Is the NIF a ignition achievement worthy of a Nobel Prize? I have my own options but didn’t want to bias the question.
Wednesday, December 28, 2022
Tuesday, December 27, 2022
Top tier ET colleges for Lab Jobs?
DeVry University in Arizona use to offer 3 Electronics Technology Degrees, a BSET, an ASET, and an AAET, which was basically Electronics “Lite”, with minimal math and science requirements. UC/LLNL hired at least one DeVry Arizona college student (that I know of), who had not even completed 1 year of his AAET, which was the Electronics Lite Certificate portion of the AAET degree.
Most UC/LLNL ET new hires at the time either completed a BSET, ASET, or had significant Military ET experience. So why did UC/LLNL hire this DeVry student who had not completed his AAET degree? Because UC/LLNL was HELL-bent on filling “underutilized” job categories. It was DEI on steroids. Because of his “underutilize” status, this individual quickly became a Teflon Politician/manager, nothing bad ever stuck to him.
Oddly, this manager would often speak of the need to hire from top tier ET colleges for Lab jobs. Oh, the hypocrisy of the anointed ones.
The work is just beginning.
Giant laser from 'Star Trek' to be tested in fusion breakthrough
https://phys.org/news/2022-12-giant-laser-star-trek-fusion.html
Saturday, December 24, 2022
Remember LIFE?
Was “LIFE” completely defunded in 2012, after NIF failed to reach ignition goals in 2012?
Friday, December 23, 2022
DOE has vacated the Atomic Energy Commission’s 1954 decision In the Matter of J. Robert Oppenheimer
Secretary Granholm Statement on DOE Order Vacating 1954 Atomic Energy Commission Decision In the Matter of J. Robert Oppenheimer
https://www.energy.gov/articles/secretary-granholm-statement-doe-order-vacating-1954-atomic-energy-commission-decision
In 1954, the Atomic Energy Commission revoked Dr. Oppenheimer’s security clearance through a flawed process that violated the Commission’s own regulations. As time has passed, more evidence has come to light of the bias and unfairness of the process that Dr. Oppenheimer was subjected to while the evidence of his loyalty and love of country have only been further affirmed. The Atomic Energy Commission even selected Dr. Oppenheimer in 1963 for its prestigious Enrico Fermi Award citing his “scientific and administrative leadership not only in the development of the atomic bomb, but also in establishing the groundwork for the many peaceful applications of atomic energy.”
When Dr. Oppenheimer died in 1967, Senator J. William Fulbright took to the Senate floor and said “Let us remember not only what his special genius did for us; let us also remember what we did to him.” Today we remember how the United States government treated a man who served it with the highest distinction. We remember that political motives have no proper place in matters of personnel security. And we remember that living up to our ideals requires unerring attention to the fair and consistent application of our laws.
https://www.energy.gov/sites/default/files/2022-12/S1%20Oppenheimer%20Order%2012.12.22%20signed%20by%20S1%2012-16-2022.pdf
Thursday, December 22, 2022
Edward Teller, the true story!
Edward Teller is the father of the hydrogen bomb. From Nature:
https://www.nature.com/articles/news030908-6
This used to be mainly a LLNL blog. Many of us that worker there saw Edward and knew many people who interacted with him at one time. The stories we have are numerous and I invite people to share them here. Unfortunately there has been a thread about Teller that has relied on canned attacks and verbal gymnastics to discount his contributions and label him a villain. I would like to have a discussion that looks at the entire man and measures his impact on science and the nation.
Monday, December 19, 2022
Los Alamos quality of life
The quality of life in Los Alamos seems to be declining. Too much traffic take forever to get to work whether driving or riding the bus, grocery shelves sometimes empty, prices too high for bad quality products, no housing available,constant blackouts, etc. The lab should be more straightforward with new employees and let them know the town is full.
Saturday, December 17, 2022
Was Teller wrong?
Architect of the American atomic bomb J. Robert Oppenheimer is finally CLEARED - 68 years after losing his security clearance amid accusations he was a communist: Cillian Murphy to play the genius in new biopic.
I guess Teller was wrong.
Thursday, December 15, 2022
Poor new On-Line training
Poor new On-Line training, brought in as a last-minute pandemic patch.
Recycled horribly ended and recorded videos. Where the Audio Level will constantly change up and down, from section to section so distracting that it's almost impossible to follow the subject matter. Or where the person making the video didn't pay attention to the scaling, and you end up with a 3-inch Square video, in the middle of your 40 inch monitor. Yet LLNL has it in-house video production division. That generates some of the most polished videos, with a production value that is worthy of a luxury car ad. Even the most current videos that were being used during training. We're almost unintelligible and unwatchable. I realize that certain concessions had to be made due to the pandemic. We are tell Rita hands on training classes that should have taken a few hours, we're reduced down to a few minutes. No actual testing of your knowledge was done. Either the instructor would tell everyone the answers. Or you filled out whatever you thought was right and was never given feedback on your answer. The only class that still resembles anything that I would consider training. Was the first aid and CPR, happened to have an excellent instructor. All of the other classes seem to be taught by one of three instructors, and we're a fall safety and entrapment safety class, was supposed to take two and a half hours, was over in less than 20 minutes.Module that was taught on confined spaces, was a joke. The gas detectors they had in the classroom were all broken and out of calibration. to add insult to injury the cans of specially mixed gas that you were to spray into your 5 gallon Home Depot bucket to simulate and enclosed environment we're empty. Not only did a new hire that had never worked in this field before not learn anything. More senior employees it will retaking the class, in an attempt to help the training only serve to reinforce bad habits. after working there for a few years. it became a parent that LLNL is the definition of government waste. Between the atrocious low quality online training, it was Couples with the inability to actually schedule the Hands-On training, as there was never any slots open, and when they did show up in the system they would be filled immediately. The training coordinator was oblivious to her own job. Having to make constant phone calls requesting for training classes to be scheduled. I felt no safer after completing the entire training program then I did before I started.
Theft cases
Either the LLNS employee Copper thief that stole $117,667 worth of copper from LLNL from 2011 to 2014, is the luckiest guy on Earth for only given a misdemeanor charge, or LLNS navigated a path to minimize or eliminate a NNSA financial penalty for this chronic copper theft.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/former-biden-official-sam-brintons-mug-shot-released-bail-set-15000
What a waste of taxpayers'money!
the current process seems to be specifiy whatever you want from whatever manufacturer you want it from regardless of the cost. And we will order three or four of them. Just a waste at Site 300 alone, keeps a multiple amount of recycling companies in business, scrapping stainless steel, brass and copper there are cabinets full of parts at Site 300, for various projects, that will never be used. Either they were ordered in haste, to have enough on hand only for project to be canceled. Or they were just continuously ordered by people thinking that they were still needed. As an example, a small box made by Pomona electronics. Approximately 2 in long with a BNC connector on each end, commonly they will have cable Equalization circuits built inside. I have personally seen a box that contains over 500 of these Parts enclosures unused. Yet more were ordered because these were "old and used flat blade instead of Phillips screws" each enclosure list price Which is less than the government pays, is $65 each.
When a simple 12 volt bench power supply was needed to test a strip of LED lights (from Amazon), The power supply chosen cost $2,800. Would provide 0 to 80 volts at up to 5 amps. With full computer remote control, positive and negative dual Supply rails with double ground isolation.The lab could save enough money by just cleaning up and organizing what supplies are stuffed in too cabinets all over site 200 and Site 300. would pay for the staff needed to do the job, including testing and calibration to ensure the parts were still viable.
I understand that there's a time and place where new appointment has to be acquired, due to the fact that technology Marches On, however it seems that at LLNL new equipment has to be ordered on an hourly basis. Companies such as McMaster Carr Have made Rich by the fact that they spend $15 for one 5/8 Amber coated rust resistant Bolt.
On average 6 or more 20 yard debris boxes will leave LOL headed for recyclers. Containing tons of brass and stainless steel. Not to mention dozens more containing chassis, power supplies, random test equipment. Now some is sold at auction through govdeals.com. but it's not even 1% of the equipment absorbed into that laboratory. When we're tired we'll make it to auction.
Rather than make it available to Public Schools and colleges, or for that matter why not have a building that sells Surplus parts and equipment, to the General Public . With the understanding that the lab does not guarantee whether or not the part is fit for your application is. Site 200 Insight 300 are the true definition of government waste.
I understand that there's a time and place where new appointment has to be acquired, due to the fact that technology Marches On, however it seems that at LLNL new equipment has to be ordered on an hourly basis. Companies such as McMaster Carr Have made Rich by the fact that they spend $15 for one 5/8 Amber coated rust resistant Bolt.
On average 6 or more 20 yard debris boxes will leave LOL headed for recyclers. Containing tons of brass and stainless steel. Not to mention dozens more containing chassis, power supplies, random test equipment. Now some is sold at auction through govdeals.com. but it's not even 1% of the equipment absorbed into that laboratory. When we're tired we'll make it to auction.
Rather than make it available to Public Schools and colleges, or for that matter why not have a building that sells Surplus parts and equipment, to the General Public . With the understanding that the lab does not guarantee whether or not the part is fit for your application is. Site 200 Insight 300 are the true definition of government waste.
Cafeteria food quality
Why was it necessary for the lab to privatize all of the cafeterias. And close the cafeteria at site 300. So the employees had to create a workaround by creating their own snack shacks. Where are they purchase items at Costco and store them in freezers. Should you forget to bring your lunch. I remember a time at the Nevada Test site, where the food was good, made in-house and very inexpensive. Made the assumption that this was one of the perks of working for the Federal government, in a remote location.
Now all is offered is subpar industrial food, brought in by either Cisco or nugget depending who got the contract, you will pay top dollar for food that is barely edible. Don't believe the fancy video that shows you a day in the life of a live employee. There is very little idea like about it, and the breakfast they show you when I duplicated it during my employment, it cost me $18.Monday, December 12, 2022
Agreement reached over Hanford site contractor’s alleged hiring discrimination
“The U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs found that Richland-based Washington River Protection Solutions discriminated against Hispanic applicants seeking jobs as health physics technician trainees throughout 2019.”
https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/agreement-reached-over-hanford-site-contractors-alleged-hiring-discrimination/?amp=1
Major breakthrough at DOE?
https://www.zerohedge.com/energy/net-energy-gain-us-scientists-makes-breakthrough-nuclear-fusion
The US department of energy has said energy secretary Jennifer Granholm and under-secretary for nuclear security Jill Hruby will announce “a major scientific breakthrough” at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory on Tuesday.
“If this is confirmed, we are witnessing a moment of history,” said Dr Arthur Turrell, a plasma physicist whose book The Star Builders charts the effort to achieve fusion power.
“Scientists have struggled to show that fusion can release more energy than is put in since the 1950s, and the researchers at Lawrence Livermore seem to have finally and absolutely smashed this decades-old goal.” Russian propoganda?
Sunday, December 11, 2022
Unlimited free energy!!
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11526987/California-scientists-make-history-using-worlds-biggest-laser-replicate-reaction-powers-sun.html
Amazing!!!. 2023 Noble for LLNL for sure.
Nuclear weapons are cool and all that but a far more greater threat to humanity is global warming. NIF may have just solved that and saved all of our lives. Tip of the hat folks!!! Unlimited free energy.
Sam Brinton
Anonymous said...It has recently come to light that Sam Brinton, a high-level government Trans-Activist diversity hire with a puppy play fetish, has been caught stealing luggage at airports. This is a shocking and disappointing revelation, to say the least. It begs the question: why do the Department of Energy and the Department of Defense insist on hiring people in the service of a woke ideology, even when they have clear and obvious flaws and can pose grave security risks? Sam was recently a feature on LLNL Newsline and had an hour long webex chat posted celebrating his hire.
Furthermore, another diversity hire, LLNL lab director Kim Budil, was recently arrested for a DUI. This raises even more concerns about the hiring practices of these government agencies and LLC's such as LLNS. It is clear that something needs to be done to prevent these kinds of hires in the future.
One possible solution is to implement stricter background checks for all government hires, regardless of their diversity status. This would ensure that only qualified and capable individuals are selected for these important positions. Additionally, there should be consequences for those who do not live up to the standards expected of them, including the loss of clearance and potential legal action.
It is important that the DOE and DOD prioritize the safety and security of the American people above all else. Hiring individuals who do not meet the necessary standards is a disservice to the country, and it is crucial that steps are taken to prevent it from happening in the future.
Friday, December 9, 2022
Luggage theft by DOE official
A DOE official with a passion for fashion may be sourcing their wardrobe from stolen luggage.
Triad gets 5 year extension.
5 more years
Mason Says Triad LLC Five-Year Contract Extension Is Direct Result Of Workforce’s Hard Work And Dedication
This is a outstanding news and shows the comment and experience of UC in leading LANL. Hopefully NNSA will see what is going on and get rid of Bechtel from LLNL. Congrats to LANL, UC, and TRIAD!
The first wormhole?
https://www.quantamagazine.org/physicists-create-a-wormhole-using-a-quantum-computer-20221130/
Physicists Create a Holographic Wormhole Using a Quantum Computer
The unprecedented experiment explores the possibility that space-time somehow emerges from quantum information.
Physicists have purportedly created the first-ever wormhole, a kind of tunnel theorized in 1935 by Albert Einstein and Nathan Rosen that leads from one place to another by passing into an extra dimension of space.
This is incredible and scary at the same time suppose China or Russia can do the same thing? This will make nuclear weapons seem like cap guns. We will be throwing black holes at either going through space time wormholes on quantum computer created on quantum computers!
This shows that the labs are misguided and trying to fight the cold war when new technologies and quantum weapons are the future. We need to reinvest our money now to start looking at the future. Bombers, missiles, guns are not gone mean anything in the new battle field. The labs are trapped in the past. And no I do not want to hear someone say this is all hype.
Wednesday, December 7, 2022
Fusion Technology Is Reaching a Turning Point
In November 2021, the National Ignition Facility at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California achieved a historic step forward for inertial confinement fusion.
Saturday, December 3, 2022
Friday, December 2, 2022
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