Three stories tall, the Berkeley High Voltage Electron Microscope is stuck in California. Until recently, overseas scientists wanting to exchange views of antiphase boundaries in recrystalized copper 3 gold (pictured below) had to make quite a trek.
To expand its reach, Berkeley Lab has created an Internet operations interface. The lab processes samples, then hands over control of the 'scope. "It opens new possibilities for collaboration," says division director Stu Loken. "A team of top scientists from around the world can meet online and pass the microscope from continent to continent, while simultaneously observing and discussing the results." A particle accelerator may go online next.
ELECTRIC WORD
Scope o' the Net
