DOE and the looming shutdown

The U.S. research community is holding its breath after the abrupt collapse last night of a bipartisan deal to avoid a government shutdown on Saturday.

https://www.science.org/content/article/u-s-scientists-brace-looming-government-shutdown

Trump’s transition team has landed at DOE

 Members of the Trump transition arrived at the Energy Department on Tuesday to meet for the first time with department leaders.

https://www.politico.com/live-updates/2024/12/19/congress/trump-transition-energy-department-00195309

Enter the nuclear fusion machine

How likely will this machine be effective? 

Will it survive trump's haphazard decisions?

 https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.cnn.com/cnn/2024/12/18/climate/world-first-nuclear-fusion-power-plant-commmonwealth

Fact-check: Drones were not tracking missing radioactive material in New Jersey

"The Department of Energy/National Nuclear Security Administration's Nuclear Emergency Support Team (NEST) does not employ drones for nuclear/radiological detection missions, and is not currently conducting any aerial operations in that region”

https://abcnews.go.com/US/fact-check-radioactive-material-triggered-drone-theories-missing/story?id=116884712

12/17/2024 4:44 PM

Reply

Are solar super flares overdue?

 These are interesting articles indicating the possibility that huge solar flares or superflares are much more frequent than previously thought, and can be larger in magnitude than previously thought, of course these could pose dangers to the electric grid, satellites and astronauts, including colonists on the moon or mars.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/12/241212145729.htm

https://www.livescience.com/space/the-sun/our-sun-may-be-overdue-for-a-superflare-stronger-than-billions-of-atomic-bombs-new-research-warns

https://www.mps.mpg.de/superflares-once-per-century?c=6775

Mirror life

 This is an interesting article about "mirror life" -- biologists have been hard at work making mirror imagine biomolecules and eventually it will be possible to make mirror image lifeforms, perhaps in 10 years, a threat that can cause human extinction perhaps:

https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.ads9158

Green energy future

Could the end of the energy crisis be in sight?

Can you I make sense of this analysis?

https://www.thecooldown.com/green-tech/nuclear-fusion-power-plant-startups-energy/ 

Big "if"

 If the Department of Energy (DOE) were eliminated, nuclear waste management in the U.S. would face significant challenges. The DOE is responsible for developing and implementing strategies for the safe handling and disposal of radioactive waste, including designing and operating disposal facilities.

  Without the DOE, these responsibilities would need to be transferred to another agency or a new independent organization, as recommended by expert panels

  This transition could disrupt current waste management programs, delay the development of permanent disposal solutions, and increase taxpayer burdens due to interim storage costs.

These added responsibilities could overwhelm any other agency, Wouldn't?

Insurance and housing collapse

 A Housing Market “Black Swan” Event In The Making?

“Warning The Insurance Collapse Could Trigger a Housing Market Meltdown”

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=bcvWs7LOalw&pp=ygUrd2FybmluZyB0aGUgaW5zdXJhbmNlIGNvbGxhcHMgY291bGQgdHJpZ2dlcg%3D%3D

DOE, NNSA targeted by Musk

No comment. 

 https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/technology/goodbye-to-several-federal-jobs-these-are-the-jobs-elon-musk-has-said-will-be-cut/ar-AA1uTKPX

Fusion update

 Could scientists have solved the fusion problems?

This article is too technical for most of us but I am hoping someone can make sense out of it. Thank you!

https://scitechdaily.com/quantum-upgrade-scientists-may-have-just-solved-fusions-biggest-problem/

"DOGE" impact

 How will the DOGE impact current federal dollars that support the CA “Bullet Train” and BART, both of which are in a deluxe financial mess, and likely deemed by the DOGE to be grossly inefficiently managed?

Project 2025 could mean the end of science at LANL and LLNL

https://www.santafenewmexican.com/news/local_news/what-might-project-2025-mean-for-n-m-non-nuclear-cuts-at-national-labs/article_956aa830-8506-11ef-b30c-6bbad5000761.html

But tucked in the 922 pages of its report, “Mandate for Leadership 2025: The Conservative Promise,” is one recommendation that centers squarely on New Mexico.

The document, penned by the conservative think tank The Heritage Foundation, contemplates pulling funding from any work unrelated to nuclear weapons at Los Alamos National Laboratory, Sandia National Laboratories and sister facility Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California.

Basically all non-nuclear science is to be cut. Mello is kind of cynical about the whole thing.

Limitless energy

 A New Zealand-based company just took one step closer to creating a working nuclear fusion reactor.

Is New Zealand more advanced than the US?

This should get the Labs' attention.

https://www.thecooldown.com/green-tech/openstar-technologies-nuclear-fusion-reactor/

The truth about fusion

 This article in the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientist on Fusion and NIF is an interesting read and may interest your readers. - https://thebulletin.org/premium/2024-11/ferreting-out-the-truth-about-fusion-interview-with-bob-rosner/

Schopenhauer: Why Society Hates Intelligence

This is a very good video -- it goes into detail about intelligence, mediocrity, and stupidity, summarizing some of the writings of a certain 19th century philosopher:

https://youtu.be/Ci7VK75sMsY?si=oF-WIHO8cs6Lb9LJ

LLNS “Empire Building”

 LLNS “Empire Building” began in 2007

You have “empire building” on steroids at LLNL, and lots of waste through misdirected resources to maintain the empires as a result.

It started with the “gray march” mass lay off in 2008, and has only gotten worse. And now the NNSA is planning to reward LLNS with a 5 year contract extension?

Looks like a race condition with the new DOGE.

The end of LANL and LLNL?

 The end of LANL and LLNL?

"After host Maria Bartiromo questioned whether the two plan to “close down entire agencies,” Ramaswamy said “mass reductions” will be made.
“We expect certain agencies to be deleted outright,” he said. “We expect mass reductions in force in areas of the federal government that are bloated. We expect massive cuts among federal contractors and others who are overbilling the federal government.” Ramaswamy added, “I think people will be surprised by how quickly we’re able to move with some of those changes, given the legal backdrop the Supreme Court has given us.” The founder of Roivant Sciences, a pharmaceutical company, who ran for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, told Bartiromo that he and Musk will assess the roles of America’s 4 million civil servants, claiming “there’s just too many of them.”

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/vivek-ramaswamy-elon-musk-delete-government-agencies_n_673a5d9de4b0ebe12e367050

Maybe not the end, but big cuts....big really big cuts could be coming. We have 4 million civil servants and maybe 8-10 million contractors? I am not for this drastic cut but anyone who is honest will tell you LLNL and LANL have way too many people for job. I am not a Greg Mello fan at all but he claims some ex LANL Directors told him that LANL has twice the number of people it needs, and behind closed doors everyone acknowledges this. I would guess the NNSA labs are probably some of the more effective labs in the DOE complex so maybe there is some low hanging fruit elsewhere.

Well do not worry my friends, if Trump gets rid of 10 million migrants tthere should be plenty of jobs opening up for the millions of people let go from the government agency who will need jobs. So maybe there is a grand plan after all and the economy will not collapse.

Could be some fun times.

Oil boss to be DOE boss

 https://nypost.com/2024/11/16/us-news/trump-taps-oil-boss-chris-wright-as-secretary-of-energy/

“As Secretary of Energy, Chris will be a key leader, driving innovation, cutting red tape, and ushering in a new ‘Golden Age of American Prosperity and Global Peace,'” Trump said in a statement.

LLNL contract extension

 11-14-24 ExchangeMonitor

“NNSA 'working on' LLNL contract extension;SRS final RFP out January, administrator says

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Jill Hruby, administrator of the National Nuclear Security Administration, told the Exchange Monitor it 'feels like we're close' to finalizing an extension for a management and operations...”

Note: Nothing beyond this is available to read for non-subscribers

https://www.exchangemonitor.com/nnsa-working-on-llnl-contract-extensionsrs-final-rfp-out-january-administrator-says/

Department of Government Efficiency

 A new Manhattan project.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-14075357/donald-trump-elon-musk-vivek-ramaswamy-government-efficiency.html

Trump put out a press release Tuesday night saying that Musk will co-lead the 'Manhattan Project of our time' with former Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy.

'This will send shockwaves through the system, and anyone involved in Government waste, which is a lot of people!' Musk said in a statement.

Have you heard of PACIFIC FUSION?

 Pacific Fusion. Latest hyped-up fusion company with LLNL roots:

https://www.wired.com/story/plaintext-pacific-fusion-eric-lander/

Based on the Z machine MAGLIF. Curious how Eric Schmidt is involved as he’s mainly been concerned with DoD projects.

The most expensive substance in the world

 Here's some videos on a novel clock of another type:

https://youtu.be/n_8MmQShWnU?si=KGL2uEScYHkGBwet

https://youtu.be/1-_NHKCzbEA?si=6IY1PVUg5LUd5KTz

11/11/2024 7:03 PM

Reply

Funding of fission power plants

 Should we increase funding of fission power plants with newer safer designs to serve as bridge technologies, while fusion research continues?

As amazing as the “How NIF Works” video is, it does not begin to detail the tens of thousands of optical, electrical, and mechanical components requiring constant maintenance and replacement, just to keep NIF firing ~1 shot every 24 hours, which is a far cry from the fusion power plant 10 shots per second needed with actual wall plug gain.

While we wait (and wait) for a viable 10Hz fusion power plant, will “safer” sodium cooled, molten salt cooled, fission power plants in the USA, China’s “meltdown proof” type fission power plants, or other designs, serve as acceptable bridge technologies for the next 30-100 years?

How would a NIF to LIFE fusion power plant reliability “stress test”, expect to compare to that of these newer safer fission plant technologies?

US firm sets record with plasma fusion

1) I am impressed when I see this type of breakthrough but have no idea how its applies to real life.

2) Did any of the National Labs contribute?

 https://interestingengineering.com/energy/plasma-fusion-record-by-quantum-kinetics

Your input us appreciated.

Company unveils revolutionary reactor design for nuclear fusion power plant

Cintexr:

Company unveils revolutionary reactor design for nuclear fusion power plant. Zap Energy is the name. The product: Century.

Has LLNL or LANL collaborated with them?

https://www.yahoo.com/tech/company-unveils-revolutionary-reactor-design-101543535.html

Security clearances

 Do you remember how hard it was to get a Q clearance? You needed a good reputation, good credit and you couldn't lie about anything.

Well, the next president,  with his 34 felonies, lies, hatred and racism, will have access to anything he wants and (he said it) help his sycophants get one.

This should scare and outrage anyone having or needing a clearance. 

Your thoughts and reactions?

NNSA under trump

 So what do the NNSA labs do under the the 2nd Trump administration ?

What are the odds we will have a test?

Is this the real average?

 $35 per hour seems too low.

https://www.ziprecruiter.com/Salaries/Lawrence-Livermore-National-Laboratory-Llnl-Salary#:~:text=As%20of%20Oct%2025%2C%202024,States%20is%20%2435.15%20an%20hour.

Atlantic ocean current collapse

 Leading climate scientists ring alarm bell on key Atlantic Ocean current collapse ...

https://www.livescience.com/planet-earth/rivers-oceans/key-atlantic-current-could-collapse-soon-impacting-the-entire-world-for-centuries-to-come-leading-climate-scientists-warn

No Leadership Without Risk

 There Is No Leadership Without Risk

The post  "There Is No Leadership Without Risk" appeared first on New York Times.

https://dnyuz.com/2024/10/20/there-is-no-leadership-without-risk/

Pounding Sand against LLNS?

Please correct me, but it would seem the ONLY way to change contractors at LLNL, since the for-profit takeover in 2007, is for Congress to demand it. In part, that is up to you, a lab worker, or local residents to make it happen. Otherwise, your pounding sand, and LLNS knows it.

American researchers achieve nuclear reactor breakthrough

 

Hello!

Any scientist in this blog, please explain to us why is this considered a breakthrough?

Much obliged.

https://www.yahoo.com/tech/american-researchers-achieve-nuclear-reactor-103015064.html

Decreased LANL Fellows

 The American Physical Society only gave two Fellows to LANL this year. 10-15 years the lab would get seven to ten every year. About a month ago one of the lab senior scientists gave a report about the declining number publications at LANL. The trend started around 2006. Before that LANL was the top publishing lab in the DOE system now it has fallen behind LBNL, ORNL, ANL and soon it will be behind PNNL. Another point is that number people at LANL has also grown in terms of people who could publish.

2024 Nobel Peace Price

 The Nobel Peace Prize this year went to a group of atom bomb survivors in Japan who have advocated for bombs not to be used, on account of the suffering it might well cause:

https://www.youtube.com/live/5UNqMEquEPk?si=iNXnn4oGz4AKxNpy

A straight face pledge by DOE/NNSA Contractors?

“Raise a concern, get blackballed then lose your job and benefits…” “…instead of raising your concerns just leverage on your skills and go to the next contractor.”

How can DOE/NNSA Contractors say with a straight face, they strive to be good stewards of the environment and care about their employees to a community of potential “downwinders”(in the broadest sense of the term), if their employees know full well, they will lose their jobs if they raise safety concerns?

In 2016, DOE/NNSA employee “whistleblower” fears were brought forward by a few Senators, and now again in 2024, another Senator has asked the DOE Secretary what has changed since 2016, to eliminate whistleblower retaliation by DOE contractors.

This fear of contractor retaliation continues to make Labs ripe for preventable accidents that may impact workers and the health of local communities.

Pay cuts for remote workers

 Pay cuts for remote workers.

LLNL just implemented a new policy effective Oct 1 if you are out of the area and work remote your pay will now be adjusted to your local zip code’s GSA salary schedule.

A revolving door?

 A revolving door?

“Brad Smith To Succeed Kim Lebak As President/General Manager Of N3B Los Alamos”

https://losalamosreporter.com/2023/06/05/brad-smith-to-succeed-kim-lebak-as-president-general-of-n3b-los-alamos/

LLNL “inclusiveness”?

“At LLNL, people are our most important asset…We work to develop their skills and create an inclusive environment that supports an array of professional and personal backgrounds. Together, we sustain our legacy of…”

“Inclusive environment” for LLNL “people”? Did LLNL “people” have an opportunity for timely input to the NNSA as to the benefit or harm of extending the LLNS contract for 5 more years? “Sustain our legacy”?

This is why many employees working at LLNL, despite polished mission statements and talking points (words), continue to believe they are treated like commodities (actions) resulting in further erosion of employee morale.

Three Mile Island restart

 There is a plan to restart Three Mile Island to provide power to Microsoft for its AI and cloud computing efforts:

https://www.inc.com/reuters/three-mile-island-nuclear-plant-to-restart-after-microsoft-ai-power-deal.html

Plutonium contamination in Santa Fe

Los Alamos causing issues in Sant Fe!

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13765533/canyon-contaminated-plutonium-santa-fe-boom-town.html

Golden Goose award

 This is interesting -- there is a golden goose award that supports basic research:

https://www.goldengooseaward.org/

https://www.goldengooseaward.org/history

Congressman Cooper foresaw an award that would recognize the tremendous human and economic benefits of federally funded research by highlighting examples of seemingly obscure studies that have led to major breakthroughs and resulted in significant societal impact.

NNSA “Field Offices”? Really?

Is the American tax payer well served when our purported NNSA “Field Offices”are essentially populated with long term, Livermore, Los Alamos, etc. residents (buying local homes, kids going to local schools, going to local functions, parties, etc.) that commingle with NNSA contractors they are supposed to be objectively evaluating?

Why aren’t these people forced by NNSA policy, into a 6-12 month field office rotation schedule? Because this is not currently the case.

As non-rotating NNSA employees, do NNSA Field Office employees basically become a non-objective arm of the contractor, they are suppose to be evaluating?

New chatbot with reasoning capabilities

 There's a new chatbot with reasoning capabilities, which is better at working out solutions in math, physics, and computer science:

https://openai.com/o1/

https://www.theverge.com/2024/9/12/24242439/openai-o1-model-reasoning-strawberry-chatgpt

Plutonium levels near Los Alamos

Plutonium levels near US atomic site in Los Alamos similar to Chornobyl, study finds

 https://nukewatch.org/new-and-updated-item/the-guardian-plutonium-levels-near-us-atomic-site-in-los-alamos-similar-to-chornobyl-study-finds/

Harvesting wind power

 This is a nice video on using trees to harvest wind power.

https://youtu.be/BSxK5VagSb8?si=oV6Jg8seunYjB09F

Perhaps in the future the trees in question could be genetically modified to make this work even better.

Crazy Los Alamos traffic!

 Charles “Charlie” McMillan the former LANL director was killed in car crash today in Los Alamos. The driving in the town is just crazy now and there seems to be more and more accidents and really aggressive drivers.

LLNL site 300 cleanup budget

 LLNL site 300 cleanup budget cut 10%

Ki
From Tracy Press September 6

https://www.ttownmedia.com/tracy_press/watchdog-group-describes-fire-damage-at-site-300/article_340c046e-6bb9-11ef-8cc7-238a276b7ebd.html

LLNL “True” Story? Whose truth?

“LLNL True Story” should be renamed to reflect blog topic and comment filtration, since most new topics and comments, will be filtered out if they do not compliment the Democratic Party narrative. Maybe the new blog name could be “LLNL Story: A democrats perspective”?

China is ahead of U.S

 Australia released a report saying that China has leading research over the US in almost every critical field:

https://www.aspi.org.au/report/aspis-two-decade-critical-technology-tracker

This highlights the importance for the US of working with allies, they point out. 

Risk of heart attack, stroke drops after COVID vaccination

 This study came out about COVID vaccine safety, it has some reassuring conclusions for cardiovascular issues:

https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/covid-19/risk-heart-attack-stroke-drops-after-covid-vaccination-data-show

"This England-wide study offers patients reassurance of the cardiovascular safety of first, second and booster doses of COVID-19 vaccines," coauthor William Whiteley, MB BCh, PhD, of the University of Edinburgh, said in a press release from Health Data Research UK. "It demonstrates that the benefits of second and booster doses, with fewer common cardiovascular events include heart attacks and strokes after vaccination, outweigh the very rare cardiovascular complications."

Accident at Livermore Lab

 Contained Firing Facility Accident at Livermore Lab

(Event date: June 10, 2021)

https://trivalleycares.org/2023/contained-firing-facility-accident-at-livermore-lab

Investigation Link:

“Incident Analysis (IA)/Root Cause Analysis
Release of Combustion (and
Contamination) Products
after an Experiment at the Contained
Firing Facility (CFF)”

Is at the bottom of the first link

Justification for non-competition

 “Justification for Other than Full and Open Competition LLNL MO Contract Extension - signed” (dated May 28, 2024)

“XI. STEPS TO FOSTER COMPETITION

Consistent with statute, regulation, and DOE policy, DOE/NNSA has determined it is appropriate to noncompetitively extend the current LLNI M&O contract as there is no expectation of meaningful improvement in performance or cost resulting from competing the contract and replacing the incumbent contractor. However; DOE/NNSA will continue to foster competition for each of its M&O contracts and utilize tools such as draft solicitations, comment workshops, one-on-one meetings, pre-proposal conferences, and websites to provide information to interested parties for future actions.”

https://www.highergov.com/document/nnsa-2024-002371-attachment-1-justification-for-other-than-full-and-open-competition-llnl-mo-contract-extension-signed-pdf-3ec221/

Is limitless energy on the horizon?

 This article mentions the spectacular results last year from the National Ignition Facility at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2024/08/20/artificial-intelligence-nuclear-fusion-research/

Mankind Cannot Do Without Nuclear Power

 Fission reactor concept being developed for small reactors in deep underground boreholes, with claimed cost and safety benefits:

https://deepfission.com/

This is similar in concept to Sakharov's ideas expressed in 1990 after the Chernobyl disaster:

https://time.com/archive/6714880/sakharov-mankind-cannot-do-without-nuclear-power/

"Plainly, mankind cannot renounce nuclear power, so we must find technical means to guarantee its absolute safety and exclude the possibility of another Chernobyl. The best way is international legislation requiring that all new nuclear reactors be sited deep enough underground so that even a worst-case accident would not discharge radioactive substances into the atmosphere."

Is the dream of nuclear fusion dead?

 

Is the international experimental reactor  in trouble?

Moderator 's question: Should we worry?

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/article/2024/aug/03/is-the-dream-of-nuclear-fusion-dead-why-the-international-experimental-reactor-is-in-big-trouble

LLNL contract extension

 LLNL Director Says It Is Negotiating Five-Year Extension To NNSA Contract

https://www.defensedaily.com/llnl-director-says-negotiating-five-year-extension-to-nnsa-contract/nuclear-modernization/

AI papers

 This may be hype or nonsense but there is evidently a new "AI scientist" program that produces papers for $15 each, which are also reviewed by an AI review system to automate research:

https://sakana.ai/ai-scientist/

Obviously, they may not be very good papers, but with further improvements in computing power the cost per paper will be less, and the papers will become better. Also the current focus of the papers produced by system is to advance AI itself, which may also improve quality of the papers and lower their cost further aside from developments in hardware.

One might also assume that eventually the papers will become more objective and less biased, and more innovative than the things currently published, since in the current system of scientific output scientists must deal with funding agencies and various career and personal problems.

LANL safety survey

 LANL had DuPont safety culture survey. The results were a total disaster for LANL. It is scored on 0 to 100, and LANL got 54. LANL falls in the "dependent" safety culture zone which not a good position.

Dependent Stage
The Dependent Stage is the second level of the Bradley Curve, where workers comply with directives from management about policies and practices. Safety awareness and training have increased, but motivation comes from outside sources such as management pressure. Although fewer, accidents are still thought to be inevitable.

Employee ownership of safety measures is limited at this point, despite a heightened awareness of safety hazards. They don’t follow policies or processes because they wish to; they do so because they feel they have to. There’s little to no effort to enhance the current quo of safety. Instead, employees might consider that solely the role of upper management. It would be uncommon for employees to ask for criticism or opportunities for improvement since they consider accidents as isolated incidents or bad luck.

Low response to a 2026 LLNL contract change post

 

Not many comments for something as important as a 2026 workplace contract change (?). Hmm. Looks like folks fall into one of these camps:

1. As a short term resume building 401k employee, I don’t really care

2. As an old LLNL/UC employee, just riding out the storm until retirement

How sad for LLNL long term mission objectives, and how sweet for the current for-profit contractor.

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