Brain simulation wins Gordon Bell Prize

Researchers from the IBM Almaden Research Center and Berkeley Lab have won a prestigious Gordon Bell Prize for performing the first near real-time cortical simulation of the brain that exceeds the scale of a cat cortex and contains 1 billion spiking neurons and 10 trillion individual learning synapses. More>

Lab invention fares well at 'Academy Awards of Clean Technology'

Lab materials scientist Peidong Yang’s company Alphabet Energy was voted “People’s Choice” winner and overall runner up at the Cleantech Open this week, competing among 70 other businesses. Alphabet Energy hopes to produce modules that will turn waste heat into electricity using silicon nanowires developed in Yang’s lab. More>

Benchmarking tool will improve semiconductor energy efficiency

Berkeley Lab scientists, in cooperation with the International SEMATECH Manufacturing Initiative, are releasing for beta testing a computer-based tool to help the world’s semiconductor manufacturing facilities evaluate and improve their energy efficiency. More>

Chromosomes dance, pair up on nuclear membrane

Meiosis is a major crossroads in all organisms reproducing sexually, yet how the cell precisely choreographs these chromosomal interactions is a long-standing mystery. More>

UC appoints Paul Alivisatos director of Berkeley Lab

The University of California Board of Regents on Nov. 19 named Paul Alivisatos director of the Department of Energy’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, which is managed by the university. “Paul Alivisatos’ scientific expertise and management experience have earned the respect and confidence of the lab staff, the academic community, the DOE, and other federal and industrial sponsors,” said UC President Mark Yudof. “I am confident that Paul is the right leader for the Berkeley Lab at this pivotal point in its history. Under his leadership, Berkeley Lab will continue to make great contributions in science and to the world around us.”

VIDEO GLOSSARY

Isotope Geochemistry: Deciphering Earth’s Notebook

If planet Earth can be characterized as an on-going experiment for which exceptionally good but cryptographically hidden notes have been kept, then isotope geochemistry can be thought of as the primary tool by which scientists decipher those notes. Through isotope geochemistry, scientists not only learn about the history and origin of the Earth, they can also discover the inter-relationships that have produced past climate change, explore for new sources of geothermal energy, and more>.

For information regarding the Berkeley Lab Director search go here.