🖥️ A day in the life at Bell Labs | Morning Newsletter

Welcome to Saturday.

Here comes the rain again. Chances are slimmer today, but it’s still cloudy and chilly out.

Today, I’m highlighting a reader’s experience working at Bell Labs in Holmdel, N.J., a.k.a. the real-life setting of the fictional Lumon Industries.

But first, there’s news about a new measles case in Philadelphia and Montgomery County, the fate of food trucks at Drexel, the closure of more area Wawas, and the latest dustup in the Philly DA race. Let’s get into it.

— Paola Pérez ([email protected])

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A few weeks ago, I told you about Philly’s proximity to the real-life building that serves as a stunning setting for the Apple TV+ series Severance. The historic attraction, an easy day trip from the city, used to be called Bell Labs, the research arm for communications giant AT&T. Today, it’s the Bell Works complex, home to dining, retail, and fitness facilities.

Reader and former computer scientist Dick Wexelblat wrote me to share a fascinating slice of history: What it was like to be an employee there in the ‘60s. Here is his story.

When I went there in 1965, the building was still under construction. Two of the four sections were open and completed. I had many computer-related jobs there, the major one of which was as supervisor of the computer center which, in those days, had IBM 360s. I can still remember my room number: 2F–413. (Building two, corridor F, 4th floor, office 13).

On the first floor, there was a center court at the entrance, and then to the right and to the left were subsidiary courts. They were gathering places, and in the middle of each was a small garden with a large fountain. When the fountains were on full they made an amazing noise which echoed off of the resilient walls. It even interfered with conversations in the offices on the side corridors. Together with one of my cohorts, we would periodically toss a small chunk of chartreuse fluorescent dye into the fountain, which, of course, annoyed building management. So they would turn off the fountain, drain it and clean it. It took the better part of six months for them to realize that the fountains running at half flow were just as pretty and much less noisy. And didn’t turn yellow.

There were inner and outer continuous circular driveways around the building. I found out from a friend that there was something called the “century club” whose members had motorcycles and had got up to 100 miles an hour on the outer circular drive. If you look at the aerial view of the building you’ll see that the circular driveways are no longer continuous.

It was amazing working for Bell Labs. As I recall, there were two Nobel laureates in our building, and many more at the Labs’ Murray Hill location. The number of important and significant discoveries and inventions from BTL is almost too long to list. While I understand that breaking up the Bell System was probably necessary, a side effect was to destroy the Labs and lose a significant national scientific resource.

Here’s an amusing note: Bell Telephone Laboratories is abbreviated BTL. So, in the cafeteria, they did not have bacon, lettuce, and tomato sandwiches (BLTs), but bacon, tomato, and lettuce sandwiches (BTLs).

In November, the Philadelphia Historical Commission rejected preservation protections for the former city Police Headquarters building, known as the Roundhouse.

This decision put the future of the notorious structure in jeopardy. In a column for The Inquirer, Tya Winn and David Feldman argue in favor of establishing a best practice for responsible preservation.

“This history is held in parallel with the difficult reality of its carceral history and visible testimony to police brutality and urban renewal,” Winn and Feldman write. “Powered by civic engagement and participation, the site could become a premier symbol of a united Philadelphia.”

Read on for their perspective on shaping the future of the Roundhouse.

Which of the following is a reason SEPTA riders hope the transit agency can maintain full service?

A) It provides access to medical appointments

B) They prefer less-disruptive commutes

C) They don’t want to worry about getting home safely

D) all of the above

Think you know? Check your answer.

Hint: An iconic medical history institution

TUT MUM RESUME

Email us if you know the answer. We’ll select a reader at random to shout out here.

Cheers to Olivia Johannsen who correctly guessed Friday’s answer: Burlington. The South Jersey county released a report on its failures on Election Day 2024, which was characterized by “unacceptable” long lines and voting delays.

Gov. Josh Shapiro talked about President Donald Trump’s trade agenda in a Thursday visit to the Port of Philadelphia, the day after Trump paused some tariffs. Staff photographer Tom Gralish captured the moment State Rep. Ed Neilson (front) reacted when he mistakenly referred to Shapiro as Gov. Ed Rendell.

The average Scoop Deville experience? Chaotic, according to some Philadelphians on Reddit.

Over on X, Brendan of Moyamensing Archives shared his acquisition of “an incredible piece of history” — a packet of what appears to be original blueprints for passenger cars in Philadelphia.

This reel showcases the power of “Go Birds” as a simple greeting.

And pop star Sabrina Carpenter of Bucks County made her debut on the Fortnite online video game this week as a playable character. Some players are forming alliances and just vibing. Love that.

👋🏽 Let’s talk again tomorrow.

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