ARISE Report Urges
Support for Research

Targeted programs and policies to support early-career investigators and high-risk, high-reward research are needed to preserve U.S. leadership in science and technology, according to a report from the American Academy of Arts and Sciences (AAAS) released yesterday. The report, ARISE: Advancing Research In Science and Engineering, documents obstacles facing faculty as they launch their independent careers, as well as the dearth of support for potentially transformative science and technology research. Berkeley Lab Director Steve Chu was a member of a blue-ribbon study committee convened by the AAAS to examine alternative models for the federal funding of science. Full story.

Getting to the Bottom
Of Dark Energy Mystery

This fall, NASA and the Department of Energy plan to invite proposals for a $600 million satellite mission devoted to dark energy. But some scientists fear that might not be enough. When astronomers and physicists gathered at the Space Telescope Science Institute recently to take stock of the revolution, their despair of getting to the bottom of the dark energy mystery anytime soon, if ever, was palpable, even as they anticipate a flood of new data from the sky in coming years. Berkeley Lab physcist Saul Perlmutter said, “The challenge is to make dramatic improvements in the quality of the data,” adding, “The next decade should be a very fertile time.” Full story.

Get Ready for Emergency
Preparedness Week

Berkeley Lab will launch Emergency Preparedness Week on Monday with events to promote awareness of what to do in an emergency. It starts with a “Drop, Cover and Hold” evacuation drill on Monday from 10 to 10:30 a.m.; a fair on Tuesday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. outside the cafeteria, featuring vendors, give-aways, raffle prizes, music and food; a noon lecture Wednesday in the Bldg. 50 Auditorium on the effect of a Hayward Fault earthquake on the Lab; a High Angle Rescue demonstration on Thursday at 10 a.m. in front of the Firehouse and a noon lecture in Perseverance Hall on Personal and Family Preparedness; and another noon lecture on Friday at the Bldg. 50 Auditorium by the Fritz Institute on Bay Area earthquake preparedness.  Look for updates in Today at Berkeley Lab next week.

Healthy, Happy Living
Focus of Wellness Fair