Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

Synchrotron radiation has become an indispensable research tool for a growing number of scientists in a seemingly ever expanding number of disciplines. We can thank the European Synchrotron Research Facility (ESRF) in Grenoble for taking an innovative step toward achieving the educational goal of explaining the nature and benefits of synchrotron radiation to audiences ranging from the general public (including students) to government officials to scientists who may be unfamiliar with x-ray techniques and synchrotron radiation. ESRF is the driving force behind a new CD-ROM playable on both PCs and Macs titled Synchrotron light to explore matter. Published by Springer-Verlag, the CD contains both English and French versions of a comprehensive overview of the subject.