• TRUTH DECAYMost Americans Believe Misinformation Is a Problem — Federal Research Cuts Will Only Make the Problem Worse

    By H. Colleen Sinclair

    Research on misinformation and disinformation has become the latest casualty of the Trump administration’s restructuring of federal research priorities. Following Trump’s executive orde, the National Science Foundation canceled hundreds of grants that supported research on misinformation and disinformation. But Trump’s executive order, instead of providing protections, will likely weaken Americans’ defenses against misinformation and disinformation, whether generated at home or by foreign actors.

  • NUCLEAR WASTE Technology to Reduce the Impact of Used Nuclear Fuel

    By Marguerite Huber

    Transmutation technologies can significantly reduce the mass, volume, activity and lifespan of commercial used nuclear fuel (UNF) by converting long-living hazardous isotopes into materials that decay more quickly.

  • PATHOGEN SMUGGLINGChinese Nationals Charged with Conspiracy and Smuggling a Dangerous Biological Pathogen into the U.S. for their Work at a University of Michigan Laboratory

    Two Chinese nationals were charged with smuggling into America a fungus called Fusarium graminearum, which scientific literature classifies as a potential agroterrorism weapon. This noxious fungus causes “head blight,” a disease of wheat, barley, maize, and rice, and is responsible for billions of dollars in economic losses worldwide each year.

  • SENSORSLow-Power Sensors Could Last 10 Years, Providing Surveillance, Security

    By Mollie Rappe

    Researchers at Sandia have spent the last three years developing an ultra-low-power chemical sensor to detect sarin and other chemical warfare agents or gaseous industrial toxins, aiming to protect the public and warfighters.

  • NUCLEAR SURVIVALWhat We’ve Learned from Survivors of the Atomic Bombs

    By Nancy Huddleston

    Q&A with Dr. Preetha Rajaraman, New Vice Chair for the Radiation Effects Research Foundation in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan.

  • NUCLEAR WASTEHow and Where Is Nuclear waste stored in the U.S.?

    By Gerald Frankel

    Around the U.S., about 90,000 tons of nuclear waste is stored at over 100 sites in 39 states, in a range of different structures and containers. For decades, the nation has been trying to send it all to one secure location. Perhaps there will be a temporary site whose location passes muster with the Supreme Court. But in the meantime, the waste will stay where it is.

  • DISASTERSAvalanche Detection Using Passive Radar

    In winter, avalanches pose the biggest danger in mountains. Avalanche monitoring is therefore of critical importance to ensure the safety of people and infrastructure.

  • NUCLEAR WASTEU.S. Supreme Court Takes Up Texas Nuclear Waste Disposal Case

    By Dylan Baddour, Inside Climate News

    The case could establish the nation’s first independent repository for spent nuclear fuel in West Texas, despite the objections of state leaders.

  • IRAN’S NUKESResponse to Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists Article on Iran’s Short Timeline to a Bomb

    By David Albright and Sarah Burkhard

    Iran can build a crude nuclear weapon too quickly, in about six months, after a decision to do so, but the regime risks being detected early after its decision to do so and all along its subsequent pathway to a bomb. That time is more than sufficient for a devastating military response by Israel, hopefully supported by the United States and other allies.

  • RADIATION PROTECTIONVolcanic Ash Can Be Used for Radiation Shielding

    Radiation shielding is essential for hospitals, industrial sites, and nuclear facilities. Researchers have found a surprising new use for the copious amounts of volcanic ash scattered across the Philippines: it can be used to shield against harmful radiation.

  • AIRPORT SECURITYReimagining Imaging at the Airport

    The Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) and Transportation Security Administration (TSA) are collaborating on Advanced Imaging Technology to improve the passenger screening experience.

  • AIFTC Rightfully Acts Against So-Called “AI Weapon Detection” Company Evolv

    By Matthew Guariglia and Cooper Quintin

    The Federal Trade Commission has entered a settlement with self-styled “weapon detection” company Evolv, to resolve the FTC’s claim that the company “knowingly” and repeatedly” engaged in “unlawful” acts of misleading claims about their technology.

  • CHEMICAL SECURITYPreparing our Ports for the Future of Alternative Maritime Fuels

    Fuels like ammonia will greatly reduce carbon emissions—better for the environment, but are they safe for our infrastructure? The Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) recently conducted a market research survey to assess hazards associated with alternative fuel production, storage, and transport at U.S. ports. High-risk ports could be the sites for future ammonia release tests that will inform preparedness and response.

  • FENTANYLHigh-Tech Methods to Stem the Flow of Fentanyl

    By Tom Rickey

    Keeping up with illicit labs churning out new forms of fentanyl, nitazenes is the goal.

  • NUCLEAR WASTEThe History of WIPP

    By Kim Vallez Quintana

    In 1975, the nation asked Sandia to investigate the possibility of building a repository in New Mexico for the disposal of radioactive transuranic defense waste. Little did those assigned to the project know that the task would absorb most of their careers and become one of the most controversial and important projects in U.S. history.