Charles E. Grassley
Ranking MemberCommittee on the Budget
April 26, 2024
DOE Whistleblowers
https://www.grassley.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/grassley_to_doe_-_whistleblower_protections_open_gao_recs_from_2016.pdf
Charles E. Grassley
Ranking MemberPetition calls on DOJ to investigate deaths of Boeing whistleblowers
“Scientists Create Synthetic Molecule That Traps the ‘Most Potent’ Greenhouse Gasses”
This is really interesting -- it may be possible to improve photosynthesis even more than previous genetic engineering efforts, leading to schemes to increase crop yields for agriculture, biofuel and bioplastics production, and carbon removal from the atmosphere:
You may have received a funding notice from LLNS.
The funding percentage keeps dipping year after year even with hefty employee contributions. It is sitting at 92% for 2023 down from 115% in 2022.
It makes sense to retire as soon as possible while the plan is solvent.
Is my panic justified?
I was told the plan invests heavily I'm corporate bonds. These have been performing well. So, what could be the reason for the underfunding?
Boeing-Linked Whistleblower Dead, the Second in 2 Months: ‘He Possessed Tremendous Courage,’ Lawyers Say
According to thebulletin.org,
To really advance federal policy and innovation on spent nuclear fuel, congress needs to learn the lessons of Yucca Mountain and to stop trying to revive it.
Two of the key barriers to producing power from nuclear fusion have been overcome, in what scientists say is a major advance towards producing near-limitless clean energy.
Can one of you scientists unpack this for us?
https://www.independent.co.uk/tech/nuclear-fusion-plasma-clean-energy-b2534500.html
After two decades of work, engineers from the Department of Energy’s SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory are celebrating the completion of the world’s largest digital astronomy camera ever.
Iran launches “mass drone and missile attack” on Israel | BBC News
This is an interesting article, Elon is saying AI will surpass the intelligence of the smartest individual humans, such as von Neumann I would imagine, by the end of next year. He also predicts that within 5 years the aggregate intelligence of machines considered as a whole, will surpass that of the human species. Furthermore, he predicts the expansion of AI will be limited by the electricity grid.
This is an interesting paper. A scientist performs a thought experiment claiming that Einstein's General Relativity (which describes gravity and spacetime curvature effects) in principle allows one to obtain a better quantum computer, exponentially faster than the ones which exist, and capable of efficient solution for new classes of problems:
Scooby will post most topics and comments as long as they are clean, pro LLNS or critical of LLNS, or pro-Biden. Any comment or link that may be considered anti-Biden is not posted. Maybe it is time for another blog that might discuss an impact UC/LLNL or LLNS current or former employees independent of political party alliance for the other ~half of the USA population.
There are claims in the media that Microsoft is going to build a $100 billion computing facility for AI that will use 5 GW of power. Since the power is needed 24/7 they want to use nuclear power rather than renewables:
https://www.the-express.com/news/world-news/131715/taiwan-usa-troops-china
For-profit NNSA contractors are in and have been, in a NNSA supported and financed “cash cow” no risk environment for over a decade plus.
I'm in the middle of watching the new Netflix documentary, "Turning Point: The Bomb and the Cold War". So far I've found it to be an excellent series. Highly recommended.
An illustrious alumni of LLNL passed away in February.
British fusion charlatans perform experiments on the Sandia Z machine
Here's another video that hints at some of the issues facing modern China:
This is a nice video, it goes into how society leads many people to have significant psychological issues. As many people become subject to this, it could become self-reinforcing, leading to rapid social change in perhaps undesirable ways:
The basic term of the LLNS contract No. DE-AC52-07NA27344, will end on September 30, 2026. What policies and practices should the NNSA (hopefully with employee input) preserve, review, or change for the next LLC contractor?
Hello,
I appreciate and encourage contributions. I admit there are posts and comments that are interesting and to the point. However on certain topics, some have a tendency to do a " brain dump". Long-winded comments tend to lose the reader. Scientists are the probably the best brain dumpers.
I find brief comments clearer. Long ones inevitably turn into a long ringing road to nowhere.
Let us make it easier for readers to follow us.
In breaking news, AI has discovered a "profound" moral dilemma:
Anyone know when the retiree's medical was last increased? I've asked empyrean, UC and LLNS. They either say they have no idea or point to each other as being responsible. Any information?
Thanks.
Warning: the video is very long.
This is a good video -- it is by a disgruntled scientist who gives his unvarnished opinion on the state of science, and the world:
Will the NNSA go for the “low hanging fruit” and select a Triad National Security 2.0 to manage LLNL in 2026? This is essentially what the NNSA did in 2006 and 2007 with LANS and LLNS respectively, when these for-profit LLCs were selected to managed these two Labs.
Https://realclearwire.com/articles/2024/02/23/taking_nuclear_war_seriously_1013900.html
Many people have already heard about this, I would assume, but there is a new AI technique that generates realistic video content, given only text prompts:
https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1035231
A chatbot made this statement yesterday, it is quite interesting:
There is now a transhumanist plan of ending all human suffering, not through extinction or getting rid of unhappy people, but through biomedical engineering based on recent discoveries:
Health of TCP1 pension
11 years later, is there a viable path forward to a LIFE 2.0?
On Dec. 5, 2022, a team of researchers at the United States National Ignition Facility (NIF) in California recorded data indicating that it had achieved a nuclear fusion reaction that created more energy than it took to produce. The reported results were the first of their kind.
From Scooby:
Please comment only if you know something on the subject.
This is a nice lecture on neuroscience, showing the effect of alcohol and marijuana on metabolism in the brain, also exercise and diet are discussed:
This is an interesting article if you're into doomscrolling. It seems chatbots are advocating a "peace through war" strategy rather than "peace through strength":
https://www.wsj.com/business/could-a-rogue-billionaire-make-a-nuclear-weapon-cd8bfde2
Originally, the first link was broken but it is ok now. Poster: thanks for your prompt response and he extra links.
Livermore investigated for nuclear contamination on and off-site
This is a great video, claiming that Global Warming is plausibly much worse than previously thought, and the current pace of climate change could lead to a global catastrophe within as little as 20 years:
Forget about a possible civil war is WW3 getting closer?
Is this actually happening on our USA border?
https://www.newsweek.com/greg-abbotts-fight-biden-spark-warnings-civil-war-has-begun-1863910
******. NOTE *******
I am working on keeping this post on top of the blog for a while. This allows us to discuss more elaborately.
The Blogger "top post" feature is malfunctioning.
The basic term of the LLNS contract No. DE-AC52-07NA27344, will end on September 30, 2026. What policies and practices should the NNSA (hopefully with employee input) preserve, review, or change for the next LLC contractor?
The Department of Energy announced that four companies have developed more planet-friendly heat pump designs.
https://www.thecooldown.com/green-business/department-of-energy-doe-heat-pump-challenge/
If you are a labs scientist, do you think we will see it in our lifetime?
Warning: trolls and prolific contributors not accepted.
https://www.yahoo.com/tech/world-largest-nuclear-reactor-aims-070000048.html
Neural networks guided by physics are creating new ways to observe the complexities of plasmas
https://scitechdaily.com/the-future-of-fusion-unlocking-complex-physics-with-ais-precision/
Here's another worrisome item, it's a video where a former weapons inspector expresses concern about Iranian nuclear programs:
This article came out a week ago, one of the authors, Sig Hecker is a former LANL lab director.
The perception that university students possess significantly higher IQs than the general population is debunked by recent findings. A meta-analysis covering IQ scores from 1939 to 2022 reveals that the average IQ of today's undergraduate students is 102, merely aligning with the general population. This decline, averaging 0.2 IQ points per year, correlates with the increased accessibility of higher education over the last 80 years. For a more in-depth exploration of educational trends and insights, delve into https://essays.edubirdie.com/finance-assignments so it's time for a paradigm shift, recognizing students as average individuals, prompting adjustments in academic standards, and dispelling outdated myths about intellectual superiority among university attendees.
DEI (Diversity, equity, and inclusion) the spotlight
This is worth listening to -- it's an interview with US Senator Rand Paul, who is a medical doctor, he comments on Fauci's funding of gain of function research, around the 4'50"-5'30" time onwards in the audio:
I like many others are very concerned about the future of the US. After Iowa tonight we might have to starting thinking about
possibilites. Should the labs be preparing to deal with a possible Trump presidency? It is not becoming a real possibility that
Trump could be president again and the there is talk about how the government will deal with this. This is driven by the fear that Trump will use the military for dictatorial take over.
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2024-election/trump-military-fears-rcna129159
"Now, bracing for Trump’s potential return, a loose-knit network of public interest groups and lawmakers is quietly devising plans to try to foil any efforts to expand presidential power, which could include pressuring the military to cater to his political needs"
Now presumably the labs will be part of this network. Or democracy is in jeopardy.
Hi
Also Europe is getting worried
https://www.cnn.com/2024/01/14/world/europe-leaders-trump-concerns-intl-cmd/index.html
"When Trump came along it woke us up to the fact that the US might not always act in European interest, especially if it goes against American interest,” a senior EU diplomat told CNN. “It sounds naive saying it out loud, but that was the assumption a lot people made.”
There is a rumor going around that the Los Alamos fellows are not very happy with Mason after a recent talk. He showed a plot of LANL publications highlighting a decline in publications compared to other labs. Los Alamos was the top lab before 2006 and then lost out to LLBL, ORNL and ANL and is now at about the same level as PNNL. At the same time the lab has grown twice the size. Sure we have a lot more people but the overall quality of the staff is much lower today. One can always argue that publications do not measure everything but anyone from LANL who has visited ANL or ORNL recently can attest that they seem like much more active and healthy places especially in terms of younger people.
Did something happened in 2006? Oh yes, that is when LANS came in. Good job. I doubt the Fellows have much power at this point, and seem like product of a bygone era who are out of touch. Maybe this is just the plan all along to make the place a PIT facility. As Greg Mello said in a recent interview about what he heard the LANL management is saying....interview a 100 and hire a 100. This does not bode well for a good science future at LANL nor an operational PIT facility. I am no fan of Mello but he has a point every now and then.
Here's something from Sakharov in the 1960's, he was still a supporter of communism at the time (his views changed I believe as they went after him), parts of it are still relevant in that he is highly critical of bureaucracy, mass media, the influence of the rich on politics in capitalist systems, and expresses worries about AI in general, censorship and the psychological manipulation of the general public. He also criticizes Chinese communism in particular and Mao, as well as Stalinism, Fascism, the arms race, the environment, poverty, it is a laundry list of complaints and worries, most of them justified at least in part. Also he puts forth a perhaps naive in retrospect utopian plan for world peace and prosperity. It is well worth reading in full:
What policies have changed?
In 2009 a LLNS employee was unfortunately ran over by his own vehicle and died. There was a “lessons learned” afterward. Not revealed at the time, was this employee had just been “Niffed” (unilaterally let go from his NIF assignment) and was in the process of moving to a new office. Very sad. Did LLNS employment polices change as a result of that 2009 tragedy? A few years later, a NIF tech was given an “intent to dismiss” (your being fired) letter and a few days later commits suicide, with small children left behind. His NIF managers refused to address his loss to his coworkers in any way to relieve their collective grief.
Has Lab Director Kimberly Budil, addressed the issue of manager specific appropriate and inappropriate treatment of employees to eliminate or significantly reduce these kinds of tragedies?
Texas A&M Partnership with Qatar Could Expose Nuclear, Weapons Technology to U.S. Adversaries:
“13 ADJUDICATIVE GUIDELINES The 13 adjudicative criteria are:
(1) Guideline A: Allegiance to the United States
This is rarely the cause of a clearance denial or revocation, but political dissidents beware. You can certainly participate in politics but defamatory speech against the government is not looked upon well. The next time someone talks to you about overthrowing the government, you certainly don’t want to lend them your ear.”
Hosting or financially supporting “them” likely a security clearance no no as well.
https://news.clearancejobs.com/2021/03/05/security-clearance-adjudicative-guidelines/
A climate technology startup aims to suck carbon from the atmosphere using a new type of nuclear power plant that’s never been built in the United States.
https://www.eenews.net/articles/doe-docs-carbon-removal-proposal-bets-on-rare-nuclear-reactors/
Sustained nuclear fusion could be one step closer to reality after Korea's "artificial sun" received an exciting upgrade to withstand temperatures six times hotter than the center of the sun.
https://www.newsweek.com/sustained-artificial-sun-fusion-energy-1857042
Leave The World Behind” on Netflix is unsettling because it is has (mostly) plausible national security scenarios.