It must have been an engineer who figured out how to put his roller blades in the high branches of a tall tree on north campus. The question isn’t how he or she managed to get them way up there and back down again, but why did they choose that spot to store them? Perhaps that thought-provoking question will be next week’s brainteaser.

Fenves talks about seismic simulation at Berkeley in Silicon Valley event

Californians live with the risk of a major earthquake occurring at any moment. It’s not a matter of if, but when. What if you could predict the damage before the ground begins to shake?

Berkeley civil engineers are developing new large-scale computational simulations of ground motion and building response in urban regions to help understand and prepare for the inevitable. These simulations will enable building code requirements to be examined, improved, and tested. Meanwhile, citywide forecasts of damage patterns will help emergency response teams plan for the “big one.”...[FULL STORY]

Engineering students host first-ever joint campaign kickoff for ASUC elections

Berkeley engineers could give Bush and Kerry some campaign tips. This year’s five ASUC engineering candidates eschewed the typical competitive tensions that characterize most political campaigns.

In an effort to get engineers out to the polls, engineering physics junior Misha Leybovich, engineering undeclared sophomore Chris Abad, ME/MSE sophomore Grace Hsu, ME/MSE freshman Peter Chung, and ME freshman Igor Tregub have decided to campaign together and put engineering concerns above their own personal electoral ambitions. ...[FULL STORY]

William Hung Update: Berkeley’s most famous engineer released his new album on April 6

One’s got to wonder how CEE junior William Hung has time for homework these days with an album release, constant media attention, and multiple singing appearances for crowds of thousands...[FULL STORY]

Interdisciplinary nanotechnology club starts up on campus

Many technology junkies believe nanotechnology holds as much promise and future potential today as the computer revolution did back in the late 1970s. As usual, Berkeley is in the fore of this leading-edge discipline with a nanotech research initiative, the start of a nano “minor” for Ph.Ds and a new student-run nanotechnology club.

“We believe that nanotechnology is the next big research area and next great engineering challenge. Already it has started to engage and pervade multiple industries,” says the Berkeley Nanotechnology Club co-president and first year ME grad student Ryan Layton...[FULL STORY]

Departments

• Pop Quiz: If engineering paid really badly would you switch majors?

• Brainteaser Answer

• Events and Announcement

• Professor Minute

To submit a seminar listing, please fill out the electronic form.

Win an award? Have an event coming up that you want publicized? E-mail news items and suggestions to the editor at Engineering News.

Send comments to editnews@coe.berkeley.edu   © 2003 UC Regents