Katy Bradford: Cassette approach offers compelling construction solution
The Oak Ridge Leadership Computing Facility welcomed users to an interactive meeting at the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory from Sept. 10–11 for an opportunity to share achievements from the OLCF’s user programs and highlight requirements for the future.
Summer interns at the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory recently dove into various smart devices to better understand cybersecurity vulnerabilities posed by technology meant to simplify a user’s life.
The Summit supercomputer, once the world’s most powerful, is set to be decommissioned by the end of 2024 to make way for the next-generation supercomputer. Over the summer, crews began dismantling Summit’s Alpine storage system, shredding over 40,000 hard drives with the help of ShredPro Secure, a local East Tennessee business. This partnership not only reduced costs and sped up the process but also established a more efficient and secure method for decommissioning large-scale computing systems in the future.
On Feb. 15, 2024, the one billionth item, also known as an “occupancy,” was scanned at the Port of Aqaba, Jordan, one of the early sites where radiation detection equipment was installed. This milestone shows the extent of countries committed to preventing the spread of radioactive material through the amount of data volunteered to ORNL for continuous improvement. As adversaries push the limits of smuggling dangerous material, this collaboration pushes back through science-backed analysis.
Elton Aba, an intern at the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory, collaborated with researchers to explore an intriguing intersection: how biology can inform cybersecurity. Aba shared some of his findings on how biomimicry could help secure our nation’s critical infrastructure.
Mohamad Zineddin, a distinguished researcher in nuclear and radiological engineering, recently received the Roger Howsley Award for Excellence in Nuclear Security.
Researchers at ORNL are using satellite images of homes under construction to address gaps in census data, especially in areas like Sub-Saharan Africa. By analyzing these images, they estimate dwelling sizes and population densities where traditional data is sparse. This method improves population estimates and supports national security by enhancing emergency response capabilities.
A study found that beaches with manmade fortifications recover more slowly from hurricanes than natural beaches, losing more sand and vegetation. The researchers used satellite images and light detection and ranging data, or LIDAR, to measure elevation changes and vegetation coverage. Changes in elevation showed how much sand was depleted during the storm and how much sand returned throughout the following year.
Benjamin Manard, an analytical chemist in the Chemical Sciences Division of the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory, will receive the 2024 Lester W. Strock Award from the Society of Applied Spectroscopy.
Ten future U.S. Army officers recently visited ORNL to learn about the legacy of nuclear science. As students of the Nuclear Science and Engineering Research Center, or NSERC, with the Defense Threat Reduction Agency, or DTRA, they stopped in East Tennessee as part of a larger tour across nuclear facilities supporting the military. In Oak Ridge, they visited ORNL to gain an appreciation of the history of the Manhattan Project and how research at a national lab contributes new materials and electronics for the nuclear industry.