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Gage Slacum looks at a circuit board through a microscope. Credit: Josie Fellers/ORNL, U.S. Dept. of Energy

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.

Hard drive being pulled and put in recycle container.

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.

Daryl Yang standing on a bridge overlooking a pond covered in water lillies

Daryl Yang is coupling his science and engineering expertise to devise new ways to measure significant changes going on in the Arctic, a region that’s warming nearly four times faster than other parts of the planet. The remote sensing technologies and modeling tools he develops and leverages for the Next-Generation Ecosystem Experiments in the Arctic project, or NGEE Arctic, help improve models of the ecosystem to better inform decision-making as the landscape changes.

pulsed laser deposition setup

In a game-changing study, ORNL scientists developed a deep learning model — a type of artificial intelligence that mimics human brain function — to analyze high-speed videos of plasma plumes during a process called pulsed laser deposition.

Researchers from ORNL and Western Michigan University prepare for a Chattanooga-based demonstration of a self-driving car using chip-enabled raised pavement markers for navigation.

ORNL has partnered with Western Michigan University to advance intelligent road infrastructure through the development of new chip-enabled raised pavement markers. These innovative markers transmit lane-keeping information to passing vehicles, enhancing safety and enabling smarter driving in all weather conditions.

ORNL uses old radiation detectors repurposed into plaques

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. 

Bryan Maldonado

As a mechanical engineer in building envelope materials research at ORNL, Bryan Maldonado sees opportunities to apply his scientific expertise virtually everywhere he goes, from coast to coast. As an expert in understanding how complex systems operate, he’s using machine learning methods to control the process and ultimately optimize performance. 

Ayana Ghosh

A research scientist with the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Ayana Ghosh was named the 2024 Early Discovery Award winner by the American Ceramic Society. The award recognizes an early career member of the organization who has contributed to basic science in the field of glass and ceramics.

Joshua New

ORNL’s Joshua New was named the 2024 Researcher of the Year by R&D World magazine as part of its R&D 100 Professional Award winners. 

ORNL intern Elton Aba

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.