ORNL Develops High-Res Population Model of World
That 6.6 billion people occupy this planet is a well-known and much-cited statistic. It is much more difficult, albeit crucial to a number of the world's agencies and organizations, to identify where those people are. LandScan, a tool developed at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), keeps tabs on Earth's population distribution—information that is used by disaster relief organizations, government agencies, businesses and media.
Evolving Fiber Optics Thru NanoTech
Fiber optics revolutionized data transmission, yielding numerous advantages in telephone and cable television as well as cellular phones, thus replacing basic copper wire. Metamaterials, developed at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), which may be the next step in the evolution of data transmission, are poised to greatly enhance the capabilities of fiber optics.
NASA's Pilots Recognized for Artwork
NASA research pilot and aerospace artist/photographer Mark Pestana has been recognized by Aviation Week and Space Technology magazine for his award-winning painting, "The Quest for Mach 10," which was published in the magazine's annual photography/art issue in late December.
AFCEE Workshop
Space is filling up fast at the 2008 Air Force Center for Engineering and the Environment (AFCEE) Technology Transfer Workshop, March 25-28, 2008, at the Hyatt Regency in in San Antonio, Texas. The theme of the workshop is "Focus on the Goal - RIP by 2012" and it brings together professionals from military services; industry; academia; and local, state, and federal agencies to translate ideas, success stories, case histories, current trends, and technologies into solutions for environmental restoration.
Sandia Wins Enviro Award
Sandia National Laboratories' Livermore, Calif., site has been selected by the Livermore Chamber of Commerce as recipient of its inaugural Environmental Spirit Award.
NREL Commercialization Project Accelerates PV Tech
Crystalline silicon cells continue to dominate the market for photovoltaic (PV) modules and systems. To support the commercialization of these PV devices, National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) researchers continue to reduce their manufacturing costs and increase their efficiency, but also work to develop thin-film PV cell technology from both silicon and alternative materials.
President's Budget Requests 22 Percent Boost for NIST Core Programs
President George W. Bush's fiscal year (FY) 2009 budget proposal for the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) includes $634 million for core research and facilities programs, a 22 percent increase (excluding congressionally directed grants) over the FY 2008 appropriations for these programs.
Breaking the Barrier Toward Nanometer X-ray Resolution
A team of researchers at the Department of Energy's Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL) have overcome a major obstacle for using refractive lenses to focus x-rays. This method will allow the efficient focusing of x-rays down to extremely small spots and is an important breakthrough in the development of a new, world-leading light source facility that promises advances in nanoscience, energy, biology, and materials research.
