Today at Berkeley Lab: March 19 2008

Wednesday, March 19, 2008

More on these and future activities is available on the

Today

11 a.m.
Nuclear Science
Jet Cross Sections and Resummations
George Sterman
Bldg. 50 Auditorium

Noon
Dance Club
Intermediate Waltz
Bldg. 51 Lobby

Noon
Environmental Energy Technologies
The Relationship Between Vehicle Weight, Size and Safety (and Fuel Economy)
Tom Wenzel
Bldg. 90-3122

12:15 p.m.
Yoga Club
Class with Chris Hoskins
Bldg. 70-191

1 p.m.
Berkeley Lab Institute
Excel Advanced
Bldg. 90-0026

CANCELLED
1 p.m.
EHS 279
Scaffold Safety
Bldg. 70A-3377

3 p.m.
Advanced Light Source
Current-Induced Dynamics of the Magnetic Vortex Core in a Ferromagnetic Circular Disk
Shinya Kasai
Bldg. 6-2202

Tomorrow

7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
EHS
Red Wing Shoemobile
Bldg. 51 Parking Lot

8:30 a.m.
Berkeley Lab Institute
Powerpoint Intermediate
Bldg. 90-0026

Noon
Environmental Energy Technologies
From Risk to Opportunity: Insurer Responses to Climate Change
Evan Mills
Bldg. 90-3122

1 p.m.
Berkeley Lab Institute
Powerpoint Advanced
Bldg. 90-0026

1:30 p.m.
Materials Sciences
Polymer Membranes That get Wetter as the Surrounding Air Gets Hotter
Nitash Balsara
Bldg. 66 Auditorium

3:30 p.m.
Chemical Sciences
Dynamics of Nanoparticles in Gas Suspension
Hans Siegmann
Bldg. 6-2202

March 17-21 Menu

Breakfast
6:30 to 10:30 a.m.
Lunch
11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Coffee Bar
Mon. - Thur: 6:30 a.m. - 6 p.m.
Friday: 6:30 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Weekends: 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

How Oxygen is Made
Using Photosystem II

Plants, algae, and cyanobacteria have taken different evolutionary paths, but the mechanism they use to sustain life on Earth by breaking water into hydrogen ions and oxygen molecules has remained unchanged for three billion years. Called photosystem II, its core is the manganese cluster, whose structure is still elusive after decades of study. In an issue of Inorganic Chemistry devoted to making oxygen, Junko Yano and Vittal Yachandra of the Physical Biosciences Division discuss problems with previous x-ray studies of the manganese cluster, leading them to refinements that suggest new models described here. Their models provide the issue's cover illustration.

Fréchet Receives Dickson
Prize for Nano Research





Fréchet

Jean Fréchet, with Berkeley Lab’s Molecular Foundry, is the 2008 recipient of the Dickson Prize. The prize is presented by Carnegie Mellon University to someone judged to have made the most progress in the field of natural sciences, engineering, computer science or mathematics in a given year. Fréchet’s research focuses on organic synthesis and polymer chemistry as applied to nanoscience and nanotechnology, specifically the design, fundamental understanding, synthesis and application of functional macromolecules. Go here for more information.

Green Buildings Cheap
Way to Slow Warming

North American homes, offices and other buildings contribute an estimated 2.2 billion tons of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere every year—more than one third of the continent's greenhouse gas pollution output. Simply constructing more energy-efficient buildings — and upgrading the insulation and windows in the existing ones — could save a whopping 1.7 billion tons annually, says a new report. "Residential is a slam-dunk, it's just a matter of applying the technology we have," says Mark Levine, with Berkeley Lab’s Environmental Energy Technologies Division. "It's the biggest sector. It's the biggest savings." Full story.

Space Still Available
For JGI User Meeting

Time is running out to register for the Joint Genome Institute third annual user meeting, which takes place March 26-28 in Walnut Creek. This international gathering of researchers with an interest in sequence-based science will offer three days of user presentations, tours, workshops, and poster sessions. This year's meeting will specifically emphasize the genomics of renewable energy strategies, biomass conversion to biofuels, environmental gene discovery, and engineering of fuel-producing organisms. A series of presentations by leading scientists advancing these topics will feature a keynote address by Berkeley Lab Director Steve Chu. Go here for more information and to register.

WEATHER

Mostly cloudy.
High: 59° (15° C)

Extended Forecast

EMERGENCY INFO

Emergency: Call x7911
Cell Phones: Call 911
Non-emergency Incident Reporting: Call x6999

SECON level 3

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