Lessons Learned from the Toppled Towers
Just days after a two-week scientific reconnaissance mission to
the site of the collapsed World Trade Center, UC Berkeley structural
engineer Abolhassan Astaneh-Asl was back on campus in his hard hat
testing a new technique to prevent future high-rise disasters.
Killing Cancer With Surgical Precision
UC Berkeley nuclear engineers are developing a new weapon in the
fight against cancer. The treatment, Boron Neutron Capture Therapy,
integrates high-resolution computer simulation with a portable
and inexpensive beam generator to target tumors without causing
the collateral damage of traditional X ray and gamma ray radiation
therapy.
Smart Buildings Admit Their
Faults
David Pescovitz photo
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Behind a building's manicured façade, disaster may be lurking.
Minor earth tremors, for example, may not cause visible damage but
can create hidden cracks in support columns that could eventually
fail during a higher-magnitude quake. Even after a large earthquake,
when beam buckling and structural bruises are likely, a building's
true condition can only be determined by tearing down tons of sheetrock.
But what if the walls could write their own bill of health?
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Peg Skorpinski photo |
Nano-Microscope Spots Single Molecules
The most advanced scientific tool in development in UC Berkeley's department of bioengineering is a microscope. Of course, this isn't any microscope ‚ this microscope fits on the head of a pin. And someday these micro-microscope, called BioPOEMS (Bio-Polymer Opto Electro Mechanical Systems), could turn a PalmPilot into a portable biowarfare detection device that can identify a single molecule of anthrax or any other pathogen. Or transform a microchip into an entire genomics laboratory for the discovery of new disease-fighting drugs. Or enable physicians to monitor their patients' health, down to a cellular level, from anywhere.  Multimedia
Great moments of innovation from the annals of Berkeley Engineering history.
1973: The World Trade Center is Completed
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