Lawrence Berkeley National Lab (Audio)

By exploiting the powers of nanotechnology and taking advantage of nontoxic, Earth-abundant materials, Berkeley Lab's Cyrus Wadia has fabricated new solar cell devices that have the potential to be several orders of magnitude less expensive than conventional solar cells. And, by mastering the chemistry of these materials—and the economics of solar energy—he envisions bringing electricity to the 1.2 billion people now living without it. Series: "Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory " [Science] [Show ID: 16917]

Great innovations start with bold ideas. Join a roundtable discussion with five Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory scientists discuss how technologies they have developed are improving the world. Todd DeSantis: Pocket-sized DNA probe. Carl Haber: Preserving history one recording at a time. Nitash Balsara: battery powered commute? Hashem Akbari: Could your roof cool the world? Katherine Yelick: Supercomputers for a greener world. Series: "Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory " [Science] [Show ID: 16916]

Terry Hazen discusses when it’s best to resort to engineered bioremediation of contaminated sites, and when it’s best to rely on natural attenuation. Recent advances have greatly broadened the potential applications for bioremediation. At the same time, scientists’ knowledge of biogeochemical processes has advanced and they can better gauge how quickly and completely contaminants can be degraded without human intervention. Series: "Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory " [Science] [Show ID: 13004]

Bill Collins discusses how observations show that the Earth is warming at a rate unprecedented in recent history, and that human-induced changes in atmospheric chemistry are probably the main culprits. He suggests a need for better observations and understanding of the carbon and hydrological cycles. Series: "Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory " [Science] [Show ID: 13003]

Don Glaser won the 1960 Nobel Prize for Physics for his 1952 invention of the bubble chamber at Berkeley Lab, a type of particle detector that became the mainstay of high-energy physics research throughout the 1960s and 1970s. He discusses how, inspired by bubbles in a glass of beer, he invented the bubble chamber and detected cosmic-ray muons. Series: "Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory " [Science] [Show ID: 11831]

If scientists could take advantage of the awesomely complex and beautiful functioning of biology’s natural molecular machines, their potential for application in many disciplines would be incalculable. Nobel Laureate and Director of the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory Steve Chu explores Possible solutions to global warming and its consequences. Series: "Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory " [Science] [Show ID: 11023]