go here to access Science Accelerator.

Trail on Centennial
Closed Until Aug. 3