[an error occurred while processing this directive]

Top 10 achievements of 2019 from ORNL

(Technology.org) This round-up of ten of the most-read news stories from Oak Ridge National Laboratory in 2019 showcases the diversity of the lab’s scientific and engineering research portfolio. Researchers at ORNL are taking advantage of investments in computing, neutron science, clean energy, nuclear science and national security to deliver impactful scientific solutions in the coming decade...12/30

Study analyzes viability of fuels developed through ORNL process

(Ethanol Producer) A technology developed at the U.S. Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory and scaled up by Vertimass LLC to convert ethanol into fuels suitable for aviation, shipping and other heavy-duty applications can be price-competitive with conventional fuels while retaining the sustainability benefits of biobased ethanol, according to a new analysis...12/23

Using Supercomputing to Improve Building Energy Efficiency

(HPC Wire) In the United States, building energy use is a serious problem: buildings account for 70 percent of total electricity consumption, with the plurality of the energy consumption incurred by heating and cooling...12/24

In the fight against cancer, ORNL and Stony Brook Cancer Center enlist an advanced neural network

(Primeur Weekly) Armed with an MD-PhD in computer science from Duke University and trained in pathology at Johns Hopkins University, Joel Saltz has staked his life's work at the intersection of biomedical research and data science, initiating digital pathology tools and computer-aided diagnosis techniques...12/16

ORNL’s Taylor elected fellow of AIChE

(The Oak Ridger) Paul Taylor, a researcher at the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory, has been elected fellow of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE)...12/27

Near the North Pole, an East TN scientist finds polar bears and new information about our world

(WBIR TV) Suspended in a frozen plain of ice, 300 miles from the North Pole, the Polarstern was the ship Misha Krassovski learned to call home. The Oak Ridge National Laboratory computer scientist made the trip as part of a historic research mission. The Polarstern carried containers of high tech monitoring equipment which Krassovski helped install...12/24

Summit Charts a Course to Uncover the Origins of Genetic Diseases

(DOE Science News Source) Genetic factors can be responsible for a number of diseases, from degenerative neurological disorders to some cancers. Gene mutations can interfere with how the body expresses genes and cause disease. To better understand this connection, researchers recently developed a model of the transcription preinitiation complex (PIC)...12/23

A nuclear attack would most likely target one of 6 US cities. Simulated images show how a Hiroshima-like explosion would affect each.

(Business Insider) It’s the disaster for which no city is prepared: A nuclear bomb strikes the US, triggering a blinding flash of light, a giant orange fireball, building-toppling shockwaves, and dangerous nuclear fallout...The simulations use data from the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (which is sponsored by the US Department of Energy) that shows how many people are likely to inhabit an area within a 24-hour period...12/23

Gina Tourassi appointed director of ORNL National Center for Computational Sciences

(Primeur Weekly) Gina Tourassi, left, has been appointed as director of the National Center for Computational Sciences at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Gina Tourassi replaces NCCS director Jim Hack, who will transition to a strategic leadership role in CCSD. ...12/19

Science and Technology

Our favorite science news stories of 2019

(Science Magazine/AAAS) A lost continent. Bullets made of dark matter. A “cow” in space. These were the subjects of some of our favorite stories about scientific findings this year. The items below don’t necessarily reflect the most important science of 2019...12/19

Energy and Science Policy

Scientific Publishers Unite to Oppose Potential Open Access Executive Order

(AIP) The White House is considering issuing an executive order that would mandate immediate free access to all published federally funded research, according to administration and scientific publishing officials. They say that at least two rounds of interagency reviews of the order have occurred, but there has been no word on when or whether it will be issued...12/20

DOE

Highlights of funding for ORNL, Y-12, UPF, Spallation

(The Oak Ridger) U.S. Senate Energy and Water Development Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., said the “the best-kept secret in Washington is record-funding for the Office of Science.”...12/24

Battelle works to turn coal into foam for commercial use

(The Columbus Dispatch) With Christmas just a day away, some people might be worried about getting a lump of coal from Santa. Battelle has a solution for that. The research and development company based in Columbus is working on converting bituminous coal into polyurethane foam products as part of a $1 million grant, with the U.S. Department of Energy funding 80% and the state of Ohio 20%...12/23

Argonne’s Mira supercomputer set to retire after years of enabling groundbreaking science

(Technology.org) Mira, the 10-petaflop IBM Blue Gene/Q supercomputer first booted up at the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Argonne National Laboratory in 2012, will be decommissioned at the end of this year. When a treasured and respected colleague hits retirement age, coworkers can grow a bit sentimental about the achievements and highlights accomplished over a dedicated and industrious career...12/30

Hackathon Speeds Progress Toward Climate Model Collaboration

(Eos) This past summer, scientists from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) gathered at six hubs across the United States to participate in a climate model comparison “hackathon.” They pooled computing resources and expertise, and they collaborated in person and via videoconferencing...12/23

New U.S. law requires probe of Marshall Islands nuclear dump threatened by rising seas

(Los Angeles Times) As part of the new National Defense Authorization Act, signed last week by President Trump, the energy agency must submit a report by mid-June on the risks that Runit Dome poses to the people, environment and wildlife of Enewetak lagoon — the site of 44 nuclear bomb detonations during the Cold War...12/30

US-Israel fund to invest $6M in joint clean energy projects

(Israel-Hayom) Seven clean energy projects have received $6.4 million in funding from a joint US-Israel research and development fund, Israel Hayom has learned. The US Department of Energy, Israel’s Energy Ministry, and the Israel Innovation Authority chose the projects as part of the Binational Industrial Research and Development (BIRD) Energy program...12/29

Local and State

Knoxville Science Museum unveils design plans for $100 million project

(WVLT TV) A year after Jim Clayton announced plans for the Knoxville Science Museum potential designs have been released. Three concepts were chosen to proceed further through the design process. The multi-million dollar proposed museum will be constructed on the site of the city's police headquarters on Howard Baker Jr. Avenue...12/4

Lamar Alexander says Beyond the Headlines, Congress is Reaching Results for Tennesseans

(Clarksville Online) “I often suggest Tennesseans look at Washington, D.C., as if it were a split-screen television. On one side, you hear about impeachment and tweets, but, on the other side, you have members of Congress working together to get results for Americans. And in 2019, we’ve done just that.”...12/26

TWRA relocates bear found in UT's baseball stadium

(WBIR TV) Around 4 am, Lt. Doty with the University of Tennessee Police Dept. notified TWRA Wildlife Sgt. Roy Smith that there was a bear making its way through the University of Tennessee campus and was currently stuck inside Lindsey Nelson Stadium...12/29