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Pro New Nuke
In April, Greenpeace co-founder Patrick Moore, standing before members of the U.S. Congress, stated that "nuclear energy is the only non-greenhouse-gas-emitting power source that can effectively replace fossil fuels and satisfy global demand." In last month's issue of Technology Review, 1960s icon Stewart Brand, creator of the Whole Earth Catalog, wrote that "the only technology ready to fill the gap and stop the carbon dioxide loading of the atmosphere is nuclear power." Many environmentalists are none-too-thrilled at these public comments from their allies, current or former. On the other hand, UC Berkeley professor Jasmina Vujic is thrilled. According to her research, Moore and Brand are absolutely right.
Students Sell New Cell Phone Technology
For two years, UC Berkeley Engineering graduate students Gianluca Piazza, Phil Stephanou, and Justin Black were developing an atomic clock far tinier and cheaper than today's technology. They hoped that in the future, their sugarcube-sized device, accurate down to ten quandrillionths of a second per day, might improve data encryption, speed up computer networking, and boost the accuracy of the Global Positioning System (GPS). Then opportunity rang. The students realized that one of their clock components also had the potential to revolutionize cellular telephone electronics. In the last few months, their idea has brought them gold in three major business plan competitions. Now it's time to start a company.
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Air Traffic Control Algorithms Take Off
Air traffic controllers have a tough job. Busy airspaces can be logistical nightmares, requiring fast planning to help planes depart and arrive on schedule without crashing into each other. Still, accidents do occasionally occur, like in 2002 when a Russian passenger jet and an American cargo plane collided over southern Germany killing 71 people. UC Berkeley civil engineer Alexandre Bayen is applying mathematics to the problem of congested airspaces. His work could improve the safety of the skyways while enabling airports to run like clockwork.
Cool Alumni: Weili Dai, Sehat Sutardja, and Pantas Sutardja, founders of NASDAQ-100 wonder Marvell
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