Science Headlines | U.S. DOE Office of Science (SC)

Oak Ridge National Laboratory to Co-Lead DOE’s New HPC for Manufacturing Program

Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) is collaborating with Lawrence Livermore and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratories (LLNL and LBNL) to lead a new US Department of Energy (DOE) program designed to fund and foster public-private R&D projects that enhance US competitiveness in clean energy manufacturing.

Argonne Microbial Ecologist Jack Gilbert Named One of Popular Science’s "Brilliant 10"

Jack Gilbert, a microbial ecologist and group leader in Argonne National Laboratory's Biosciences division, has been named one of Popular Science's "Brilliant 10" for his environmental and biomedical-focused research as part of the magazine's 14th annual awards list.

Dirty, Crusty Meals Fit for (Long-Dormant) Microbes

Scientists at Berkeley Lab and the Joint Genome Institute have revealed that even dusty, harsh desert environments contain a variety of microbes, which, when awoken, consume a virtual smorgasbord of metabolites; each type of microbe consuming a small range of metabolites, thereby avoiding pure competition and likely increasing species diversity.

New Support for CAMERA to Develop Computational Mathematics for Experimental Facilities Research

Department of Energy has announced approval of a joint ASCR-BES-supported grant of $10.5 million over three years to expand the Center for Advanced Mathematics for Energy Research Applications (CAMERA).

Do Protons Decay?

Scientists are studying if it is possible for protons, the fundamental building blocks of atoms, to have finite lifetimes, and if so, what that means for the stability of atoms.

The Rise of X-Ray Beam Chemistry

A team of physicists and geochemists at Argonne and Oak Ridge National Laboratory have shown that instead of just passively observing surface reactions of minerals, they can use X-rays to create the conditions by which reactions happen while simultaneously observing them.

DESI, an Ambitious Probe of Dark Energy, Achieves its Next Major Milestone

The Department of Energy has announced its approval of Critical Decision 2 for the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument, authorizing the project’s scientific scope, schedule, and funding profile.

Sizing Up Cyclones

With a new formula developed by a team of researchers led by PNNL, scientists can now double the accuracy of forecasting the rate at which tropical cyclones intensify.

Nano-Trapped Molecules are Potential Path to Quantum Devices

A team composed of Ali Passian of the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory and Marouane Salhi and George Siopsis of the University of Tennessee describes conceptually how physicists may be able to exploit a molecule’s energy to advance a number of fields.

First Users Usher in Science at the National Synchrotron Light Source II

The first scientific and industrial researchers ran their experiments this summer, and the fall scientific slate is filling up at the new synchrotron.

Costly Crumbling

Scientists are using the Mira supercomputer at Argonne to simulate how silica bonds break, which may lead to the development of both safer and more environmentally-friendly mining techniques, and tough new configurations for dental implants, electronics and construction equipment.

Good Is Not Enough: Improving Measurements of Atmospheric Particles

A research team led by Pacific Northwest National Laboratory developed an approach that links the scattering coefficient, a measure of how much tiny particles suspended in the atmosphere scatter sunlight, with other particle properties.