May
4, 2001
|
May
4, 2001 |
|
|
|
Director Shank Offers Early Look at the New DOE Budget The ALS Helps Make A Better Baby Diaper
Director Shank Offers Early Look at the New DOE BudgetBy Lynn Yarris
"The budget for FY 2002 is a work in progress that won't be done until the President signs it in the fall, but if all the stars are in order, we have the potential for a reasonably good year," said Berkeley Lab Director Charles Shank in a noontime address to employees last Thursday, April 24, in the Building 50 auditorium. With or without the stars being in order, Director Shank told attendees that the Laboratory "seems to be on solid ground" with regards to its FY 2002 budget prospects. Although there's a long way to go in the process and it is much too early for predictions, Shank said there is "strong and growing support for both the Office of Science and energy efficiency in Congress." The Office of Science (OS) in the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is the principal funding agency for Berkeley Lab. Shank had just returned from Washington where he met with Secretary of Energy Spencer Abraham. The Director expressed confidence that the new energy secretary appreciates the importance of DOE's role in science. "DOE's science and technology budget would go up by $4.4 million," Shank pointed out, which can be seen as a positive development given the cuts DOE would face in the environmental quality and energy resources programs. Shank also noted that there is strong external support for OS programs. An energy sciences coalition of university and industry representatives have advocated a 15 percent increase in the OS budget. The energy efficiency community is also pushing for an increase. While the House budget resolution mirrors the Bush administration budget request for OS, the Senate budget resolution would give OS an additional $469 million. The Senate would also add approximately $200 million to the administration's budget request for energy efficiency and renewable energy programs. "Reconciliation of the House and Senate budgets will provide guidance for appropriations," Shank said. This reconciliation will take place sometime within the next few weeks. The DOE budget proposed for Berkeley Lab in FY 2002 is roughly $285 million. If the stars are in order for our Laboratory, we could see up to $104.7 million in work for others and $50.4 million in construction and equipment money. This would push FY 2002 funding for the Lab to $440.4 million, a respectable increase from the $419.8 million that has been projected for this fiscal year. Under the Bush administration's request, most program budgets would remain essentially flat, with high energy and nuclear physics showing slight decreases and basic energy sciences showing a small increase. (The high energy money would go to increasing the operational times of the Tevatron at Fermilab and the B factory at SLAC.) Under the administration's proposals, the biggest reduction - about 20 percent - would fall on biological and environmental research programs. But as the Director repeatedly emphasized, the process does have a long way to go before the President finally signs off on a budget. In a question and answer session following Shank's budget address, the Director was asked about the prospect for Secretary Abraham naming someone to head the Office of Science in the near future. Shank said that Abraham is most likely to work for confirmation of the administration's nominees for DOE's under secretary and deputy secretary positions. Also, he would not expect the OS position to be filled before President Bush names his own science advisor.
The ALS Helps Make A Better Baby DiaperBy Art Robinson
Primarily a tool for basic research, the Lab's Advanced Light Source (ALS) has its share of industrial users seeking solutions to some rather down-to-earth challenges. Among the latest resear-chers to set up shop at the ALS: the manufacturers of materials for disposable diapers - a $2 billion global industry. (The market for the diapers themselves is $20 billion.) The challenge of making a better baby diaper are twofold. First, to keep the baby dry, the diaper must be able to absorb a large quantity of liquid; then, as baby diaper scientists describe it, they need to "hold it under load" as the baby moves around. Parents don't make matters any easier for the manufacturers by demanding only thin diapers. Through their buying habits they have ruled out the extensive use of the bulky cellulose fluff that once used to stuff disposable diapers. Replacing that are superabsorbent polymers - materials with long chains of intertwining molecules that can soak up lots of liquid - which now dominate the disposable diaper market. By means of chemical reactions on the surfaces of submillimeter-sized, superabsorbent polymer beads, manufacturers fashion thin shells of tightly crosslinked polymers in which the strands are connected at the cross links. The shell makes it more difficult for liquid to leak out, but actual performance depends on the microscopic details of the shell structure, such as variations in the crosslinking through and around the shell. Enter the ALS Examining this kind of structural detail has been difficult until now, but scientists have found a way to do it by using the synchrotron radiation produced at the ALS. Researchers from the Dow Chemical Company teamed with academic colleagues to use an x-ray microscopy technique to analyze shells formed in a variety of ways. They were able to map the variation in the shells' crosslink density, providing a way to gauge the effect of shell-formation processes at the microscopic level - and thereby, to improve the production process. The experiments were such a success that Dow has used the results to help develop the process technology now being designed for a new superabsorbent polymer manufacturing plant. How it's done Superabsorbent polymers - used not only in baby diapers but in a wide range of other products - are an example of a polymer gel. Occurring in both natural and synthetic forms, polymer gels exhibit an intriguing combination of the properties of both liquids and solids. One feature that makes gels useful is their ability to respond strongly to very weak external stimuli, such as minute changes in pH or temperature. For example, a polymer gel might first absorb a quantity of liquid and later release it as external conditions change. Timed release of pharmaceuticals is one example among many in which a control stimulus determines the rate of release. Crosslinking is a key feature of the polymer microstructure that governs actual performance. Dow sells superabsorbent polymers in the form of beads of sodium polyacrylate less than 1 millimeter in size that are lightly crosslinked to form an insoluble, hydrophilic gel. The ability to soak up great quantities of fluid makes superabsorbent polymers attractive for use in diapers. But like a compressed sponge, some of the fluid is squeezed back out when the baby moves, negating part of the benefit. The strategy for preventing leakage under weight-bearing load is the formation of a thin shell of more tightly crosslinked polymer. The effectiveness of the shell depends in part on the density of the crosslinking through it - a distance of several microns. Several different methods have been developed to make surface crosslinked superabsorbent polymers gels, but until now no good method was available to visualize and assess the resulting core-shell structure and the crosslink density profile. To obtain that information, the researchers turned to one of the ALS's scanning transmission x-ray microscopes to perform near-edge x-ray absorption fine structure spectromicroscopy. They were able to produce images of the polymers in the fully hydrated (excess water) state. Because the x-ray energy could be tuned to a value where the carbon in the polymer absorbs and the water is almost transparent, they could map the areas where crosslinking was higher by observing the increased carbon content in these regions. Crosslinking was stimulated by treating the surface of the superabsorbent polymer beads with varying solutions. Sectioned beads were then exposed to a saline solution to put them in the fully swollen state for imaging. Analysis of the images yielded two extreme cases for the crosslink profile through the shell. In one, the crosslink density decreased smoothly over a distance of 18 microns from a maximum at the outer surface. In the other, the density was uniform over a distance of five microns and then dropped abruptly. These differences reflect a complicated interplay between the dynamics of the swelling of the bead in water, the diffusion rate of the crosslinker in the water phase, and the rate of the crosslinking reaction. This interplay can make or break the design of better baby diapers - and the prospect for dryer, happier babies. Editor's Note: This is an edited version of an article written by the author for the online publication ALS News.
The Universe May Be Flat, But It's Musical AnywayBy Paul Preuss I grant you that no sounds are given forth, but I affirm … that the movements of the planets are modulated according to harmonic proportions. - Johannes Kepler, 1619 Kepler was wrong about the planets, but the latest word on the cosmic microwave background (CMB) shows he would have been right about the universe as a whole.
The MAXIMA, BOOMERANG and DASI collaborations, which measure minute variations in the CMB, reported new results last weekend at the American Physical Society meeting in Washington, D.C. All three agree remarkably about what the "harmonic proportions" of the cosmos imply: not only is the universe flat, but its structure is definitely due to inflation, not to topological defects in the early universe. The results were presented as plots of slight temperature variations in the CMB that graph sound waves in the dense early universe. These high-resolution "power spectra" show not only a strong primary resonance but are consistent with two additional harmonics, or peaks. MAXIMA and BOOMERANG were balloon-borne experiments that mapped parts of the sky over east Texas and Antarctica, respectively. First findings were reported a year ago, but the new analyses include much more data in the case of BOOMERANG and greatly refined data in the case of MAXIMA. The DASI collaboration is a ground-based experiment at the South Pole whose results were reported for the first time at the Washington meeting. Last year both MAXIMA and BOOMERANG clearly showed strong fluctuations on a scale of about one degree - the first "peak" in the CMB power spectrum - but only hinted at a second peak (see Currents, May 5, 2000). In the new analyses, the power in the second peak region is clearly shown and the height of a third peak is suggested. When the universe sang The peaks indicate harmonics in the sound waves that filled the early, dense universe. Until some 300,000 years after the Big Bang, the universe was so hot that matter and radiation were entangled in a kind of soup in which sound waves (pressure waves) could vibrate. The CMB is a relic of the moment when the universe had cooled enough so that photons could "decouple" from electrons, protons, and neutrons; then atoms formed and light went on its way. At the moment of decoupling, the pressure waves left telltale traces of their existence in the form of slight temperature variations in the CMB, which in the intervening 10 billion years or so has cooled to a mere three degrees Kelvin. In 1992 George Smoot, a member of the Physics Division and a professor of physics at UC Berkeley, led the team that first detected fluctuations in the CMB with an experiment aboard the Cosmic Background Explorer satellite, COBE. "Since the initial COBE mapping, many ground and balloon-based experiments have shown that the fluctuations have a peak in power at about one angular degree," says Smoot, who is a member of the MAXIMA collaboration. Not exactly the music of the spheres Analogous to the "first harmonic" of a vibrating string, the peak showed up strongly on the initial results from MAXIMA and BOOMERANG, indicating features of one angular degree - indicating that the universe is flat. Had the variations been smaller or larger than a degree, they would have indicated a universe whose geometry is negatively or positively curved, like the surface of a saddle or a sphere. The width and position of the first peak indicate that fluctuations on all scales were already in place at the earliest moments of the universe. A period of rapid expansion in the early moments of the universe could have set these perturbations in place by blowing up microscopic quantum fluctuations to astronomical scales - seeding the galaxies and nets of galaxies we see today. This explanation implies that there should be fluctuations at other scales as well, forming additional peaks on the power spectrum at half the fundamental scale, a third the fundamental scale, and so on. Last year neither BOOMERANG nor MAXIMA claimed to have observed a second peak, although their initial analyses were highly suggestive of one. Digging deeper in the data BOOMERANG, whose initial analysis was based on only half the information from one channel of its instrument, has now analyzed the data from four channels and plotted finer features with much greater certainty. Meanwhile, by rigorously eliminating noise, the MAXIMA collaborators produced a high-resolution map with pixels just one twentieth of a degree wide - resolution nearly twice as fine as their initial map. Both new analyses clearly show the power in the second peak and suggest the height of the third - as does DASI.
DASI, the Degree Angular Scale Interferometer at the South Pole, also produced a CMB power spectrum with three harmonic peaks. Had the structure of the universe been seeded not by inflation but by topological defects (that is, by phase changes in the extreme energies of the early universe) the first peak in the CMB power spectrum would have been broader and lacking harmonics. Instead, the new results show that the second peak is not pronounced, but the third is prominent and may even be elevated. If so, one explanation could be that the universe contains slightly more baryons (ordinary matter) than currently predicted by models of the synthesis of light elements in the Big Bang. Julian Borrill, an astrophysicist in NERSC, devised the MADCAP software package used in the initial analysis of both MAXIMA and BOOMERANG and the re-analysis of MAXIMA. "The new results really constrain the possible values of the fundamental parameters of cosmology," says Borrill, who is a member of both teams. "Last year, with only one clear peak, we had flatness and not much more. More peaks give us much more leverage to determine the parameters precisely." MAXIMA is led by Paul Richards of Berkeley Lab's Materials Sciences Division and Adrian Lee of the Physics Division, both in the Physics Department at UC, and by Shaul Hanany of the University of Minnesota. BOOMERANG's U.S. collaborators are led by Andrew Lange of Caltech. MAXIMA's website is http://cfpa.berkeley.edu/group/cmb, BOOMERANG's is http://www.physics.ucsb.edu/~boomerang/, and information about DASI can be found at http://www-news.uchicago.edu/releases/01/dasi/index-embargoed.shtml.
Washington ReportHouse Science Committee Differs with Bush Administration on R&D Budget"I know you're underfunded. You know you're underfunded. I can say it publicly. You have to be more circumspect." Those were the words of House Science Committee Chairman Sherwood Boehlert (R-N.Y.) to James Decker, acting director for DOE's Office of Science (OS), NASA Director Daniel Goldin, National Science Foundation Director Rita Colwell and Scot Gudes, acting administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, at a hearing which began last week on the Administration's proposed budgets for federal R&D in FY 2002. Boehlert called the administration's budget proposals for OS, NASA, NSF and NOAA "particularly disappointing." He and other members of the panel promised to follow the Senate's leads in seeking more money for those four agencies in FY02. Under the Bush Administration's proposals, the budgets for OS, NASA and NSF would remain essentially flat, and NOAA would see a small cut. Boehlert pledged to work with "my colleagues on this committee, the Budget Committee and the Appropriations Committee, as well as the administration" to increase the budgets for FY02. He praised the Senate leadership which, at the urging of Pete Domenici (R-N.M.), amended its FY02 budget resolution to add $469 million for civilian science programs at DOE. Domenici chairs the Senate Budget Committee and the Senate Appropriations subcommittee on energy and water development, the latter of which specifies funding for OS programs. Other members of the Science Committee also echoed Boehlert's support for increased funding of the four agencies. "Please know that we will do what we can to increase funding in appropriate areas," said Rep. Constance Morella, (R-MD). Rep. Felix Grucci Jr. (R-NY) questioned whether the administration plans to provide money to repair aging facilities at Brookhaven National Laboratory, located in his Long Island district. Decker said BNL and DOE's other civilian labs reported to his office last fall on their needs for new and repaired facilities, but the administration has not yet considered them. Proposed Cuts in Renewables CriticizedHouse Science Energy Subcommittee Chairman Roscoe Bartlett (R-MD) said last week that he was "shocked" and "distressed" by the Bush administration's proposed cuts in renewable energy R&D funding for FY 2002. "I may be a politically incorrect conservative, but I'm a big supporter of renewable energy," said Bartlett at his committee's hearings which also opened this past week. The Bush Administration's request for DOE's renewable energy R&D is $237.5 million - a decrease of $135.7 million, or 36 percent, from FY01. The budgets for wind, geothermal and solar energy would be cut in half. "I am distressed that there may be an inadequate appreciation of how much we need these renewable technologies," Bartlett said. Rep. Vern Ehlers (R-Mich.), the only scientist now serving in Congress, concurred with Bartlett comments. "We should expend much more effort as a nation and at DOE on renewable energy and energy efficiency," he said.
Mina Bissell Honored in Paris
The honor of Doctor Honoris Causa was conferred on Life Sciences Division Director Mina Bissell by the Universite Pierre & Marie Curie in Paris, France. She is shown here with University President Jean Lemerle. Dr. Bissell's honorary doctorate recognizes her contributions to establishing the central role that the extracellular matrix and a cell's microenvironment play in differentiation, program-med cell death, and cancer.
National Academy Of Sciences Elects Four Berkeley Lab ScientistsTmong the 72 new members and 15 foreign associates elected to the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) on Tuesday, May 1, were four members of Berkeley Lab's scientific staff. Stuart Freedman of the Nuclear Sciences Division, Inez Fung of the Earth Sciences Division, and Alexander Glazer of the Physical Biosciences Division are already at the Lab, and John Kuriyan will join the Physical Biosciences Division later this year. More information about Berkeley Lab's recipients of this high honor will be included in the May 18 edition of Currents. DOE Launches Internet PortalThe U.S. Department of Energy, in conjunction with Los Alamos National Laboratory and Innovative Web Applications (IWA), announ-ced the launch of the new Internet portal that provides a single point of access to a wide range of information about DOE directives, regulations and policies. The site, at www.directives.doe.gov, allows employees, contractors, and the public to view new directives and standards as soon as they are published. The website also offers a search engine to DOE's databases, downloadable forms, and an automatic e-mail notification system that alerts users when new material matching their interests has been added. The portal will be maintained by IWA and replaces the Department's Online Directives site.
JGI's Sequencing Facility Changes Name to Production GenomicsEffective May 1, the Joint Genome Institute (JGI) in Walnut Creek has changed the name of its Production Sequencing Facility to the Production Genomics Facility (PGF) to reflect a shift in the facility's scientific emphasis. Since its founding in 1997, JGI has focused on the sequencing of three human chromosomes, representing 11 percent of the human genome. Today, the Institute expects to reach this goal within the next 12 months and has taken on additional tasks. Among them is the sequencing of other large genomes, such as the pufferfish, the fugu, and the sea squirt (Ciona Intestinalis) - all part of JGI's effort to fully understand the human genome through comparative analysis and evolutionary interpretation. The Institute is also sequencing numerous microorganisms and fungi involved in tasks such as bioremediation, carbon sequestration and lignin digestion. These efforts reflect DOE's mission as laid out in the "Genomes to Life" initiative. Moreover, JGI's R&D and computational efforts are building up programs to establish methods of understanding gene regulation and expression, and JGI is working towards the understanding of the protein complement of an organism - or proteomics. Said JGI Director Trevor Hawkings in his announcement: "The change to PGF is therefore a statement that we are more than just a world leader in DNA sequencing and that over the next few years new scientific programs will flourish at this site to take full advantage of this resource." One of the largest publicly funded genome sequencing centers in the world, the JGI is a consortium formed by Berkeley Lab, Lawrence Livermore and Los Alamos National Laboratories. - Monica Friedlander
Lab Scientists Win UC Distinguished Teaching AwardTwo Lab scientists with joint assignments at UC Berkeley were among four professors honored on April 25 with the Distinguished Teaching Award - UC Berkeley's highest prize for teaching. They are Carolyn Bertozzi, a member of the Lab's Materials Sciences and Physical Biosciences Divisions and an assistant professor of chemistry at UC Berkeley; and Ronald Gronsky of the Material Sciences Division and a professor of material science and engineering on campus. Only 194 professors have been conferred this honor since the award was founded in 1959. Bertozzi is a pioneer in modifying the surfaces of living cells and was named a MacArthur Fellow in 1999. Ronald Gronsky's research focuses on electron microscopy, diffraction and spectrometry and the relationship between atomic structure and performance of engineering materials. He holds the Arthur C. and Phyllis G. Oppenheimer Chair in Advanced Materials Analysis. The other two recipients of the Distinguished Teaching Award are Sara Beckman of UC Berkeley's Haas School of Business and Seda Chavdarian of the Univerisity's French Department.
New Edition of X-Ray Data Booklet Now AvailableBy Lynn Yarris
Back by popular demand! Better but not bigger than ever! It comes in Halloween colors, fits in a shirt pocket, and can be a best friend to x-ray scientists and synchrotron light source users. It is also free! We're talking about the new edition of the X-ray Data Booklet, now available in both print and web formats. "It became a common accessory at synchrotron beamlines around the world where it was often seen labeled with the hopeful entreaty 'Do Not Remove From Beamline,'" says Advanced Light Source scientist Al Thompson of the original X-ray Data Booklet, first published in 1985. "Some scientists were alleged to have secret stashes from which they carefully distributed copies to favored friends and colleagues. Unfortunately, it has long been out of print." The demand for an updated version continued to swell with the ever-growing importance of synchrotron radiation to science and technology and the arrival of a third generation of synchrotron radiation sources led by the ALS. However, the master copy had been lost, which meant that a new edition would have to be produced from scratch. Two years ago, this daunting task was undertaken by Thompson and Doug Vaughan of Berkeley Lab's Directorate. Vaughan had also been one of the coeditors of the original booklet, along with David Attwood of the Lab's Center for X-ray Optics (CXRO) and Janos Kirz of the State University of New York at Stony Brook. Kirz, the godfather of the first edition, modeled it on LBNL's venerable Particle Data Booklet. "The contents have been reorganized; tables and texts have been updated; and new chapters on emission energies, the history of synchrotron light sources, and useful x-ray formulae have been added," says Thompson. "We've also divided the booklet into sections on the x-ray properties of the elements, synchrotron radiation, scattering processes, optics, and miscellaneous, with several chapters of text and tables in each section." All of this was accomplished without significantly changing the length of the booklet, now at 166 pages. Thompson credits much of this accomplishment to Vaughan and his "sharp eye for details." While Thompson and Vaughan served as compilers and editors, the content was provided by 13 others. Contributors included the aforementioned Attwood and Kirz, plus Eric Gullikson, Malcolm Howells, Jeffrey Kortright, Art Robinson, and James Underwood of Berkeley Lab; Kwang-Je Kim from Argonne National Laboratory; Ingolf Lindau, Piero Pianetta, and Herman Winick of the Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory; Gwyn Williams of Brookhaven National Laboratory; and James Scofield of Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. Ten thousand copies of the new edition of the X-ray Data Booklet have been printed, and already a third of the supply is gone. The booklet can be ordered free of charge online at http://xdb.lbl.gov/, where a web version can also be viewed or downloaded as a PDF. The cost of producing the new edition of the booklet was shared by the ALS and the CXRO, which will continue to upgrade and produce future editions as they are needed.
Talk On Bioethics Focuses on Concerns About Cloning and New BiotechnologiesBy Kevin Peet
Nigel Cameron, head of the International Advisory Board for the Center for Bioethics and Human Dignity in England, addressed a Lab audience on April 17 about some of the far-reaching implications of emerging biotechnologies - in particular, human cloning. In his talk, sponsored by the Life Sciences Division, Cameron quoted people as diverse as Alexander Pope, Ogden Nash, and C.S. Lewis, and said that the fundamental question for the human community to ascertain is "What does it mean to be human?" "This has been more of a sidebar discussion in the biosciences, but accelerating technologies now require that it take center stage," he said. Cameron discussed how the field of bioethics relates to a variety of disciplines - from the life sciences to philosophy, public policy, research and religion. With technology advancing at such a rapid pace, he said, the conversation about these matters within society needs to take place sooner rather than later. Issues to be considered with human cloning, Cameron said, include both abstract and practical. He cited reproduction done by cloning, in effect the "photocopying" a person, and suggested that such "manufacturing" of human beings might lead to children being treated as chattel. He also said that in our celebrity-obsessed culture we could end up with a multitude of Madonnas, Michael Jordans, and Billy Grahams. Hollywood stars could end up walking around with bags on their heads lest anyone try to steal some of their hair to have them cloned, Cameron said. And while many people might dream about being cloned, few have considered the implications, he said. "You'd have a generation in therapy their entire lives." Cameron said that there is a broad if unfocused agreement in society about some of the possible consequences of cloning human beings. "With the technology advancing so rapidly, and as yet no federal legislation against the cloning of humans, if the society does not make an active determination on these matters, then the technology will run away with the issue." Kevin Peet is a staff member in the Life Sciences Division.
Daughters & Sons to Work DayBy Lisa Gonzales How do you fit a square peg into a round hole? "One atom at a time," said Doug Owen of the Materials Science Division.
As part of Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day (DSTW), the children who visited the National Center for Electron Microscopy observed this experiment while operating the country's most powerful electron microscope. As a lead aluminum specimen was heated, they watched as the bit of lead changed from a square object to a round one. "Each child had a chance to drive the high voltage electron microscope," said Owen. "They began to wonder about something they had observed with their own eyes, and by the end of the session we were getting some very intelligent questions." "Women and the Future of Science" was the theme for DSTW last Thursday, April 26. For the eighth consecutive year, hundreds of children joined their parents at the Lab for a day of learning and fun. Both girls and boys ages 9 to 15 participated in workshops and activities all over the hill. From spooling DNA in the Genomics Lab to making batteries in the Environmental Energy Technologies Division (EETD), the kids learned about much of the work being done here. One group of women from Computing Sciences - Deb Agarwal, Ann Almgren, Tina Butler, Marcia Perry, Mary Thompson and Tammy Welcome - used a Q&A game show format to give youngsters a better idea of careers in computer science and technology. Over at EETD, about 40 children discussed energy efficiency with Laura McLaughlin, telling her what they do to save energy. "They were so excited to be here," said McLaughlin. "The kids were jumping up and down to answer questions." Most of them knew the danger of the halogen torchiere lamp, so they were very curious about the low-temperature version developed at the Lab, especially when they got to touch it. McLaughlin continued, "The kids were hesitant at first until they realized that this type of lamp wasn't hot. It was a great way to explain how energy can be used in different ways." Up at the ALS, TEID staffers Annette Greiner, Lori Tamura and Liz Moxon turned their young visitors into scientific sleuths who followed clues to locate different beamlines. There, the youngsters performed activities associated with the research being conducted at each location. "We did an experiment with plastic glow-in-the-dark bugs to demonstrate the concept of fluorescence," said Moxon. The scientific seuths then followed their maps to the X-ray fluorescent microprobe beamline where they observed images created with the microprobe. "The kids saw how science could be an adventure in
which you get to solve a mystery," said Moxon. "They loved it."
Sponsor a Rider, Save LivesAIDS Ride 8 • Make a Pledge by May 11From June 3 to June 9, Berkeley Lab's Rachel Sandoval will join 2,700 fellow bike riders to participate in an event the organizers call "a moving monument to compassion and courage" - the Eighth California AIDS Ride. The 575 mile coastal ride from San Franscisco to Los Angeles will raise money for the San Francisco AIDS Foundation, a leader in fighting the disease and providing critical support to those living with AIDS. Sandoval, who works in the General Sciences/Directorate HR Center, has committed to raise $2,700 in pledges between now and May 11. To do so, she says, "I need your help." As an extra incentive to support her ride, Sandoval is donating tickets to the Giants vs. A's game on Saturday, June 9, at the Network Coliseum. For a tax-deductible donation of at least $50, sponsors will be entered in a raffle for A's tickets (with the name added again to the raffle for each additional $50). Pledges must be returned to Sandoval by noon on May 11 to be eligible for the raffle. More than 430,000 Americans have died from AIDS in the United States in the last 19 years, and today more people are living with AIDS than ever before. Thanks to California AIDS riders and those who support them, the San Francisco AIDS Foundation will serve 120,000 people living with, at risk for and affected by HIV and AIDS. For more about the organization visit http://www.sfaf.org. Sandoval also participated in the 1999 AIDS Ride. "During the ride," she write in her pledge letter, "I found strength from within that kept me going when my muscles wanted to quit. I found friends I never knew existed encouraging each spin of my wheels, as I gasped for air. I rode amongst my heroes." To make pledges online, see http://www.sfafpledge.org/. You may also obtain pledge forms by calling Sandoval at X7201.
Financial Assistance Now Available For Science Exploration Camp 2001Weekly sessions, July 23 - August 31This year, for the first time, Berkeley Lab's Science Exploration Camp will provide partial scholarships to four children each week, in effect reducing the fee to $95. Two scholarships will go to children of Lab employees and two to children in the local community. Each child may receive one scholarship for one of the six week-long camp sessions. The cost without scholarship is $200 per week during open registration (through May 15) and $215 per week afterwards. Applicants need to submit registration forms and a letter of recommendation from a teacher or another adult (other than famility members). The camp consists of a core program of morning science activities and afternoon recreational activities, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Before and after-hours care is available at no extra cost. Camp Sessions: 1. July 23 - 27: Fun with Quarks and Gluons For more information on the Science Exploration camp see http://sciencecamp.lbl.gov or call X6566
Bulletin BoardPresenters Sought For Summer Teacher InstituteThe Integrated Science Partnership Project, now in its fourth year, is inviting Lab staff to participate in its four-week summer institute (June 19 to July 8) by giving presentations to a group of middle and high school science teachers. Approximately 40 teachers from Vallejo will attend. One of the most popular aspects of the summer institute is the lecture and tour series featuring Berkeley Lab scientists. This summer the project plans to broaden the lecture series to appeal to a larger and wider audience and feature more presenters. The project offers Lab employees the opportunity to publicize their research and link their work to science education in today's classrooms. The presentations will be made from 9 to 10:30 a.m. in Lab auditoriums. For more information contact Don Hubbard at X5060 or wdhubbard@ lbl.gov. Wear Them With Pride: New Lab Clothes
Expertly modeled by Lab employees Flavio Robles, Dorvez Barnett, Marilee Bailey and Michelle Garcia is new line of clothing with the Berkeley Lab logo, now available for purchase at the cafeteria coffee shop. Designed by Niza Hanany of the Public Information Department, the stylish new clothes are ideal for the spring weather. They include t-shirts (white, $10, colored, $12), sweatshirt, $26; button polo shirt, $35; baseball caps, $15; zippered sweatshirt, $40; and denim shirt, $45. Clothes left over from the previous season (fleece vest, anorak, mock turtlenecks, neon t-shirt) have been marked down. Photo by Roy Kaltschmidt Spring House TourThe Employees' Arts Council is presenting this year's Spring House Tour and reception, organized by the Berkeley Architectural Heritage Association and scheduled for Sunday, May 6, from 1 to 5 p.m. Tickets are $32 each and may be ordered by calling 841-2242. Entitled "Around Live Oak Park," the tour explores a classic brown-shingle neighborhood in the Berkeley tradition. Additional information on the tour is available at http://www.berkeleyheritage.com/. Celebrate Cinco de Mayo TodayIn observance of Cinco de Mayo, a celebration will be held today from 12 to 1 p.m. on the cafeteria lawn. Come listen to the popular Latin music band Carnaval and watch a demonstration of Latin dance presented by LBNL's Dance Club. The Lab's Latino and Native American Association (LANA) has assisted the Office of Workforce Diversity in making this event possible. Dance Party Tickets On Sale Till TuesdayMay 9 is the deadline for buying tickets for Dance the Night Away, the Spring 2001 dance party and social event hosted by the LBNL Dance Club. The event will be held on Saturday, May 19 at the International House on campus. Lab employees, their spouses, family and friends are invited. Tickets are $35 each, and the event is expected to sell out. To purchase tickets, contact Joy Kono at X6375. AIM Computer Classes: May - JuneAIM, a Walnut Creek-based computer software training firm, provides onsite PC computer courses to Lab employees.
Classes are held in Bldg. 51L from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Class descriptions and registration procedure are available at http://www.lbl.gov/Workplace/EDT/computers/PC_Classes.html. All in-house courses are taught on PCs with Windows 98®. The 97 series programs are used by the newest version of Microsoft Office for Windows 98®. Series 6.x programs for the Mac are nearly identical to the Windows 98® versions. For users of a Mac 6.x series or an older Mac or PC version, the material will be applicable. For more information contact Heather Pinto at hmpinto@lbl.gov. Golf ClubTournament at Poppy Ridge:
Closest to the pin: Nobuo Kobayashi (30'2'') and Norm Wilcoxson (18'2") Benefits Department EventsAnnuities Seminar by Merrill LynchGiven the popularity of the last investment seminar, the Benefits Department is bringing back a representative from Merrill Lynch for a special session on annuities. The seminar will be held on Tuesday, May 15, from 12:15 to 1:15 p.m. in the Building 66 auditorium. An annuity is a retirement investment vehicle consisting of a contract between you and an insurance company, wherein you agree to pay the insurance company a single payment or a series of payments, and they agree to pay you an income (starting either immediately or at a later date) for a specified time period. The presenter will explain the difference between the two types of deferred annuities - fixed and variable - and describe how annuities compare to other retirement savings investments. UC Care Brown BagRepresentatives from the three companies providing care through the UC Care Medical Plan will conduct an informational brown bag session on Wednesday, May 16 from 10 a.m. to noon in the Bldg. 66 auditorium. UC Care consists of medical plans provided by Aetna US Healthcare, the Behavioral Health Plan provided by United Behavioral Health, and chiropractic and acupuncture care provided through American Specialty Health Plans. Employees considering switching to UC Care during Open Enrollment, those currently enrolled in UC Care, or any employees or annuitants with questions about the UC Care plan for retirees are encouraged to attend.
CalendarGeneral InterestMAY 4, FridayCINCO DE MAYO CELEBRATION MAY 7, MondayTRIPMOBILE MAY 15, TuesdayANNUITIES SEMINAR PRESENTED BY MERRILL LYNCH MAY 16, WednesdayUC CARE BROWN BAG MAY 19, SaturdaySPRING DANCE PARTY MAY 22, TuesdayFIDELITY PRESENTS INVESTMENT STRATEGIES WORKSHOP Send us your announcements Announcements for the General Calendar and Bulletin Board page may be sent to MSFriedlander@lbl.gov. Seminar & Lectures items may be mailed to currents_ calendar@lbl.gov. You may also fax items to X6641 or mail them to Bldg. 65B. The deadline for the May 18 issue is 5 p.m. Monday, May 14. Seminars & LecturesMAY 7, MondayPHYSICS DEPARTMENT COLLOQUIUM MAY 8, TuesdayLIFE SCIENCES DIVISION SEMINAR MAY 10, ThursdayENVIRONMENTAL ENERGY TECHNOLOGIES DIVISION SEMINAR MAY 11, FridayCENTER FOR BEAM PHYSICS SEMINAR SURFACE SCIENCE AND CATALYSIS SCIENCE SEMINAR MAY 15, TuesdayLIFE SCIENCES DIVISION SEMINAR CENTER FOR ENVIRONMENTAL BIOTECHNOLOGY SEMINAR PHYSICS DIVISION RESEARCH PROGRESS MEETING MAY 16, WednesdayJOINT NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND PHYSICS DIVISIONS COLLOQUIUM MAY 17, ThursdayPHYSICS DIVISION RESEARCH PROGRESS MEETING
EH&S Classes - May 2001
* Includes EHS 392/405, followed by the orientation. Please arrive at 8:15 for sign-in. For more information or to enroll, contact Linda Senft at lfsenft@lbl.gov or enroll via the web at http://www-ehs.lbl.gov/ehstraining/registration/. Preregistration is required for all courses except EHS 10. Times and locations are subject to change. For a full, updated schedule of EH&S training sessions see http://www-ehs.lbl.gov/schedule/.
Flea MarketAutos / Supplies'95 BUICK REGAL GS, blk w/ tan leather int, 3.8 lt V6 engine, full pwr, moonrf, ac, sport suspension, new tires. 124K all-hwy mi, exc cond, factory maint sched, $7,000/bo, (925) 735-6526 '94 CHRYSLER LEBARON LX convertible, 80K mi, pwr win/lock, cruise, ac, runs great, $4,500, Monica, 649-8486 '91 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN, white w/ blue int, exc cond, pwr win/locks, cruise, new at, ac, am/fm/cass, seats 7, new tires, all rec's, 119K mi, $3,800, Michael, X5650, (925) 947-1111 '88 HONDA ACCORD Gold DX, 2 dr, at, ac, cd 175K mi, very good cond, premium wheels, new breaks & tires, runs great, serviced regularly at dealer, $2,200/ bo, Virginia, X4368, Alejandro, 981-8716 '85 TOYOTA SUPRA, 157K mi, 11K on clutch, 38K on motor re-build, sunrf, rear drive, 6 cyl, 2 new tires, new am/fm/cass, $3,300/bo, Al, 841-6285 '72 VOLVO Sedan, model P1800 ES, Frank, X4636, (925) 253-1735 Motorcycles'99 SUZUKI SV650X V-twin, blue, showroom cond, low miles, street only, adult owned, $5,200/bo, Rich, X7031, (925) 689-1714 eves before 10 pm '77 BMW model R100/7, Frank, X4636, (925) 253-1735 HousingALBANY, sunny 1 bdrm apt, just off Solano, near shops & restaurants, take bus to campus/Lab, security system, generous closets, kitchen, dw, table & chairs plus lots of light, garage parking, laundry, intercom, avail 5/15, $1,225/ mo, Felicia, X6597, 654-3693 BERKELEY HILLS house, 2 bdrm & 2 lge studies (one can be a bdrm), 2 bth, breakfast area, living, dining rom, laundry, hardwd flrs, fireplace, fully furn & equipped, well maint garden w/ nice priv deck & bay view, bus stop to campus/BART at house door, $2,600/mo, Emma, 525-7260 BERKELEY, several furn rooms in comfortable 6-bdrm rooming house starting 6/1 and 7/1, incl house phone, active DSL line, w/d, common living rm, deck in lge garden, $700-$850/mo + partl util, Anushka, X8153, anushka@ calalum.org BERKELEY, furn room in priv home starting 6/1, own phone line, share bth, kitchen, liv rm, garden, w/d, $650/mo incl util, Anushka, X8153, anushka@ calalum.org BERKELEY, single room avail from 5/15 in partially furn apt, 1722 Walnut, 5 min walk to shuttle, walking dist to Lab, $850/ mo, mo-to-mo renewal, Giorgio, X7519, gturri@lbl.gov KENSINGTON fully furn 1 bdrm inlaw apt w/ linens, dishes, cookware, phone, cable, VCR, all util & laundry access, priv garden, view of Golden Gate & gorgeous sunsets, non-smoking, short term stays $100/night, discount for long term stays & govt employees, Jan or Simon, 526-5294 NORTH BERKELEY, charming 1 bdrm apt, 700 sq ft, fully furn & equipped, 2 min walk to shuttle, campus & shopping, no smoking/pets, avail 6/15 - 8/31, $1,450/mo, Stefan, X5205, 849-0587 Housing WantedSUMMER INTERN GRAD STUDENT at Lab seeks a rm to rent near campus, 6/1 to 8/31, no pets/ smoking, Owen, ocb8@yahoo.com, Diana, X6650, dmsexton@ lbl.gov VISITING COUPLE seeks sublet near campus, 5/14 to 6/20, minion@amath.unc.edu VISITING PROFESSOR & wife from Germany seek 1 or 2 bdrm apt or sm house in Berkeley near campus from 8/1 or 9/1 at the latest to 12/31, northside pref, responsible & quiet couple, non-smokers, Eugene, X5294, David, X5097 VISITING SCIENTIST & wife looking for 2+ bdrm house or apt, 6/10-9/9, pref Albany, North Berkeley, Kensington, Brian, BVSmith@lbl.gov, X4677, 524-8259 Misc Items for SaleADORAMA Quick Print Auto Processor for Kodak RC III & Stabilization processing, lightweight portable unit produces b&w prints from 3x5" to 11x14" in seconds, no plumbing hookup needed, used only 2 or 3 times, some chemicals & papers incl, $175, George, X6930, (925) 676-8581 eves BOAT & MOTOR, inflatable runabout 9'x 4' w/ wooden floor & transom made by Sevylor for Sears, heavy PVC w/ 3 separate inflatable flotation chambers, motor is lightweight (16#) air-cooled 2.7HP Cruise & Carry 2 cycle outboard, all in great cond, $600/ bo, Bob (925) 376-2211 COFFEE TABLE w/ matching end table, solid oak, exc cond, photos avail in Bldg 90 or via e:mail, $275, Ken, X6343, (707) 315-5348 DREMEL TOOL, Multi Pro #395, many accessories, sturdy carrying case, manual, bought new & used only once, $65/bo, Stan, 236-0919 FUTON SOFABED, 6 mos old, $200; folding table & 2 chairs, very good cond, $160, Igor, 649-8486 MOTORCYCLE STREET BOOTS, custom made by Z Leathers, worn only a few times, size 9W, blue, $200/bo; air compressor, portable 110V, Sears Craftsman direct drive, 20 gal tank, exc cond, $150, Rich, X7031, (925) 689-1714 eves before 10 p.m. POCKET FREQUENCY COUN-TER 5Hz-1.3Ghz, new in box, $200/bo, Al, X7757 SONY CCD-V5 video-8 videocam, very light use, best offer, Mark, X6581 TICKETS to "The Sound of Music" by the Contra Costa Civic Theatre Company in support of local swim teams (Albany and Richmond), 5/25 at 8 pm, 951 Pomona in El Cerrito, children $12, adults $20, Tennessee, X5013, 524-9138 WATERBED, Cal King oak w/ drawers underneath, incl headbrd w/ shelves & built-in lights, mattress & heating pad, $450/bo, Eva, (925) 283-6493 WantedVW CAMPER VAN any model, wife and I want to rent for a weekend & see if we like the concept, John, X5307, 841-7875 VacationKIHEI, MAUI, 1 bdrm condo, across the street from Kam 2 beach (best beach on Maui), fully equipped, view the ocean & Haleakela, $400/wk, Fred 981-2073 days, 523-4150 eves FreeSIAMESE CATS looking for loving home, Kimo (choclate pt & 7 mos old) & Kala (lilac pt & 5 mos old) are my babies, but I am expecting a baby now & looking for a better situation, both are pure breed Siamese w/ no papers, must go together, donation accepted, Newsha, X4232, 268-8104
Flea Market PolicyAds are accepted only from LBNL employees, retirees, and onsite DOE personnel. Only items of your own personal property may be offered for sale. Submissions must include name, affiliation, extension, and home phone number. Ads must be submitted in writing via e-mail (fleamarket@lbl.gov), fax (X6641), or delivered/mailed to Bldg. 65B. Ads run one week only unless resubmitted, and are repeated only as space permits. They may not be retracted once submitted for publication. The deadline for the May 18 issue Thursday, May 10
|
