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Processing plutonium-238

Since its 1977 launch, NASA’s Voyager 1 spacecraft has travelled farther than any other piece of human technology. It is also the only human-made object to have entered interstellar space. More recently, the agency’s New Horizons mission flew past Pluto on July 14, giving us our first close-up lo...

A new study published in Nature reassesses China’s carbon emissions from fossil fuels and cement production. Image credit - iStockphoto

fuel carbon emissions, a distinction it still maintains. But exactly how much carbon China releases has been a topic of debate, with recent estimates varying by as much as 15 percent. “There’s great scruti...

The Neutron Sciences Directorate’s two most recent distinguished fellows, Panchao Yin (left) and Bianca Haberl (below), are making major contributions to their respective fields. Image credit - Genevieve Martin
For early career researchers, a fellowship can be a valuable foot in the door, exposing them to the opportunity to gain experience in areas of science and technology of national importance.
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Viruses are tiny—merely millionths of a millimeter in diameter—but what they lack in size, they make up in quantity.
The “Big, Deep and Smart Data Analytics in Materials Imaging” workshop

In the Stone, Bronze and Iron Ages, the state of the art of materials science defined technology’s zenith and accelerated economies. Now, in the Information Age, data is beginning to drive the development of advanced materials, from photovoltaics for solar energy and superconductors for efficient el...

Developed by Oak Ridge National Laboratory researchers, CIRFT bends and vibrates used nuclear fuel rod segments to test the impact of normal traveling conditions—before the fuel rods ever leave the premises.
Moving rods of spent nuclear fuel (SNF) to interim storage or a geologic repository requires road or rail travel. Although a heavy shielding cask protects the rods, long distance transportation subjects SNF to vibrations, sudden movements and other potentially agitating for...
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Drafty buildings are a thermostat’s worst enemy. Leaks around windows and a multitude of other breaches in the building envelope can cause heat and air-conditioning systems to run excessively, hogging energy as it continually warms — or cools and dehumidifies — the invading outside air.

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Predicting how forests will respond to increased levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide involves understanding the interplay among carbon dioxide, nutrients, water, plant and soil processes. This multitude of variables challenges scientists who are trying to gauge how future ecosystems will react in a changing climate.
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Cameron Roberts, a recent High Flux Isotope Reactor visiting research user, stands out from the usual queue of university academics, industry R&D staff, and DOE scientists—this user is a junior in high school.
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Run-2 for the Large Hadron Collider (LHC)—the world’s largest and most powerful particle collider—began April 5 at CERN, the European Laboratory for Nuclear Research. In preparation, Thomas M. Cormier, who leads the LHC Heavy Ion group at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, led an upgrade of the electromagnetic calorimeter used for LHC’s experiment called ALICE (for A Large Ion Collider Experiment).