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🌱 Patch AM: Two fatal scooter crashes in Berkeley raise safety concerns for riders.

Also, don't miss Flipper Upper Properties Tour: Real Estate on the Berkeley Patch calendar

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Friday January 9th Patch AM
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Good morning to you Berkeley! Catch up on our news and events right here. Keep reading to stay in the know. ☀️

In today's newsletter:

  • Two fatal scooter crashes in Berkeley raise safety concerns for riders.
  • How a Berkeley school garden sparked a global edible education movement
  • How an AI copilot is quietly steering Berkeley’s powerful X-ray accelerator

Also on today's calendar: Flipper Upper Properties Tour: Real Estate and 9 more events.

Find out what's happening in Berkeleyfor free with the latest updates from Patch.

Today's riddle: What did the shovel say to the dirt? 🤔 (Answer below!)

Weather forecast:

Find out what's happening in Berkeleyfor free with the latest updates from Patch.

  • Friday: Mostly sunny, with a high of 56 and low of 39 degrees.
  • Saturday: Times of clouds and sun, temps: high: 58, low: 39.
  • Sunday: Clouds and sun, with a high of 61 and low of 40 degrees.

📰 News we're reading

1. Man who crashed scooter on UC Berkeley campus last month has died (berkeleyside.org) — A Berkeley resident has died from a head injury suffered in a December scooter crash on the UC Berkeley campus near Moffitt Library, marking the city’s second fatal scooter collision last month. Authorities say 59-year-old Kenneth Wade never recovered from a traumatic brain injury, and another rider died days later after crashing into a parked car in central Berkeley.
   

2. The Edible Schoolyard (thecolumbiastar.com) — Berkeley’s own Edible Schoolyard at King Middle School has grown from a single garden in 1995 into a model for 6,500 similar programs worldwide, blending academics with growing and cooking food. Rooted in Montessori principles and Alice Waters’ Chez Panisse experience, the project shows how school gardens can reshape cafeteria meals and connect students to fresh, seasonal, local food.
   

3. AI Copilot Keeps Berkeley's X-Ray Particle Accelerator on Track (nvidia.com) — Berkeley’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory is using a new AI “Accelerator Assistant” to keep the Advanced Light Source X-ray particle accelerator running more smoothly and cut experiment setup time dramatically. The system taps tools like ChatGPT and local GPUs to troubleshoot issues, automate Python scripting, and protect sensitive hardware, helping scientists worldwide conduct cutting-edge research in health, climate, and planetary science from right here in the Berkeley hills.
   

4. How John Clarke's Nobel Prize-Winning Research Paved the Way for Quantum Computing (lbl.gov) — Groundbreaking quantum research done at Berkeley Lab and UC Berkeley in the 1980s has just earned physicist John Clarke a share of the 2025 Nobel Prize in Physics. His team’s work on superconducting circuits and SQUIDs laid the foundation for today’s quantum computers and continues to shape cutting-edge experiments at Berkeley Lab and beyond.
   

5. Roberson and Thomas Score 20 Apiece to Lead Duke Past California, 78-74 : (wralsportsfan.com) — A tight women’s basketball matchup at Haas Pavilion in Berkeley saw Duke rally past the Cal Bears 78–74 after trailing by 10 entering the fourth quarter. Cal’s Sakima Walker and teammates put up strong numbers, but Duke’s late defensive pressure and clutch scoring from Arianna Roberson, Delaney Thomas, and Ashlon Jackson ultimately decided the West Coast showdown.
   

📸 Around Berkeley

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🗓 Upcoming Events in Berkeley

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💬 Chatter

What your neighbors are talking about on social media

  • Only in Berkeley: a man was collecting cans near where I parked last night.
    I was returning from trader Joe with groceries so I rolled now my window and proferred a full boxed breakfast oatbar box, saying “can I offer you a… (Nextdoor Glendale-Terraceview)
  • Cuteness overload!
    If you are looking to adopt (and have the time and situation to train) a darling 2 month puppy, check out Ginseng. We were lucky enough to foster her… (Nextdoor N.BerkHills/Tilden)
  • University of California Berkeley posted a job opening for Academic HR Analyst 4 (7716U) - College of Engineering Dean's Office - 70637 in Berkeley. Apply here.
  • Peet's Coffee & Tea posted a job opening for Shift Lead - Solano in Berkeley. Apply here. You can search for other jobs near Berkeley here.

Ok Berkeley! So now you're in the loop about what's happening today. Thanks for reading, and see you in your inbox next time! Oh -- and if you like what you're reading, invite a friend to Patch AM!

-- The Patch AM Team

P.S. The answer to today's riddle: I really dig you!
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