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ARM Makes First Visit to SACNAS Conference
The Society for the Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS) held its annual National Diversity in STEM (NDiSTEM) conference from October 31 to November 2, 2024, in Phoenix, Arizona. During the event, college students and professionals participated in STEM research and career development sessions, as well as multicultural celebrations and traditions.
November 19, 2024
Soak Up the Sun: ARM Staff Participate in Pyrheliometer Comparisons
From September 21 to 27, 2024, groups of scientists and engineers from around the globe, including personnel from the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) user facility, gathered at the National
Renewable Energy
Laboratory’s (NREL’s) Solar Radiation Research Laboratory on South Table Mountain in Golden, Colorado, for the 24th NREL Pyrheliometer Comparisons (NPC).
November 18, 2024
Aquatic Acrobatics: University Collaboration Visualizes the Future of Flexible Wave Energy
A Ph.D. Student, Her Professor, and a Team of NREL Researchers Pioneer Visual Diagnostics to Characterize Flexible Wave Energy Devices. Isabel Hess is a Ph.D. student in mechanical engineering at the University of Florida who primarily studies underwater soft robotics through the university’s Fluids & Adaptive Structures Lab.
November 15, 2024
Science News
Tropical Weather Exacerbates Heat and Wildfire Threats in the Pacific Northwest
The Pacific Northwest region of North America (PNW) has experienced devastating summer heatwaves in past years. Many studies have associated summer heat extremes in the PNW to the El Nino-Southern Oscillation and other variations of circulation in the lower atmosphere (troposphere).
November 14, 2024
Innovative tool enhances nuclear energy integration for a cleaner future
Using nuclear power alongside other clean energy sources like solar, wind and water presents challenges. Power plants must consider the limits of their equipment, storage capabilities, and the overall power grid to work effectively. Scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Argonne National Laboratory have created a tool to help with these challenges.
November 13, 2024
Rain and Cloud in the Midlatitude Storm Track Provide Important Source of Persistence in the Southern Annular Mode
Jet streams travel around the Earth and move north and south on cycles that last over two months, which is beyond the usual range of weather forecasts. Understanding the source of this “memory” directly affects scientists' ability to predict the jet steam’s response to
climate change.
November 12, 2024
Infrared Quantum Ghost Imaging Illuminates—But Doesn’t Disturb—Living Plants
A method called quantum ghost imaging (QGI) allows scientists to capture images at extremely low light levels. QGI also enables the use of one low intensity color, best matched to the sample and a different color at higher intensity sufficient to form the image of the sample. This approach improves imaging in regions of light where traditional cameras struggle.
November 13, 224
Hydropower Digital Twins Solution Helps with Operator Challenges
No two
hydropower
facilities are the same. They all work similarly by harnessing the power of rushing water to spin turbines and generators, which in turn creates electricity. But their differences—in size, age or mechanical parts—means there’s no one answer that can solve every problem that arises.
November 11, 2024
Determining Carbonation and Critical Mineral Recovery Potential in Mafic–Ultramafic Reservoirs
Increasing global emissions and warming have heightened the urgency of finding sites suitable for the long-term capture and storage of
carbon dioxide (CO2).
An approach that combines carbon storage with critical material extraction could make both processes more economically viable and broaden the number of suitable sites.
November 8, 2024
Student News
In classrooms and community centers across Colorado and beyond, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory’s (NREL’s) STEM Education team is doing its part to transform how young minds approach renewable energy during their years in school. But it’s not just about curriculum or programming—it’s about inspiration.
November 11, 2024
Through its Pathway Summer School (PSS) programs, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) introduces students to career opportunities in energy sciences. Now, as universities and colleges in Washington resume fall courses, interns from PSS are bringing back unique experiences and fresh inspiration to the classroom.
November 7, 2024
The STEM San Joaquin Conference, formerly known as San Joaquin Expanding Your Horizons, invited students grades 6-9 for its annual event on Saturday, Oct. 5, at the University of the Pacific in Stockton. The conference is co-sponsored by Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) and the University of the Pacific.
October 31, 2024