Lab Technology Brings
Back Jack London’s Voice

London

The voice of the famed author Jack London can now be heard in a two minute recording made almost a century ago. It was recovered from a wax recording cylinder using an optical scanning method to map the grooves on records and wax cylinders, a technology developed at Berkeley Lab. "It's exciting to be able to take this inanimate object and then apply a technical set of measurements and then hear a human voice from 100 years ago," physicist Carl Haber said. "The object is an unusual intersection that connects people over a great span of time. That's a thrill and you feel quite privileged." Full story.

New Telescopic Technique
To be Tested in Antartica

Robotic telescope in Antartica

A robotic observatory installed at a high-altitude site in Antarctica will search for planets orbiting other stars and test the site's potential for more ambitious observatories that could follow. A team of astronomers hopes to return in 2009 with a trio of telescopes, using a technique called microlensing, in which a planet's gravity bends the light of a distant background star and makes it appear to brighten, says former Berkeley Lab physicist Lifan Wang, now at Texas A&M. The team also includes Lab guest Carl Pennypacker. Full story.

Heart Health Talk
Thursday, Feb. 21

The Lab’s Health Care Facilitator’s office would like to invite all employees to attend a brown-bag meeting entitled “Heart Health.” It will be held from noon to 1 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 21, in Perseverance Hall. Speaker Brian Cain, a cardiovascular surgeon, will discuss various surgical and non-surgical heart treatment options, among other topics. Bring your lunch and questions for Dr. Cain.

Targeting Cancer
With Peptide Coupling

Francis

Berkeley Lab materials scientist Matthew Francis and his colleagues at UC Berkeley have attached different peptides to the outer shell (capsid) of an icosahedrally- shaped virus particle called bacteriophage MS2. The group has previously used such capsids to house gadolinium complexes, which have applications in medical imaging. Looking to the future, Francis suggested that his peptide coupling method could find applications in both biochemical and materials science fields. His team is currently investigating the modified capsids' abilities to target tumors in vivo. Full story.

After-Hours First Aid
Kit Available at Bldg. 26

A first aid kit is available outside of the main doors of Building 26 (Health Services) between 3:30 p.m. and 7:30 a.m. on weekdays and all day on weekends. The kit — for minor, non-life-threatening injuries such as cuts and scratches — is provided by the Emergency Preparedness Subcommittee, Medical Services, and the Security & Emergency Operations Group. To access the kit, present a Lab ID to the card reader. When the green light appears, turn the latch clockwise to open the cabinet. Health Services physician Peter Lichty will contact the injured to assess progress. Between 7:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m., go to Health Services for minor injuries. For serious or life-threatening injuries, call x7911.  For more information, contact Health Services at x6266.

Improve Leadership,
Motivational Skills

To assist employees in developing the skills to lead and motivate others, the Berkeley Lab Institute is sponsoring a course for supervisors, managers and work leads in science, engineering, technical and operation areas on "Fundamentals of Leading and Motivating People." This two-day course will be offered four times this year. Go here for more information on the course and a link to register.