Science

AGU: Airborne Research Shows East Coast Cities Emitting Twice As Much Methane As Estimated

July 24, 2019 by Submitted by Carol A. Clark

A NOAA Twin Otter aircraft over the Hudson on a 2018 research mission. Courtesy/Eric Kort/U of M

Genevieve Plant of the University of Michigan and NOAA’s Colm Sweeney review measurements of methane and other gases during an airborne research project in 2018. Courtesy/Eric Kort/U of M

AGU News:

WASHINGTON, D.C. ― Atmospheric methane is a powerful greenhouse gas that also contributes to ground-level ozone pollution.

In the past decade, there has been intense scientific focus on improving the accuracy of methane emissions estimates in the United States, with most

New Mexico History Museum Launches Apollo Exhibit With Moon Rocks And Schmitt Flight Suit

July 23, 2019 by Submitted by Carol A. Clark

On display at the NMHM is the Mercury Space Capsule 12B, created as a backup for the Mercury missions and on loan from the Smithsonian Institution’s National Air and Space Museum. Courtesy/NASA

Mercury Space Capsule 12B. Courtesy/NASA

NMHM News:

SANTA FE – Northern New Mexico residents have a rare opportunity to celebrate the 50^th anniversary of the Apollo Moon landing with a temporary exhibit at the New Mexico History Museum (NMHM) in Santa Fe through Oct. 20.

NMHM hosts “A Walk on the Moon: The 50^th Anniversary of the Apollo Moon Landing” as part of the worldwide celebration Read More

UbiQD Announces Novel Quantum Dot Optical Fiber Technology That Delivers Extra Light To The Lower Canopy Of Plants

July 23, 2019 by Submitted by Carol A. Clark

Fiber-coupled luminescent concentrators, using UbiQD quantum dots, deployed over a row of tomatoes in a commercial hydroponic greenhouse. Inset: Close-up of the fiber tips, where light is delivered to the lower canopy. Courtesy/UbiQD, Inc.

Representation of spectral tissue sensing utilizing the quantum dot-enabled fiber-coupled broadband medical light-source. The reflected spectrum can be a disease diagnostic. Courtesy/UbiQD, Inc.

UbiQD News:

Wide-ranging applications include greenhouse agriculture, medical diagnostics, and telecommunications

UbiQD, Inc., a New Mexico-based Read More

UA: Alien Moons … Vacations Of The Future?

July 23, 2019 by Submitted by Carol A. Clark

UA News:

TUCSON, Ariz. — Humans first explored the Earth’s moon 50 years ago, an impressive feat for sure. But if you are interested in venturing a little off the beaten path, here are some other extraordinary moons humans may be able to visit in the future.

Pit Stop on Phobos

Your guide: Alfred McEwen, UA Regents’ Professor of Planetary Sciences and principal investigator of HiRISE, the sharpest camera ever sent to another planet.

As you pack up your spaceship in preparation for decades of travel, you’re sure to feel like you’re forgetting something. Don’t worry!

LANL: Vampire Algae Killer’s Genetic Diversity Poses Threat To Biofuels

July 23, 2019 by Submitted by Carol A. Clark

New DNA analysis has found genetic diversity in Vampirovibrio chlorellavorus, complicating efforts to protect algae ponds and the biofuels industry from this destructive pest. The predatory bacterium sucks out the contents of the algae cells, ultimately transforming a productive green algae pond to a vat of rotting sludge. Photo by Seth Steichen and Judith K. Brown, Plant Sciences, University of Arizona, Tucson, Ariz.

LANL News:

New DNA analysis has revealed surprising genetic diversity in a bacterium that poses a persistent threat to the algae biofuels industry.

Los Alamos National Laboratory Summer Science Camp Empowers New Mexican Young Women

July 22, 2019 by Submitted by Carol A. Clark

Laboratory researcher Adrianna Reyes-Newell, right, shows students how laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy works. The ChemCam instrument on the Curiosity rover uses this technology to investigate the composition of Martian rocks. Courtesy/LANL

LANL News:

Two-week program from Los Alamos National Laboratory aims to inspire and increase diversity in STEM fields

The third annual Los Alamos National Laboratory Summer Physics Camp for Young Women recently concluded in Pojoaque, giving the 22 students from Northern New Mexico communities a grounding in science, technology, engineering Read More

First Woman On The Moon From New Mexico

July 20, 2019 by Submitted by Carol A. Clark

Rocketeer Academy cadets Ariel Greene and Kason Henry inspect the lunar surface during a re-enactment of the Apollo 11 moonwalk July 17 at the New Mexico Museum of Space History. Courtesy/NMMSH

Rocketeer Academy cadets Ariel Greene and Kason Henry. Courtesy/NMMSH

NMMSH News:

ALAMOGORDO ― Rocketeer Academy cadets Ariel Greene of Alamogordo and Kason Henry of Las Cruces inspect the lunar surface during a re-enactment of the Apollo 11 moonwalk July 17 at the New Mexico Museum of Space History.

Greene and Henry communicated with fellow cadets who acted as mission

Bradbury Science Museum Brings Summer Science On Wheels To Espanola Public Schools July 23-24

July 19, 2019 by Submitted by Carol A. Clark

LANL News:

The Bradbury Science Museum at Los Alamos National Laboratory is taking its Summer Science on Wheels program to several Espanola Public Schools to help students keep up with science education learning and inspire the youth toward future STEM careers.

Mel Strong, an educator with the museum, will engage students using a fun and creative hands-on activity on sound.

Students will build an instrument with straws and use tuning forks to listen to vibrations and understand how sound is created.

The classes are 12:30-2 p.m., July 23 at James H. Rodriguez Elementary

LANL: Machine-learning Competition Boosts Earthquake Prediction Capabilities

July 18, 2019 by Submitted by Carol A. Clark

Competitors in an online Kaggle competition developed a variety of methods for predicting the timing of earthquakes generated in a laboratory. The work could someday help to improve earthquake hazard assessments that could save lives and billions of dollars in infrastructure costs. Courtesy/LANL

LANL News:

Competitors’ success predicting quake timing in the online Kaggle competition could help save lives, infrastructure

Three teams who applied novel machine learning methods to successfully predict the timing of earthquakes from historic seismic data are splitting $50,000

An Open Book: Science And Humanity

July 18, 2019 by Submitted by Carol A. Clark

By DAVID IZRAELEVTIZ
Los Alamos

Last Saturday was ScienceFest Discovery Day, and it was certainly a discovery Saturday for me. I missed the prior Friday night concert (more about that later), but I wanted to make sure to walk around on Saturday and get a feel for what this ever-improving Los Alamos signature event was all about. I saw loads of kids doing hands-on science experiments or safely peering through telescopes at the Sun. There were museums, parks, vendors, and even my old LANL division sharing their passion for knowledge, curiosity and the intricacies of the universe; a universe