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☆ Nuclear fusion experiment sets record for time at 100 million degrees Celsius
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-01 | by ( Laura Paddison | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Often referred to as the holy grail of climate solutions clean energy, fusion has the potential to provide limitless energy without planet-warming carbon pollution. KSTAR’s work “will be of great help to secure the predicted performance in ITER operation in time and to advance the commercialization of fusion energy,” Si-Woo Yoon said. This announcement adds to a number of other nuclear fusion breakthroughs. But commercializing nuclear fusion still remains a long way off as scientists work to solve fiendish engineering and scientific difficulties. Nuclear fusion “is not ready yet and therefore it can’t help us with the climate crisis now,” said Aneeqa Khan, research fellow in nuclear fusion at the University of Manchester in the UK.

Persons: Woo Yoon, ”, Aneeqa Khan, Angela Dewan Organizations: CNN — Scientists, KSTAR Research, Korean Institute of Fusion Energy, CNN, International, Reactor, Lawrence Livermore, Oxford, University of Manchester Locations: South Korea, France, United States

☆ Walter Massey, a Physicist With a Higher Calling
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-19 | by ( Katrina Miller | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The day before Walter Massey turned 30, in 1968, the Rev. Dr. Massey, then a physicist at Argonne National Laboratory, watched the funeral on television, in tears, from his apartment in Chicago. At the time, Dr. Massey was a rising star in the study of theoretical condensed matter, how liquids and solids behave. But Dr. Massey was also a Black man born and raised in the Jim Crow South. Dr. Massey thrust himself into supporting Black students at a time when colleges around the country were adjusting to court-ordered integration.

Persons: Walter Massey, Martin Luther King Jr, Massey, Lev Landau, Jim Crow, “, ”, “ I’d, King’s Organizations: National Laboratory, National Society of Black Physicists Locations: Memphis, Chicago, America, Argonne, I’d

Tech firms and Silicon Valley billionaires have been pouring money into nuclear energy for years, pitching the sustainable power source as crucial to the green transition. While generative AI has grown at lightning speed, nuclear power projects are heavily regulated and usually advance at a plodding pace. That's raising questions about whether advances in nuclear energy can cut emissions as swiftly as energy-guzzling AI and other fast-growing technologies are adding to them. The nuclear power industry hasn't meaningfully expanded its share of the U.S. energy mix for decades. By one estimate, up to 800 gigawatts of new nuclear power will be needed by 2050 to meet current green energy targets.

Persons: Sarah Myers West, Myers, Sam Altman, OpenAI, Altman, Jacob DeWitte, Oklo, hadn't, You've, DeWitte, Oklo's Organizations: Silicon, CNBC, Helion Energy, Microsoft, federal Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Air Force, NRC, Idaho National Laboratory, Energy Department, Pew Research Locations: Idaho, Ohio, United States, Alaska, U.S, Ukraine, Fukushima, Japan

☆ 11 US cities with the best mix of jobs, pay, and affordability
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-07 | by ( Noah Sheidlower | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Raleigh and Boise also placed high for large cities, while Idaho Falls ranked first for small cities. Per the rankings, only 11 large cities and seven small cities were classified as Tier 1, placing high among many metrics. Big cities also saw their tech sectors grow much faster than small cities. Philadelphia jumped 130 places between 2023 and 2024 in the large cities list, while Manhattan, Kansas, rose 160 places for small cities. AdvertisementFour of the top seven small cities were in Idaho, exemplified by Coeur d'Alene, Twin Falls, and Pocatello.

Persons: Austin, —, Milken, hasn't, Richmond , Virginia —, Paso Robles, El Centro Organizations: Milken Institute, Raleigh, Idaho Falls, Service, Boise, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Idaho National Laboratory, Obispo Locations: Boise, Austin, Raleigh, Los Angeles, Long, Glendale and New York, Jersey, White, Sunbelt, Provo, Orem, Utah, Salt Lake City, Elgin , Illinois, Houston, , Texas, Richmond , Virginia, Charleston, North Charleston, South Carolina, Philadelphia, Manhattan , Kansas, Wichita, Lawrence, Kansas, Idaho, Coeur d'Alene, Twin Falls, Pocatello . Idaho, California, San Luis, Arroyo Grande, Modesto, El

☆ China opens the world's deepest and largest underground laboratory 7,800 feet below a mountain to hunt for dark matter
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-23 | by ( Marianne Guenot | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

China has just opened the deepest and largest underground laboratory in the world. AdvertisementChina has opened the biggest and deepest underground laboratory in the world in a bid to uncover the secrets of dark matter. That leaves us with one overarching theory; that there is another type of matter acting on the universe, or so-called dark matter. CJPL hosts the Particle and Astrophysical Xenon Experiments (PandaX) and the China Dark Matter Experiment. "There is enough replication already," he said, adding that it may be better to try to find a new approach in the hunt for dark matter.

Persons: —, Gran, Ning Zhao, Juan Collar Organizations: Service, Gran Sasso National Laboratory, Nature News, Nature, Sanford Underground Research, Shanghai Jiao Tong, University of Chicago Locations: China, China's Sichuan Province, CJPL, Sichuan, Italy, , South Dakota, Shanghai, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Illinois

☆ California's Salton Sea could hold enough lithium for 375 million batteries — more than the total number of vehicles currently on US roads
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-05 | by ( Jennifer Solis | Nevada Current | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

The US Department of Energy released an analysis estimating how much lithium is under the Salton Sea. Salton Sea has the potential to produce an estimated 375 million lithium batteries for electric vehicles — more than the total number of vehicles currently on US roads, according to the analysis commissioned by the Department of Energy. It's the most comprehensive analysis to date quantifying the domestic lithium resources in California's Salton Sea region. AdvertisementIf the Salton Sea lithium can be extracted, it could give the US the ability to produce domestically sourced lithium, ending the nation's dependence on rival countries for a supply of the metal. AdvertisementThe state of California is also leaning into the development of lithium extraction in the Salton Sea.

Persons: DOE's Lawrence, Biden's, Jeff Marootian, George Rose, Gavin Newsom, Thacker Organizations: US Department of Energy, Service, Department of Energy, DOE's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkshire Hathaway Energy, DOE, California State, California Gov, US Fish and Wildlife Service Locations: Nevada's Thacker, Salton, Niland , California, California, Saudi Arabia, Nevada, In Nevada, Esmeralda County

The United States will work with other governments to speed up efforts to make nuclear fusion a new source of carbon-free energy, U.S. Kerry spoke at the Atlantic Council Global Energy Forum. In southern France, 35 nations are collaborating on an experimental machine to harness fusion energy, the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor, to prove the feasibility of fusion as a large-scale, carbon-free source of energy. The global nuclear industry launched an initiative at COP28 for nations to pledge to triple this kind of nuclear energy by 2050. Commonwealth Fusion was founded in 2018 by researchers and students from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Plasma Science and Fusion Center.

Persons: John Kerry, ” Kerry, Kerry, Andrew Holland, Dennis Whyte, Whyte, Edwin Lyman, Lyman, Bob Mumgaard, Mumgaard, it's Organizations: Climate, Atlantic Council Global Energy Forum, United Kingdom, United States, International, Reactor, Fusion Industry Association, Dubai, Commonwealth Fusion Systems, United, United Arab Emirates, Fusion, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Commonwealth Fusion, Massachusetts Institute of Technology Plasma Science, MIT, Commonwealth, Plasma Science, Fusion Center, Union of, Scientists, Washington, ARC, SPARC, AP Locations: States, U.S, Dubai, U.N, United States, France, Japan, Europe, China, Russia, Devens , Massachusetts, COP28, United Arab, Commonwealth, California

MP Materials (MP.N), Lynas Rare Earths (LYC.AX) and other Western rare earths companies have struggled at times to deploy it due to technical complexities and pollution concerns. "The existing rare earths refining process is a nightmare," said Isabel Barton, a mining and geological engineering professor at the University of Arizona. Fannon and several U.S. politicians have called for Western governments to create central rare earths processing hubs, a plan already being pursued by Canada. In Saskatchewan, government scientists are working to launch their own rare earths processing technology after attempts to buy Chinese technology sputtered in 2020. "These new sources for rare earths are going to be paramount if we're going to reach global net zero targets," said Steve Schoffstall of the Sprott Energy Transition Materials ETF (SETM.O), which holds shares in several rare earths companies.

Persons: Isabel Barton, Michael Schrider, Ucore, Luisa Moreno, REETec, Robert Fox, Frank Fannon, Mike Crabtree, Crabtree, Steve Schoffstall, Ernest Scheyder, Veronica Brown, Claudia Parsons Organizations: International Energy Agency, University of Arizona, U.S . Air Force, Pentagon, Defense Metals, U.S . Department of Energy's, U.S . Department of Energy's Idaho National Laboratory, Saskatchewan Research Council, SRC, Ucore, Reuters, Thomson Locations: ALEXANDRIA, Louisiana, China, United States, U.S, American, Alaska, of New Orleans, British Columbia, South Africa, Florida, Norway, Massachusetts, U.S . Department of Energy's Idaho, Wyoming, Canada, Saskatchewan

☆ A physicist says it's possible to determine if our universe is a giant simulation and has launched a crowdfunding campaign to fund his experiment
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-03 | by ( Melvin M. Vopson | The Conversation | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

But another is that our universe is a computer simulation, with someone (perhaps an advanced alien species) fine-tuning the conditions. In a virtual reality, this limit would correspond to the speed limit of the processor, or the processing power limit. Similarly, virtual reality needs an observer or programmer for things to happen. AdvertisementIt is reasonable to assume that a simulated universe would contain a lot of information bits everywhere around us. Argonne National LaboratoryI have predicted the exact range of expected frequencies of the resulting photons based on information physics.

Persons: It's, Melvin M, Melvin, —, John A, Paice, John Archibald Wheeler, Nick Bostrom, Seth Lloyd, Elon Musk, Albert Einstein's, Stringer, –, John Barrow Organizations: Service, Physicists, Oxford University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, US, Paramount, Space, Laboratory, University of Portsmouth, Creative Locations: Argonne

☆ Google DeepMind AI reveals potential for thousands of new materials
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-29 | by ( Martin Coulter | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Google logo and AI Artificial Intelligence words are seen in this illustration taken, May 4, 2023. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Nov 29 (Reuters) - Google DeepMind has used artificial intelligence (AI) to predict the structure of more than 2 million new materials, a breakthrough it said could soon be used to improve real-world technologies. The discovery and synthesis of new materials can be a costly and time-consuming process. DeepMind’s AI was trained on data from the Materials Project, an international research group founded at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in 2011, made up of existing research of around 50,000 already-known materials. Having used AI to predict the stability of these new materials, DeepMind said it would now turn its focus to predicting how easily they can be synthesised in the lab.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, “ We're, ”, Ekin Dogus, Kristin Persson, DeepMind, Martin Coulter, Jan Harvey Organizations: REUTERS, Google, Materials, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Thomson

☆ From Nvidia to Meta, these 9 companies are hiring the most generative AI talent
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-27 | by ( Aaron Mok | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Companies are actively hiring workers with generative AI skills. Advertisement"We were surprised to see the proliferation of generative AI skills being required in jobs that are not developing these technologies," Kane said. JOSH EDELSON/AFP via Getty ImagesMeta has released a number of AI projects, including AI chatbots and Ray-Ban Smart Glasses. AdvertisementAmazon's is currently hiring for a generative AI data scientist to work on the AWS team. It's currently hiring for an advanced AI research scientist and responsible AI advisor.

Persons: —, Layla O'Kane, Kane, Mark Zuckerberg, JOSH EDELSON, PNNL, Artur Widak, Anthropic, It's, there's Organizations: Meta, Service, Getty, Capital, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, US Department of Energy, AWS, Accenture, Nvidia, Microsoft Locations: AFP, Asia

☆ Start-Ups With Laser Beams: The Companies Trying to Ignite Fusion Energy
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-13 | by ( Kenneth Chang | More About Kenneth Chang | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

In December last year, after years of trying, the National Ignition Facility, or NIF, at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory reported that it had finally lived up to its middle name: ignition. For the first time anywhere, a laser-induced burst of fusion produced more energy than that supplied by the incoming lasers. “We’re really excited by the NIF results,” said Kramer Akli, who manages the fusion energy sciences program at the United States Department of Energy. A decade ago, a report by the National Academy of Sciences found much to like in the energy potential of laser fusion but recommended that the United States hold off major investments until ignition was achieved. The sun generates heat and light by jamming — fusing — hydrogen atoms together into helium.

Persons: We’re, ”, Kramer Akli, arth, ould Organizations: National Ignition Facility, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, United States Department of Energy, National Academy of Sciences Locations: United States

Steam feeding into the Unit 3 turbine generator of the Vogtle nuclear power plant in Waynesboro, Ga. “The United States is now committed to trying to accelerate the deployment of nuclear energy,” John Kerry, President Biden’s climate envoy, said in September. One recent Pew survey found that 57 percent of Americans favor more nuclear plants, up from 43 percent in 2016. A NuScale engineer gave a tour of a control room simulator, modeling the company’s plans for new nuclear reactors, in 2013. “The demand for clean energy is almost unprecedented,” said Maria Korsnick, president of the Nuclear Energy Institute, an industry group.

Persons: Biden, ” John Kerry, Biden’s, “, ”, Jacopo Buongiorno, Jimmy Carter, Rosalyn Carter, Bruce Springsteen, Dan Reicher, Gavin Newsom, Reicher, Clinton, Jeffrey Collins, Arnie Gundersen, John Williams, “ It’s, Patty Durand, Julie Kozeracki, Kendrick Brinson, Jay Wileman, Bill Gates, Dow, Roger Blomquist, NuScale Power, Jose Reyes, Adam Stein, it’s, they’re, Ahmed Abdulla, Robert Taylor, Leah Nash, NuScale, David Schlissel, Joshua Freed, didn’t, Maria Korsnick Organizations: Unit, Republicans, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Associated Press, Madison, Natural Resources Defense, California Gov, Democrat, Associated, Fairewinds Associates, Components, Workers, Georgia, Southern Company, Georgia Power, Georgia Public Service Commission, Energy Department, The New York Times, GE, Hitachi Nuclear Energy, Vogtle . Ontario, Tennessee Valley Authority, Argonne, National Laboratory, Energy, Nuclear Regulatory, NuScale, ”, Breakthrough Institute, Carleton University, Soaring, Institute for Energy Economics, United, Nuclear Energy Institute Locations: U.S, Waynesboro, Ga, Savannah, Georgia, United States, ”, Pennsylvania, Texas, Virginia, Jenkinsville, Vogtle, South Carolina, South, Canada, Tennessee, Argonne, Chicago, Idaho, Wyoming, California, Alaska, Maryland, Pueblo County, Colo

WASHINGTON (AP) — A project to build a first-of-a-kind small modular nuclear reactor power plant was terminated Wednesday, another blow to the Biden administration's clean energy agenda following cancellations last week of two major offshore wind projects. Oregon-based NuScale Power has the only small modular nuclear reactor design certified for use in the United States. “We absolutely need advanced nuclear energy technology to meet (the Biden administration’s) ambitious clean energy goals,'' spokeswoman Charisma Troiano said. In 2020, the Trump administration approved up to $1.4 billion for the project, known as the Carbon Free Power Project. Most prospective subscribers were unwilling to take on the risks associated with developing a first-of-a-kind nuclear project, the Utah group said.

Persons: Joe Biden's, Biden, Charisma Troiano, “, Timothy Fox, Fox, Trump, Obama, John Hopkins, NuScale, Ken Cook, ” Cook, ___ McDermott Organizations: WASHINGTON, Biden, Idaho National Laboratory, Energy Department, DOE, ClearView Energy Partners, The Energy Department, Energy Department's, Energy Department's Idaho National Laboratory, Carbon, Power, Congress, Utah Associated Municipal Power Systems, Nuclear Energy Institute, Environmental, U.S . Nuclear Regulatory Commission, AP Locations: Oregon, United States, Utah, Idaho, New Jersey, U.S, Washington, Idaho Falls , Idaho, Energy Department's Idaho, California, Providence , Rhode Island

☆ Why we don't have fusion power plants yet, and what it'll take to get clean, limitless energy to market
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-29 | by ( Jenny Mcgrath | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

Two experts explain how long it could take until fusion power plants are possible. Fusion plants could theoretically produce almost 4 million times as much energy as burning coal or oil — with none of the carbon emissions. It's what Andrew Christlieb, who is part of a US Department of Energy fusion project at Michigan State University, calls "step zero." The US Department of Energy's Fusion Energy Sciences program has a $763 million budget for 2023, which could grow to over $1 billion next year. Achieving commercial fusion power in two decades won't be quick enough to address many countries' goals of adapting clean energy and limiting global warming by 2035.

Persons: It's, Andrew Christlieb, Christlieb, Michael Livingston, PPPL, Jean, Paul Pelissier, it's, Jason Laurea, Lawrence, Jonathan Menard, Menard, Bill Gates, Sam Altman Organizations: Service, Ignition, NIF, US Department of Energy, Michigan State University, Royal Society, Reactor, REUTERS, European Union, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Princeton Plasma Physics, US Department of Energy's Fusion Energy Sciences, Fusion Industry Association, Tech Locations: PPPL, Saint, Durance , Southern France, US, China, Russia, Lawrence Livermore, Princeton

White Sands officials warned online that the wait to enter the gates could be as long as two hours. Visitors also are being warned to come prepared as Trinity Site is in a remote area with limited Wi-Fi and no cell service or restrooms. Scientists and military officials established a secret city in Los Alamos during the 1940s and tested their work at the Trinity Site some 200 miles (322 kilometers) away. While the lore surrounding the atomic bomb has become pop culture fodder, it was part of a painful reality for residents who lived downwind of Trinity Site. The notoriety from “Oppenheimer” has been embraced in Los Alamos, more than 200 miles (321 kilometers) north of the Tularosa Basin.

Persons: Christopher Nolan's, “ Oppenheimer, Willy Wonka's, White, J, Robert Oppenheimer, filmgoers, Barbie, Lois Lipman, “, ”, “ Oppenheimer ” Organizations: Historic Landmark, White, White Sands, Visitors, Trinity, U.S, Union of Concerned, Santa Fe, Alamos National Laboratory, Oppenheimer Locations: New Mexico, Manhattan, Los Alamos, Trinity, Tularosa

☆ North Korea halts nuclear reactor, likely to extract bomb fuel, Donga Ilbo reports
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The operation of the 5 megawatt nuclear reactor at the Yongbyon nuclear complex has been suspended since late September, according to intelligence assessment by U.S. and South Korean authorities, the report said. Reprocessing of spent fuel rods removed from a nuclear reactor is a step taken before plutonium is extracted. The Yongbyon nuclear complex is the North's main source of plutonium that it likely has used to build nuclear weapons. North Korea has also operated uranium enrichment facilities, which is a separate source of material that could be used for nuclear weapons. North Korea claims itself a nuclear state but has kept how many nuclear weapons it may have built or deployed a secret.

Persons: Jeon Ha, Siegfried Hecker, Vladimir Putin, Kim Jong Un, Hecker, " Hecker, Kim, Jack Kim, Lincoln Organizations: Kyodo ., Donga Ilbo, Russia, North, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Thomson Locations: Korean, Yongbyon, Kyodo . North Korea, SEOUL, North Korea, Korea, Pyongyang, Russia, Korea's

☆ The US is planning its first fusion plant, and it could generate pollution-free power by 2035
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-25 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Nuclear fusion is a breakthrough technology that could help the US achieve pollution-free power. Calling nuclear fusion a pioneering technology, Granholm said President Joe Biden wants to harness fusion as a carbon-free energy source that can power homes and businesses. A successful nuclear fusion was first achieved by researchers at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California last December in a major breakthrough after decades of work. Nuclear energy is an essential component of the Biden administration's goal of achieving a carbon pollution-free power sector by 2035 and net zero emissions economy by 2050. "We want to see everybody moving forward as quickly as possible (on the clean energy transition), including ourselves," she said.

Persons: it's, —, Biden, Jennifer Granholm, Granholm, Joe Biden, It's, Dennis Whyte, Rishi Sunak, Sunak Organizations: Service, US, Associated Press, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Control, Plasma Science, Fusion Center, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Energy, UK Locations: VIENNA, Vienna, California, France, Washington

☆ Birthplace of the atomic bomb braces for its biggest mission since the top-secret Manhattan Project
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-24 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

Los Alamos was the perfect spot for the U.S. government's top-secret Manhattan Project. The mission calls for modernizing the arsenal with droves of new workers producing plutonium cores — key components for nuclear weapons. James Owen, the associate lab director for weapons engineering, has spent more than 25 years working in the nuclear weapons program. Alexandra Martinez, 40, grew up in nearby Chimayo and is the latest in her family to work at Los Alamos. The film put the spotlight on Los Alamos and its history, prompting more people to visit over the summer.

Persons: James Owen, Owen, Alamosans, Greg Mello, Alexandra Martinez, chuckles, Martinez, J, Robert Oppenheimer, Christopher Nolan's, Oppenheimer, watchdogs, What's Organizations: U.S, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Associated Press, Los Alamos Study, Alamos, PF, Manhattan, —, Trinity Test, Independent Locations: Alamos, Manhattan, New Mexico, Albuquerque, Los Alamos, Peñasco, Taos County, Chimayo, selfies

☆ How an astronaut’s experience as a migrant worker helped him soar into space
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-24 | by ( Catherine E. Shoichet | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

CNN —More than a decade after he became the first former migrant worker to soar into space as a NASA astronaut, José Hernández reached another milestone this month. Hernández, an engineer, made history aboard the Space Shuttle Discovery in 2009, the first shuttle mission sending two Latino astronauts into space. The film portrays Hernández’s perseverance as the space agency rejected Hernández’s astronaut applications 11 times before selecting him for the program in 2004. And it shows what a critical role Hernández’s family played supporting him along the way. Daniel Daza/PrimeIn a 2016 interview with CNN, Hernández described how important Adela was in his journey.

Persons: José Hernández, Michael Peña, ” Hernández, we’ve, Hernández, Daniel Daza, Salvador Hernández, “ I’d, they’d, ”, Julio César Cedillo, “, Alejandra Márquez Abella, bachelor’s, Rosa Salazar, Hernández’s, Adela, Obama, Reuters Hernández, Steve Ueckert, Alejandra, “ It’s, he’d, hadn’t, Nicole Stott, Christer Fuglesang, Jose Hernandez, Patrick Forrester, Kevin Ford, Joe Raedle, he’s, Eduardo Serralde, CNN’s Octavio Blanco Organizations: CNN, NASA, International Space, Amazon Prime, Space Shuttle Discovery, “, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Televisa, Mexican TV, Space Station, Reuters, Canada, United States, Español, Houston Chronicle, Stars, Discovery, Kennedy Space Center, KCRA Locations: California, “, Mexico, Mexican, Michoacán, North America, Canada, United States, United, Cape Canaveral , Florida, Luna

LOS ALAMOS, N.M. (AP) — Los Alamos was the perfect spot for the U.S. government’s top-secret Manhattan Project. The community is facing growing pains again, 80 years later, as Los Alamos National Laboratory takes part in the nation's most ambitious nuclear weapons effort since World War II. The mission calls for modernizing the arsenal with droves of new workers producing plutonium cores — key components for nuclear weapons. Alexandra Martinez, 40, grew up in nearby Chimayo and is the latest in her family to work at Los Alamos. Some of the hand-written notes touch on the complicated legacy left by the creation of nuclear weapons.

Persons: James Owen, Owen, Alamosans, ” Greg Mello, Alexandra Martinez, chuckles, ”, Martinez, J, Robert Oppenheimer, Christopher Nolan’s “ Oppenheimer, watchdogs, “ What's Organizations: ALAMOS, U.S, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Associated Press, Los Alamos Study, Alamos, PF, Manhattan, —, Trinity Test, Independent Locations: N.M, Los Alamos, Manhattan, New Mexico, Albuquerque, Alamos, Peñasco, Taos County, Chimayo, selfies

☆ Biden's IRA Drives Surge in US Imports of Chinese Used Cooking Oil
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-22 | by ( Sept. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +3 min

By Andrew HayleyBEIJING (Reuters) - U.S. incentives to boost consumption of more environmentally friendly fuel has created a new market for used Chinese cooking oil, worth almost $390 million in the last 12 months and growing rapidly, China's customs data shows. In the first eight months of 2023, Chinese exports of used cooking oil (UCO) to the U.S. totalled almost 384,000 metric tons, customs data shows. Used cooking oil can be refined into fuels such as biodiesel and SAF, which can be blended with conventional fuels to reduce carbon emissions. State-run Chinese oil majors Sinopec and PetroChina, which are among those shipping UCO cargoes to the U.S., according to Kpler, did not respond to requests for comment. Used cooking oil can be one-third the price of fresh vegetable oil, and has lower carbon intensity than non-waste feedstocks such as palm or canola oil.

Persons: Andrew Hayley BEIJING, Biden, Kpler, Sophie Byron, Global's Byron, Andrew Hayley, Stephanie Kelly, Christian Schmollinger Organizations: U.S, SAF, P, Argonne National Laboratory, U.S . Department of Agriculture, Exports, European Commission, European Union Locations: China, U.S, California, Argonne, U.S . China, Europe, Germany

LAUNCESTON, Australia, Sept 19 (Reuters) - China is building two-thirds of the coal-fired electricity generation capacity currently under construction globally, and this may not be as disastrous for the climate as it sounds. The world's largest producer and importer of coal has 136.24 gigawatts (GW) of coal-fired generation under construction, according to data released in July by the Global Energy Monitor. China's under-construction coal generation is about 12% of its existing capacity, and adding more coal-fired power would seem incompatible with the stated goal of achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2060. It makes sense from an economic and geopolitical perspective to power China's vehicle fleet using domestic electricity rather than imported crude oil. While it would obviously be better for the environment for China to stop building coal-fired power plants and instead accelerate the deployment of renewables, there is some logic to the current policy.

Persons: it's, Christian Schmollinger Organizations: Global Energy Monitor, China Passenger Car Association, Reuters Graphics, ICE, U.S . Department of Energy's, U.S . Department of Energy's Argonne National Laboratory, Reuters, Thomson Locations: LAUNCESTON, Australia, China, India, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, Russia, U.S . Department of Energy's Argonne

☆ AI startup SambaNova launches new chip designed for higher quality AI
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-19 | by ( Max A. Cherney | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Argonne National Laboratory/Handout via REUTERS/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSept 19 (Reuters) - Artificial intelligence chip startup SambaNova Systems announced a new semiconductor on Tuesday, designed to allow its customers to use higher quality AI models at a lower overall cost. Security, accuracy and privacy are all areas that AI technology must be designed differently to be useful for enterprise customers. Nvidia (NVDA.O) dominates the market for AI chips, but a surge in demand triggered by interest in generative AI software made the coveted chips difficult for some companies to obtain. The new SambaNova chip is capable of powering a 5 trillion parameter model, and includes two advanced forms of memory. The company said that its combination of hardware enables customers to run larger AI models without trading size for accuracy.

Persons: ChatGPT, Rodrigo Liang, Liang, Max A, Michael Perry Organizations: U.S . Department of Energy’s, U.S . Department of Energy’s Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne National Laboratory, REUTERS, Systems, Palo, Nvidia, Intel, Devices, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Thomson Locations: U.S . Department of Energy’s Argonne, Lemont , Illinois, U.S, Palo Alto , California, San Francisco

Mexican journalist and long-time UFO enthusiast Jaime Maussan showed politicians at the hearing on Tuesday two tiny "bodies" displayed in cases, with three fingers on each hand and elongated heads. He claimed they were found in Peru in 2017 and were not related to any life on Earth. The images from the congressional hearing, the first of its kind in Mexico, sparked international curiosity as well as substantial scorn. Maussan, speaking to Reuters on Thursday, said his critics had yet to present evidence to counter his claims. "If you have something strange, make samples available to the world's scientific community, and we'll see what's there," he said.

Persons: Henry Romero, Jaime Maussan, Maussan, Ryan Graves, Graves, Leslie Urteaga, Urteaga, David Spergel, Cassandra Garrison, Joey Roulette, Marco Aquino, Rosalba O'Brien, Sandra Maler Organizations: San, REUTERS, U.S . Navy, Mexico's National Autonomous University, UNAM, Peruvian Culture, Ministry of Culture, Reuters, National Laboratory, NASA, Princeton, Thomson Locations: San Lazaro, Mexico City, Mexico, MEXICO, Peru, Mexican, Washington, Lima

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