This year we’re breaking it down into three different tracks:
BLAM 101 focuses on AI for productivity, leveraging Gemini across Google Workspace and more.
BLAM 201 is specifically created for scientists where time will be spent focusing on deep research, science productivity tools, running domain-specific AI models on LRC and more.
BLAM Coder is AI for programming, dipping our tech toes into Claude, RooCode Extension and discussing cost management for AI
Each week, in addition to the three tracks, we’ll feature some interesting reading/listening/watching for all Blammers about where AI is going, how AI is changing and may change our lives (and not necessarily in good ways). We’ll also be featuring a cutting-edge AI science application at the Laboratory each week as well.
Before we start we recommend the following for all levels:
Add yourself to the the Google Chat group, and review the Chat group details. This is where people will post their work from the weekly challenges and ask questions
Add the BLAM calendar to the Google calendar, so you won’t miss any of the webinars
Sign up for email reminders about BLAM! during the week.
BLAM! AI Readings: Shifts, Signals, and Side Effects
AI and Discovery:
Mathematician Terence Tao sat down with Dwarkesh Patel for a 90 minute wide-ranging conversation that starts with Kepler, covers the stalls and progress of using AI to advance mathematics (30:30), and dives deep into how Tao thinks about serendipity and how research might evolve in the AI Age (~1:10:00). Note that the transcript is available at the same link if you prefer to read.
Since Last Week...
Antropic was all over the news last week for its announcement about its new model, named Mythos. But it won’t be up on Cborg anytime soon - Anthropic believes that Mythos is so good at finding vulnerabilities in code that it needs to be kept private to a small number of companies that will use it to help secure critical software. Whether you believe that Mythos will be a major change for cyber security or you believe that Anthropic is very good at marketing (or perhaps both), their announcement of Project Glasswing - a consortium of companies that will use the model to help protect software - is a fascinating read about the risks these models pose to software.
AI at the Lab:
This week, we recommend you learn more about how Berkeley Lab researchers are developing AI-enabled digital twins that simulate complex systems, accelerate scientific discovery, and enable smarter, faster decisions. This video does a great job breaking it down. There’s also a great article on its use on how an AI-Powered 'Digital Twin' can accelerates chemistry and materials discoveries.
Theme: Google Workspace Gems and Opal
Learning Goal: This week we’ll try out the popular AI tools in Google Workspace, Gems and Opal.
Think of Gems and Opals as a team of specialized assistants built directly into Google Workspace, ready to help with different kinds of tasks. They allow you to customize how AI supports your work. That could mean thinking through ideas, improving writing, or automating routine processes. Together, they make it easier to integrate AI into your daily workflow without needing technical expertise.
Resources:
AI Boost Bites: Gemini Gems – Your ultimate marketing sidekick (5 minutes)
AI Boost Bites: Shareable Gems (5 minutes)
AI Boost Bites: Your Personal Feedback Agent (10 minutes)
AI Boost Bites: Build Your AI Strategic Partner (5 minutes)
How to Get Started on Opal (6.5 minutes)
Master Google Opal featuring 7 Different Automations (15.5 minutes)
3 Project Management Automations with Opal (16 minutes)
Go to the BLAM home page to add these meetings to your calendar or better yet subscribe to the BLAM calendar!
This week’s webinar recording and additional resources are here. Gems and Opal with Luis Corrales, where he’ll walk you through examples of how to use Gems and Opal for productivity and project management.
Office Hours: Thursday, April 16 at 9:30AM with the Collaboration Services team
Try using Gems and Opal in one of your Google platforms and share your experience in the BLAM! Google Group Chat. Some examples of different uses could be:
Upload past notes to Gem and create a Use Opal to deliver polished meeting notes and action items to share with your team
Use Gems to create an project status dashboard
Upload examples of your Division brand voice to create a “Brand Voice Editor” Gem
Create an "Onboarding Buddy" Gem for the new hire to use. You connect it to your Google Drive folders containing the employee handbook, benefits PDFs, and IT FAQs so the new hire can ask it questions on day one ("How do I set up the printer?" or "What are our core hours?").
Or you can ask Gemini how to use Gems or Opal for a specific task and try it out!
Theme: Science-Productivity Tools
Learning Goal: This session introduces a set of AI-powered productivity tools designed to support scientific research and communication. Participants will explore tools such as NotebookLM for organizing and synthesizing research materials, Gemini for code-assisted plotting and data exploration, image generation for scientific visuals, Canvas for collaborative drafting and ideation, OpenAI’s Prisma for structured reasoning workflows, and Overleaf AI Assist for improving scientific writing in LaTeX. Together, these tools demonstrate how AI can help scientists analyze information, generate visuals, and streamline the process of turning research ideas into clear, shareable results.
Resources - Spend some time trying the AI-powered productivity tools:
Notebook LM: A Google AI-powered research and note-taking assistant that allows users to upload documents, websites, and audio, then acts as a conversational partner to summarize, connect, and analyze information specifically grounded in those sources.
Plotting in the Gemini App with Code Generation allows users to create data visualizations by having Gemini generate the code needed to produce charts and graphs from their data.
Image Generation with NanoBanana Nano Banana Pro provides scientists and researchers with advanced image generation and editing capabilities to visualize complex data and concepts with high precision.
Gemini’s Canvas: Canvas is an interactive workspace within the Gemini app that allows users to create, edit, and refine documents, code, and visual content in real-time.
OpenAI Prism is an AI-powered research workspace designed to help scientists write, organize, and collaborate on research papers by integrating AI reasoning, citations, and document drafting into a single environment.
Overleaf AI Assist is an AI-powered feature in Overleaf that helps researchers draft, edit, and improve LaTeX documents—such as academic papers—by suggesting text, refining language, and assisting with formatting.
Go to the BLAM home page to add these meetings to your calendar or better yet subscribe to the BLAM calendar!
This Week’s Webinar recording and additional resources are here. - Wednesday, April 15th at 1:30PM with Andrew Schmeder.
This Week’s Office Hours - Wednesday, April 15th at 11:00AM with Andrew and members of the ScienceIT team.
Select two of the productivity tools discussed in the webinar and give them the same prompt, on a scientific topic or question you are familiar with. Share your opinions about the pros and cons of each result with the Google Chat Group for 201.
Theme: Test Driven Development
Learning Goal: Learn how to use Test Driven Development within OpenCode and Claude Code to reduce errors and improve your ability to deliver apps that work.
Resources - Read this blog entry by Jesse Vincent about how he writes code: https://blog.fsck.com/2025/10/09/superpowers/
Weekly Challenge - Ship a bookmark manager that loads in your browser.
Go to the BLAM home page to add these meetings to your calendar or better yet subscribe to the BLAM calendar!
This week's webinar and additional resources are here. Join Tim Fong, ScienceIT consultant, to discuss and get a walk through of Test Driven Development.
NOTE: From 4PM onward are Office Hours for the BLAM Coder group to ask questions.
Try using one of the AI platforms discussed in this week’s webinar and discuss in the Google Chat for 201.