Hawking Serenaded
With Lab Staff's Lyrics

Hawking

Before he spoke at UC Berkeley’s Zellerbach Hall on Tuesday, cosmology superstar Stephen Hawking was honored at a reception at the Chancellor’s house. There, he was serenaded by singers from the Oakland Symphony Chorus, who performed songs by two of the Lab’s own — former science writer Judith Goldhaber (lyricist) and astrophysicist Carl Pennypacker (composer). The songs were from an original musical, “Falling Through a Hole in the Air,” based Hawking's life. After the performance, Hawking typed out a message saying, “That was very good!" Another story on Hawking's appearance, including a quote from Berkeley Lab physicist Marvin Cohen, who organized Hawking's visit, appeared in the San Francisco Chronicle.

THEMIS Detectors Deliver
Data on Magnetosphere

THEMIS spacecraft with detectors

Instruments known as solid-state telescopes, built with detectors fabricated at Berkeley Lab and carried aboard the recently launched THEMIS mission, have delivered their first data on how charged particles in the solar wind interact with Earth's magnetic field to shape the planet's magnetosphere. Five THEMIS spacecraft were launched from Cape Canaveral aboard a single rocket in February. Eventually, the five will study the mysterious eruptions in Earth's Northern and Southern Lights known as "substorms," but first they must achieve widely separated orbits, a process that will take several months. Full story.

Sharing Genes Happens Frequently, Studies Show

Archaea organism

Two new studies by UC Berkeley researchers — including Berkeley Lab physical bioscientist Sung-Hou Kim and earth scientist Jillian Banfield —  highlight the amazing promiscuity of genes, which appear to shuttle frequently between organisms, especially more primitive organisms, and often in packs. This is the first observation of exchange of very large genomic blocks between organisms in a natural microbial community, according to a team of researchers from Berkeley, Oak Ridge and Livermore Labs, as well as the Joint Genome Institute. Full story.

Chu Workplace Survey Discussion in 937 Today

All Berkeley Lab employees in Building 937 downtown — especially those who participated in last year's Workplace Climate Survey — are invited to discuss the survey results with Lab Director Steve Chu today at noon in Room 302. This is the second of three brown-bag meetings that Chu has scheduled to talk about employee concerns as expressed in the first-ever workplace survey. The final discussion is set for next Tuesday at noon in Perseverance Hall.

Keyboard Shortcuts
Relieve Mouse Stress

Part of working smart includes avoiding repetitive motions. Keyboard shortcuts allow computer users to relieve the strain of repetitive mouse use. Frequent mousing can place strain on the shoulder, arm, wrist, and thumb, and lead to ergonomics-related problems. Keyboard shortcuts for common tasks such as cutting and pasting allow users to avoid these pitfalls. A list of Windows keyboard shortcuts can be found here.

New Drilling, Digging
Rules Improve Safety

The Lab's Facilities Department has instituted a rigorous new program to improve the safety of employees and contractors who are digging, drilling, or excavating at the Lab. One of the program's key requirements is the designation of a single Responsible Individual (RI) for any excavation. The RI is responsible for obtaining a Penetration Permit and overseeing the safety of the excavation. To become an RI, training course FAC0070 (Penetration Permit Procedure Training) must be taken. Go here to register for the class. No permits will be issued unless this course is completed. Go here to view the Facilities Penetration Permit procedure (ADMN-0053). The permit application form and checklist are available here.

Workshop Helps Staff
Improve Software Skills

The Berkeley Lab Institute (BLI) is offering intermediate and advanced Microsoft Excel and Word classes on Tuesday, April 10, and Wednesday, April 11, in the Building 90-0026 training room. The classes will be taught by a representative from Learn iT, a software skills training company.  The cost is $40 per attendee per session. Scientists, postdocs, and administrative staff are invited to attend. Go to here to enroll and view the specific software functions that will be covered in each course.