LANS to be fined

More environmental violations for LANL http://www.lamonitor.com/content/nmed-fine-los-alamos-national-laboratory-violations

LANL bidders

The University of California and the University of Texas have effectively confirmed publicly they are leading separate bids. Multiple sources have said Bechtel National is also pursuing the contract with partner Purdue University.

Incumbent Los Alamos National Security is losing its management contract following a series of nuclear safety lapses dating to 2014 at the storied New Mexico weapons lab. The University of California, which for decades was the sole lab manager, leads the consortium along with senior industry partner Bechtel National and industry teammates BWX Technologies and AECOM.

BWX Technologies has said it wants to stay at Los Alamos, but has not identified which bid it joined. A source has said AECOM did not bid on the deal. Texas A&M University has also said it wants a role at Los Alamos, but has not said which team it joined.



https://www.exchangemonitor.com/nnsa-talked-lanl-bidders-last-week/

LANL having trouble keeping track of waste

http://www.santafenewmexican.com/news/local_news/los-alamos-lab-took-week-to-find-missing-hazardous-waste/article_10add1de-0548-50ac-97db-0e6d6c1bde73.html

Morale at LLNS

AnonymousMarch 27, 2018 at 6:04 PM

Is employee morale with LLNS the same, better, or worse than employees in Silicon Valley and why?

Navy nuclear capabilities

Various news outlets are reporting that the Navy is looking to reestablish Tomahawk cruise missile nuclear capability for its attack submarines "to increase the capabilities of war planners for crisis containment," i.e. (to me) allow limited, nonstrategic nuclear strikes where deemed necessary. I thought the W-80's had been retired in 2010 or so. Is there a plan to bring them back? Are they still "inactive stockpile" or has dismantlement started? Anyone know how realistic and immediately likely this is?

US falling badly behind in Quantum Computing

US falling badly behind in Quantum Computing while the Chinese spend big and pull ahead. Even the EU is spending much more in this area than the US. The NNSA labs should be doing far more work in this area. Where is the badly needed DOE/NNSA funding to secure our nation's advantage in this highly strategic science?

Hutch Report Excerpt - March 19th, 2018 : 

..... Although the U.S. currently remains at the forefront of quantum information science, their lead is slipping quickly as other nations step up efforts to get there first. China holds the top two positions in the Top 500 list of the world’s fastest computers and the Chinese understand very well the potential power that quantum computing promises. For this reason they have allocated extensive funding towards the goal of producing a functional quantum computer before anyone else. On 37 hectares (nearly 4 million square feet) in Hefei, Anhui Province, China is building a $10 billion research center for quantum applications. This news comes on the heels of the world’s first video call made via quantum-encrypted communications and the completion of a quantum encrypted fiber optic trunk cable.

In comparison, the European Union is committed to invest $1 Billion over the next 10 years into their quantum computing projects while the U.S. government currently allocates about $200 million per year to quantum research (a recent congressional report noted that inconsistent funding has slowed progress). And many of the projects vying for grant money appear to be thinly veiled shams set-up as resellers or consulting firms with not much behind them.

thehutchreport.com/everybody-was-quantum-fighting-those-computers-were-fast-as-lightning/

Retirement Planning Advice or Tips?

Retirement Planning Advice or Tips?

I’ve been at LLNL for about 30 years, enrolled in TCP1, approaching 60, and am looking to make an exit within a year or so. Any retirement planning tips or advice in the vein of “Things that I know now that I wished I knew then”? One specific question I have is in regards to the TCP1 cost-of-living adjustment. I think that I once heard that this inflation adjustment is made once each year on a specific date so that if one is planning on retiring anytime around that date then it’s better to retire immediately before it than immediately after it? Anyone know when this date is? Also, any other tips or advice would be appreciated. 

-Doug