Using virtual reality to make nuclear reality safer
At Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico—home of the first American atomic bomb— -- scientists are using video-game technology to enhance training for the inspectors who monitor civilian nuclear activities around the world.
The goal is to use virtual models of nuclear facilities to provide much more realistic training—an effort to revolutionize global efforts to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons. (Full Story)
Melrose team tops supercomputing challenge
Randall Rush, his brother Richard, and Kyle Jacobs of Melrose High School reacting to their project being selected as the winner in the 20th New Mexico Super- computing Challenge. LANL photo.Three students from Melrose High School won first place in this year’s state Supercomputing Challenge, hosted by Los Alamos National Laboratory. Two Los Alamos High School teams captured second and third place.
About 250 students from 70 teams statewide participated in the competition, now in its 20th year. The teams spent this school year researching scientific problems, developing sophisticated computer programs, and learning about computer science with mentors from the state’s national laboratories and other organizations. (Full Story)
Supercomputing standouts
Two four–student teams from Los Alamos High School captured second and third place in the 20th New Mexico Supercomputing Challenge hosted by Los Alamos National Laboratory. "The Holy Grail of Adam's Ale" received second place.
The Los Alamos High School team of Gabriel Montoya, Rachel Robey, Orli Shlachter and Orion Staples each received $500 for the second-place research project, which used geostatistics, a branch of applied statistics, to find aquifers and other groundwater sources. (Full Story)
Also this week in the Monitor
Los Alamos National Laboratory participates in National Lab Day to increase awareness of science across the nation.
Events planned May 4-5 at Bradbury Science Museum Connecting teachers and students with scientists, engineers, mathematicians and industry professionals across the country is the goal of National Lab Day, a year-round initiative spearheaded by President Barack Obama. (Full Story)
Los Alamos Lab earns recognition for emissions technology
A welder fabricates an ENDURE Catalyst module.Two Los Alamos National Laboratory technologies, ENDURE SCR Catalyst and Hyperion Power Module, received Awards of Excellence in Technology Transfer from the Federal Laboratory Consortium.
The ENDURE SCR Catalyst is a novel technology that virtually eliminates nitrogen oxides (NOX) from engine exhaust streams. The Hyperion Power Module was licensed exclusively to Hyperion Power Generation Inc. in 2008 and uses the energy of low-enriched uranium fuel and meets all the non-proliferation criteria of the Global Nuclear Energy Partnership. (Full Story)
Robotics, rocketry, and tie-dye
Students stand by to launch their rockets. KOAT video.In its weekly Research Rocks! Report, KOAT-TV focuses on a Los Alamos National Laboratory program for elementary school students called "Robotics, Rocketry, and Tie-dye" that teaches basic chemistry concepts to about 400 Northern New Mexico students. (See the Video)
Raytheon to develop nuclear detection system
Raytheon has won a $20.5m contract to develop an automated nuclear radiation detection system by the US Defence Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA). [Partners include Los Alamos National Laboratory.] (Full Story)
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