Bear in Mind Oct. 5, 2005: Research at UC Berkeley

This three-part edition of Bear in Mind explores the innovative world of research at UC Berkeley. Join Chancellor Robert Birgeneau as he travels to several labs and engages some of the university's top scientists in a lively discussion ranging from stem cells to smart buildings.

This Webcast is in the RealAudio format; a full transcript is available.

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Watch entire episode (parts 1-3)

1:20 hours: High-bandwidth video | Low-bandwidth video

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Vice Chancellor for Research Beth Burnside

Watch Part One: "Stovepipes" vs. multidisciplinary research

15:27 minutes: High-bandwidth video | Low-bandwidth video

The chancellor talks to Beth Burnside, professor of cell and developmental biology and vice chancellor for research. Burnside begins with an update on her own research into photoreceptors in the eye and how they wear out and replace themselves. She then discusses how, as vice chancellor for research, she is trying to help Berkeley overcome the typical university tendency to be a "stovepipe," a top-down-driven information silo, in favor of a level, multidisciplinary collaboration — and how that percolates into the classroom.

Part One transcript

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Randy Schekman, Eva Harris, and Robert Tjian.

Watch Part Two: Stem cells, industry partnerships, and Berkeley's strengths

40:10 minutes: High-bandwidth video | Low-bandwidth video

Randy Schekman, developmental biology professor and a campus leader in stem cell research; Eva Harris, associate professor of public health and a pioneer in battling infectious disease in developing countries; and Robert Tjian, biochemistry and molecular biology professor and the faculty director of Berkeley's Health Sciences Initiative, sit down for a discussion with the chancellor about their own investigations and common interests. Tjian explains how humans may have similar hardware to lowly plants, but the software running our development is very different; Schekman discusses why embryonic stem cells are crucial to research; and Harris questions whether industry partnerships inhibit academic freedom.

Part Two transcript

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Will Watts, Ed Arens, and Paul Wright

Watch Part Three: Energy pricing, green buildings, and putting technology in California homes

25:17 minutes: High-bandwidth video | Low-bandwidth video

Birgeneau talks to Paul Wright, professor of mechanical engineering and associate dean at the College of Engineering; Edward Arens, professor of architecture and director of the Center for the Built Environment; and engineering graduate student Will Watts about their development of energy-saving technologies. From developing technology that will rely on flexible energy prices tied to peak demand, to integrating sensor networks into "smart" buildings, the work these men are doing for the Center for Information Technology Research in the Interest of Society is helping CITRIS more than live up to its name.

Part Three transcript

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Listen to entire episode (audio only)

MP3 file (19.3MB) | Podcast feed

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