Consortium for Science, Policy & Outcomes celebrates 25 years

Science and Health

For Arizona State University’s Consortium for Science, Policy & Outcomes (CSPO), recognizing the past is just as important as designing the future. The consortium marked 25 years in Washington, D.C., in early December by celebrating its legacy of connecting diverse groups to key issues in science and technology policy.The celebration — buzzing with scientists, past and present policymakers, and innovative thinkers — began with a panel featuring CSPO’s Director Emeritus Dan Sarewitz and Associate Vice Provost for Discovery, Engagement and Outcomes David Guston.The germ that became CSPO was an unusual congressional testimony that had an impact on Sarewitz, who was working on Capitol Hill in the 1990s in the health science community.“There was this guy who was unique among all people we ever had testifying,” Sarewitz said. “He said publicly that the problem for science is not about how much money it has but about how we organize the institutions for spending that money. That guy was Michael Crow.”That initial experience began a series of encounters and discussions that grew to become CSPO. Although not president of ASU at that time, President Crow’s PhD in science and technology policy showed that his tie to CSPO was — and always had been — personal.“This was enabled by … good fortune that I connected with Michael Crow, but also the fact that there was someone who was willing to put resources into this from the beginning and who saw the key problem, which was that science policy in the U.S. was entirely input driven,” Sarewitz said. “It was about how much money went into institutions; it was not driven by any tools or careful thinking about what you were or could achieve through those investments.”

ASU President Michael Crow and Cynthia Selin, a senior Global Futures scholar at ASU, hold an interactive talk about the future of science and technology.
Photo courtesy of Hager Sharp

(From left) Dan Sarewitz, CSPO director emeritus, David Guston, professor and founding director of the School for the Future of Innovation in Society at ASU, and Roger Pielke Jr., senior fellow at American Enterprise Institute, answer questions from participants at CSPO @ 25.
Photo courtesy of Hager Sharp

(From left) Jack Stilgoe, professor of science and technology policy at University College London, David Guston, professor and founding director of the School for the Future of Innovation in Society at ASU, and Lisa Margonelli, editor-in-chief of Issues in Science and Technology at the School for the Future of Innovation in Society at ASU, examine anticipatory governance and responsible innovation in science and technology.
Photo courtesy of Hager Sharp

(From left) Angela Bednarek, project director of the Evidence Project at The Pew Charitable Trusts, Ryan Meyer, executive director of the Center for Community and Citizen Science at the UC Davis School of Education, and Bhaven Sampat, professor at ASU’s School for the Future of Innovation in Society and School of Public Affairs, discuss uses of evidence and science in decision-making.
Photo courtesy of Hager Sharp

ASU President Michael Crow fields questions from participants at CSPO @ 25.
Photo courtesy of Hager Sharp

Arthur Daemmrich, director of CSPO and professor of practice in the School for the Future of Innovation in Society at ASU, gives the opening remarks for the 25th anniversary event of the Consortium for Science, Policy & Outcomes in Washington, D.C.
Photo courtesy of Hager Sharp

Sarewitz’ and Crow’s ideas — along with the ideas of many others, many of whom were in attendance at the celebration — are what created the consortium. Crow himself spoke at the celebration, taking a red-eye flight to the nation’s capital to address attendees.When beginning CSPO at Columbia University, Crow said that he envisioned a shift in focus in how scientists engaged with the broader public. “We’ve got to focus on this: science comma policy and outcomes,” Crow said. “It’s not science policy. It’s science, policy and outcomes, with the key word really being outcomes.”For Crow, the crux of CSPO was about focusing on real outcomes that real people wanted and working to provide the scientific research needed to inform the policy that helped create those outcomes.“We needed to start thinking about what were we going to do with all of this power that science enabled,” Crow said. “Were we going to truly build a better society?”And for the future, Crow noted that many parts of the U.S. face significant challenges in key policy dimensions, including education, quality of health and income.“There’s no forward progress,” Crow said. “They send their kids to college. They don’t graduate, and they have debt. More than half the people that have gone to college in the United States have no diploma, but debt. Three-fourths of the people with debt have no certificate of any type. This is trillions of dollars.”Crow hopes that the consortium can help work toward more positive outcomes, including improving how scientists and policymakers communicate with each other as well as the community they are both working to benefit.“We have to find a better translation language,” Crow said. “The academic-speak, the science-speak, the technology-speak is too much know-it-all. … What we have to figure out on the outcome side is not just the outcome of science and technology, but the means by which in our democracy that we actually go to great lengths to understand how to communicate.”At the center of CSPO is a desire for democratic outcomes — outcomes that are fairly contested and equally decided.“CSPO exists to help build collaborations, to carry out new projects, to do research, but also to convene this community,” said Arthur Daemmrich, CSPO’s current director, when opening the day’s events.And the celebration did just that. Through panels with esteemed speakers and breakout groups full of ideas pushing the boundaries of what’s to come, the celebration was also a vibrant exploration of what the next 25 years could bring. And while much is still unknown, the consensus among leaders at the celebration was that the future is bright, and that the consortium’s work was far from done.“Do I wish (CSPO) was 50 times bigger? Yeah, sure,” Crow said. “But alive is better than being dead.”For more information about the full schedule at CSPO @ 25, visit Arizona State University’s Consortium on Science, Policy & Outcomes online.

Consortium for Science, Policy & Outcomes celebrates 25 years

Science and Health

For Arizona State University’s Consortium for Science, Policy & Outcomes (CSPO), recognizing the past is just as important as designing the future. The consortium marked 25 years in Washington, D.C., in early December by celebrating its legacy of connecting diverse groups to key issues in science and technology policy.The celebration — buzzing with scientists, past and present policymakers, and innovative thinkers — began with a panel featuring CSPO’s Director Emeritus Dan Sarewitz and Associate Vice Provost for Discovery, Engagement and Outcomes David Guston.The germ that became CSPO was an unusual congressional testimony that had an impact on Sarewitz, who was working on Capitol Hill in the 1990s in the health science community.“There was this guy who was unique among all people we ever had testifying,” Sarewitz said. “He said publicly that the problem for science is not about how much money it has but about how we organize the institutions for spending that money. That guy was Michael Crow.”That initial experience began a series of encounters and discussions that grew to become CSPO. Although not president of ASU at that time, President Crow’s PhD in science and technology policy showed that his tie to CSPO was — and always had been — personal.“This was enabled by … good fortune that I connected with Michael Crow, but also the fact that there was someone who was willing to put resources into this from the beginning and who saw the key problem, which was that science policy in the U.S. was entirely input driven,” Sarewitz said. “It was about how much money went into institutions; it was not driven by any tools or careful thinking about what you were or could achieve through those investments.”

ASU President Michael Crow and Cynthia Selin, a senior Global Futures scholar at ASU, hold an interactive talk about the future of science and technology.
Photo courtesy of Hager Sharp

(From left) Dan Sarewitz, CSPO director emeritus, David Guston, professor and founding director of the School for the Future of Innovation in Society at ASU, and Roger Pielke Jr., senior fellow at American Enterprise Institute, answer questions from participants at CSPO @ 25.
Photo courtesy of Hager Sharp

(From left) Jack Stilgoe, professor of science and technology policy at University College London, David Guston, professor and founding director of the School for the Future of Innovation in Society at ASU, and Lisa Margonelli, editor-in-chief of Issues in Science and Technology at the School for the Future of Innovation in Society at ASU, examine anticipatory governance and responsible innovation in science and technology.
Photo courtesy of Hager Sharp

(From left) Angela Bednarek, project director of the Evidence Project at The Pew Charitable Trusts, Ryan Meyer, executive director of the Center for Community and Citizen Science at the UC Davis School of Education, and Bhaven Sampat, professor at ASU’s School for the Future of Innovation in Society and School of Public Affairs, discuss uses of evidence and science in decision-making.
Photo courtesy of Hager Sharp

ASU President Michael Crow fields questions from participants at CSPO @ 25.
Photo courtesy of Hager Sharp

Arthur Daemmrich, director of CSPO and professor of practice in the School for the Future of Innovation in Society at ASU, gives the opening remarks for the 25th anniversary event of the Consortium for Science, Policy & Outcomes in Washington, D.C.
Photo courtesy of Hager Sharp

Sarewitz’ and Crow’s ideas — along with the ideas of many others, many of whom were in attendance at the celebration — are what created the consortium. Crow himself spoke at the celebration, taking a red-eye flight to the nation’s capital to address attendees.When beginning CSPO at Columbia University, Crow said that he envisioned a shift in focus in how scientists engaged with the broader public. “We’ve got to focus on this: science comma policy and outcomes,” Crow said. “It’s not science policy. It’s science, policy and outcomes, with the key word really being outcomes.”For Crow, the crux of CSPO was about focusing on real outcomes that real people wanted and working to provide the scientific research needed to inform the policy that helped create those outcomes.“We needed to start thinking about what were we going to do with all of this power that science enabled,” Crow said. “Were we going to truly build a better society?”And for the future, Crow noted that many parts of the U.S. face significant challenges in key policy dimensions, including education, quality of health and income.“There’s no forward progress,” Crow said. “They send their kids to college. They don’t graduate, and they have debt. More than half the people that have gone to college in the United States have no diploma, but debt. Three-fourths of the people with debt have no certificate of any type. This is trillions of dollars.”Crow hopes that the consortium can help work toward more positive outcomes, including improving how scientists and policymakers communicate with each other as well as the community they are both working to benefit.“We have to find a better translation language,” Crow said. “The academic-speak, the science-speak, the technology-speak is too much know-it-all. … What we have to figure out on the outcome side is not just the outcome of science and technology, but the means by which in our democracy that we actually go to great lengths to understand how to communicate.”At the center of CSPO is a desire for democratic outcomes — outcomes that are fairly contested and equally decided.“CSPO exists to help build collaborations, to carry out new projects, to do research, but also to convene this community,” said Arthur Daemmrich, CSPO’s current director, when opening the day’s events.And the celebration did just that. Through panels with esteemed speakers and breakout groups full of ideas pushing the boundaries of what’s to come, the celebration was also a vibrant exploration of what the next 25 years could bring. And while much is still unknown, the consensus among leaders at the celebration was that the future is bright, and that the consortium’s work was far from done.“Do I wish (CSPO) was 50 times bigger? Yeah, sure,” Crow said. “But alive is better than being dead.”For more information about the full schedule at CSPO @ 25, visit Arizona State University’s Consortium on Science, Policy & Outcomes online.

Book gift guide: Local authors provide a few options

Arts & Culture, Books

When it comes to shopping for holiday gifts, book lovers are a special breed.However, the secret is finding out what they enjoy. And for those folks who like to support local authors, this year’s gift-giving season includes plenty of titles, ranging in topics from classic rock radio giants to local nature trails.There’s also a book of inspiration and something for romance lovers.Here are several recently released books of note:“Buzzard Archives Vol. 1” | David Helton and John Gorman | $19.95/86 pages(Submitted)This year marks the 50th anniversary of WMMS’ Buzzard.A must have for baby boomers, “Buzzard Archives Vol. 1” provides fans of WMMS’ golden years with vintage display advertisements that appeared in local newspapers, tabloids and magazines from 1974 to 1988.The original images are annotated with insightful comments from former WMMS Operations Manager John Gorman, who not only helped dream up the Buzzard image but also turned the radio station into a broadcasting powerhouse.“Little Detours and Spiritual Adventures” | Regina Brett | $18.99/240 pages(Submitted)Regina Brett (“God Never Blinks”) is back with “Little Detours and Spiritual Adventures…Inspiration for Times When Life Doesn’t Go as Planned.”The bestselling local author shares 45 short personal essays to bring readers comfort at the end of a tough day and offer hope for tomorrow and inspiration to help them get through whatever difficulty, diagnosis or disappointment they may face.The book may be ithe perfect nightstand addition for anyone going through a divorce or a death, with Brett sharing her experiences and stories of people who faced even bigger detours but still created a life they love. It’s about finding the awe in the awful, the mystery in the mistakes, the magic in the mess.Music gift guide: Vinyl releases and more abound for the audio lover“Trail Guide: Cuyahoga Valley National Park 4th Edition” | Cuyahoga Valley Trails Council | $19.95/280 pages(Submitted)The revised “Trail Guide: Cuyahoga Valley National Park 4th Edition” may be essential for Northeast Ohio outdoor lovers.Hikers, cyclists, skiers, equestrians and birders likely will be thrilled to have a complete guide to every trail in Cuyahoga Valley National Park created by volunteers who help build and maintain the trails.Including detailed trail descriptions and maps, plus background info about plants, animals, and geology, the guide features the historic Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath, the Buckeye Trail and favorite destinations such as Brandywine Gorge and Blue Hen Falls.“Unveiled Love” | David Allen Edmonds | $17.99/260 pages(Submitted)Medina’s David Allen Edmonds, a retired German and English high school teacher, recently released his second Benton Center romance novel.Readers of his debut, “Unexpected Love,” will recognize some of the characters who return in “Unveiled Love.”The clean and wholesome romance boasts a Midwestern sensibility and details how residents of a small Ohio town deal with tensions of contemporary life.The series makes one wonder how long until one of Edmonds’ stories ends up becoming a Hallmark movie.

Book gift guide: Local authors provide a few options

Arts & Culture, Books

When it comes to shopping for holiday gifts, book lovers are a special breed.However, the secret is finding out what they enjoy. And for those folks who like to support local authors, this year’s gift-giving season includes plenty of titles, ranging in topics from classic rock radio giants to local nature trails.There’s also a book of inspiration and something for romance lovers.Here are several recently released books of note:“Buzzard Archives Vol. 1” | David Helton and John Gorman | $19.95/86 pages(Submitted)This year marks the 50th anniversary of WMMS’ Buzzard.A must have for baby boomers, “Buzzard Archives Vol. 1” provides fans of WMMS’ golden years with vintage display advertisements that appeared in local newspapers, tabloids and magazines from 1974 to 1988.The original images are annotated with insightful comments from former WMMS Operations Manager John Gorman, who not only helped dream up the Buzzard image but also turned the radio station into a broadcasting powerhouse.“Little Detours and Spiritual Adventures” | Regina Brett | $18.99/240 pages(Submitted)Regina Brett (“God Never Blinks”) is back with “Little Detours and Spiritual Adventures…Inspiration for Times When Life Doesn’t Go as Planned.”The bestselling local author shares 45 short personal essays to bring readers comfort at the end of a tough day and offer hope for tomorrow and inspiration to help them get through whatever difficulty, diagnosis or disappointment they may face.The book may be ithe perfect nightstand addition for anyone going through a divorce or a death, with Brett sharing her experiences and stories of people who faced even bigger detours but still created a life they love. It’s about finding the awe in the awful, the mystery in the mistakes, the magic in the mess.Music gift guide: Vinyl releases and more abound for the audio lover“Trail Guide: Cuyahoga Valley National Park 4th Edition” | Cuyahoga Valley Trails Council | $19.95/280 pages(Submitted)The revised “Trail Guide: Cuyahoga Valley National Park 4th Edition” may be essential for Northeast Ohio outdoor lovers.Hikers, cyclists, skiers, equestrians and birders likely will be thrilled to have a complete guide to every trail in Cuyahoga Valley National Park created by volunteers who help build and maintain the trails.Including detailed trail descriptions and maps, plus background info about plants, animals, and geology, the guide features the historic Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath, the Buckeye Trail and favorite destinations such as Brandywine Gorge and Blue Hen Falls.“Unveiled Love” | David Allen Edmonds | $17.99/260 pages(Submitted)Medina’s David Allen Edmonds, a retired German and English high school teacher, recently released his second Benton Center romance novel.Readers of his debut, “Unexpected Love,” will recognize some of the characters who return in “Unveiled Love.”The clean and wholesome romance boasts a Midwestern sensibility and details how residents of a small Ohio town deal with tensions of contemporary life.The series makes one wonder how long until one of Edmonds’ stories ends up becoming a Hallmark movie.

New policy at St. Francis Area Schools puts spotlight on book bans

Arts & Culture, Books

The school board at St. Francis Area Schools voted 4-3 to use Book Looks, which was started by a former member of Moms for Liberty.

ST FRANCIS, Minn. — Under a new policy, a slew of books could be banned from St. Francis Area Schools’ (SFAS) media centers if they are formally challenged. 

That includes “Night” by Elie Wiesel — a memoir of Wiesel’s experience in the Nazi concentration camps during World War II. 

“Is this board willing to go… we are not going to have a book, a true story, about the Holocaust in our library?” asked school board member Nathan Burr, during the SFAS school board meeting on Nov. 25. 

During the meeting, the school board voted 4-3 in favor of using “BookLooks.org” and its ratings to determine which books get banned from the district’s libraries. 

Board members Pamela Johnson, Amy Kelly, Rob Schoenrock, and Annette West voted in favor of using Book Looks as its sole resource. Burr, Board Vice-Chair Jill Anderson and Board Chair Mike Starr voted against it.

“Why use just the one?” asked Starr. “We discussed why Book Looks should not be the only one because Book Looks is a very conservative company.”

Book Looks was started by Emily Maikisch, a former member of Moms for Liberty. She told USA Today in Oct. 2023 that she left the group in March 2022 to launch Book Looks. 

On Book Looks’ website, it says it is not affiliated with Moms for Liberty or with any other groups. “However, we do communicate with other individuals and groups with whom there is an intersection of mission and values. We are focused on gathering and making information available to anyone who can make use of it, including individual parents or the groups representing their interests. We commonly allow these entities to use our work and accept suggestions for books to look at.”

During the Nov. 25 meeting, Kelly said, “We’re red here. We’re not always going to be on the same page but I know we’re conservative. They don’t want this stuff in the libraries.”

Kelly specifically talked about the book “Me and Earl and the Dying Girl” which received a 3 rating from Book Looks. Anything rated 3-5, if formally challenged, would get removed; if it’s not already in the library, it would not get added. 

According to SFAS Superintendent Karsten Anderson, two books have already been removed based on Book Looks: “Me and Earl and the Dying Girl” and “Out of Darkness.” 

“We typically don’t use the word book ban. Instead, we’ve been using the phrase ‘book removal’ because if there’s a book in the library, then you know someone can challenge it and then we can remove the book. There’s not a total ban on the book. For example, students can still bring that book into school. They can be used during classes as part of curriculum,” Anderson said. 

Anderson said Book Looks only has a few hundred books reviewed so the school’s committee will still review books not on that list to determine whether a book stays or goes. 

Starr said there are nine resources out there to grade books and that the school’s attorney and Supt. Anderson did not recommend only using Book Looks. 

“We’re definitely hearing multiple perspectives before the decision and after the decision,” Supt. Anderson said. 

A new state law went into effect earlier this year that prohibits banning books in public and school libraries, “based solely on its viewpoint or the messages, ideas or opinions it conveys.” 

“What could happen? Could we be sued or not? I’ve been hearing on the outside, there’s some people out there looking to maybe sue the school district,” said Starr, who is finishing up his term on the school board. 

Supt. Anderson said he has reached out to the Minnesota Department of Education for guidance on this policy and is waiting to hear back. 

Three new school board members start in January so the policy could be brought up again. 

KARE 11 reached out to those who voted in favor of the policy. Schoenrock referred us to Starr and Supt. Anderson. Kelly, Johnson and West did not return our email. Book Looks also did not respond to our request for an interview. 

Ten ways Fermilab advanced science and technology in 2024

Science and Health

This section is Partnership Content suppliedThe content in this section is supplied by GlobeNewswire for the purposes of distributing press releases on behalf of its clients. Postmedia has not reviewed the content. by GlobeNewswire Breadcrumb Trail LinksGlobeNewswireAuthor of the article:GlobeNewswirePublished Dec 17, 2024  •  12 minute readTwo colossal caverns, each more than 500 feet long and seven-stories tall, were completed to contain the gigantic particle detector modules for the Long-Baseline Neutrino Facility/Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment, an international collaboration led by Fermilab. A third cavern will house utilities for the operation of the DUNE far detector. Credit: Ryan Postel, Fermilab GNWArticle contentBatavia, Illinois, Dec. 17, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Every day, scientists, engineers and technicians at Fermilab push the boundaries of knowledge in fields like particle physics, accelerator technology, quantum information science and astrophysics. Read about 10 ways the laboratory has advanced science and technology in 2024. Additionally, a video highlighting the laboratory’s accomplishments may be viewed here.Advertisement 2Story continues belowThis advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLYSubscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.Exclusive articles from Barbara Shecter, Joe O’Connor, Gabriel Friedman, and others.Daily content from Financial Times, the world’s leading global business publication.Unlimited online access to read articles from Financial Post, National Post and 15 news sites across Canada with one account.National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.Daily puzzles, including the New York Times Crossword.SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLESSubscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.Exclusive articles from Barbara Shecter, Joe O’Connor, Gabriel Friedman and others.Daily content from Financial Times, the world’s leading global business publication.Unlimited online access to read articles from Financial Post, National Post and 15 news sites across Canada with one account.National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.Daily puzzles, including the New York Times Crossword.REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLESCreate an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.Access articles from across Canada with one account.Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments.Enjoy additional articles per month.Get email updates from your favourite authors.THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK.Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.Access articles from across Canada with one accountShare your thoughts and join the conversation in the commentsEnjoy additional articles per monthGet email updates from your favourite authorsSign In or Create an AccountorArticle contentArticle contentArticle content1. Achieved important progress with DUNEFermilab is the host laboratory for the Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment. This international collaboration will explore the mysteries of elusive particles called neutrinos. More than 1,400 scientists from over 35 countries and CERN are part of the collaboration that is seeking to answer some of the biggest questions around our understanding of the universe. DUNE will be installed in the Long-Baseline Neutrino Facility, currently under construction in Lead, South Dakota at the Sanford Underground Research Facility, and at Fermilab in Batavia, Illinois. Crews completed excavation of DUNE’s caverns in February, removing close to 800,000 tons of rock from a former mine in South Dakota for the future subterranean home of the experiment’s far detector. A ribbon-cutting event was held in August with officials from around the globe commemorating this historic milestone. In September, a test for lowering steel beams was successfully completed in preparation for the next phase of the project.Meanwhile, in Illinois, the Fermilab accelerator complex achieved a critical milestone towards high intensity running for DUNE, reaching 1 MW beam intensity from its Main Injector. Additionally, workers prepared the eight acres at Fermilab where the future DUNE near site will be built. And a prototype for the near detector — the 2×2 demonstrator — saw its first accelerator-made neutrinos. Across the pond at CERN in Geneva, Switzerland, prototypes for the far detector — ProtoDUNE — were filled with liquid argon to ready them for operation.This year, Jim Kerby was appointed the new LBNF/DUNE-US project director. Kerby brings over 30 years of engineering and technical management experience to the table. He will be responsible for managing all Advertisement 3Story continues belowThis advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.Article content2. Made major advancements with the Proton Improvement Plan-II projectProton Improvement Plan-II is providing a major upgrade to the Fermilab particle accelerator complex, including a state-of-the-art superconducting radio frequency linear accelerator. The PIP-II project started off the year by welcoming a new director, Pantaleo Raimondi, a world-renowned physicist with extensive experience in accelerator physics and project management at labs around the world.The PIP-II team also made progress with one of the five types of cryomodules that will make up the linear accelerator. Fermilab successfully shipped a prototype high-beta 650-megahertz cryomodule — the largest needed for the PIP-II linac — to the United Kingdom and back again. This was an important step in testing the cryomodule transportation system and a final test before shipping the first actual cryomodule built in the U.K. to the United States.PIP-II is the first particle accelerator in the U.S. to be built with significant contributions from international partners. Institutions in France, India, Italy, Poland and the U.K. are contributing technologies, instrumentation and expertise to build the accelerator. Early in 2024, India’s Department of Atomic Energy informed the U.S. Department of Energy that India is officially moving from the research and development phase to the construction phase for its contributions to the PIP-II project. Pieces of India’s largest in-kind contribution to PIP-II, the cryogenic plant, are scheduled to arrive at Fermilab in the next month after a two-month journey over sea and land. In addition, PIP-II partners at UK Research and Innovation received the first production HB650 cavity, which was tested and met specifications. And PIP-II partners at INFN, the National Institute for Nuclear Physics in Italy, placed the contract to produce all low-beta 650-megahertz cryomodule cavities.In November, the project completed the Early Conventional Facilities subproject, marking the subproject’s readiness for the final stage of approval, known as CD-4, planned for January 2025.Top StoriesGet the latest headlines, breaking news and columns.By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc.Thanks for signing up!A welcome email is on its way. If you don’t see it, please check your junk folder.The next issue of Top Stories will soon be in your inbox.We encountered an issue signing you up. Please try againArticle contentAdvertisement 4Story continues belowThis advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.Article content3. Continued our involvement in the CMS experiment at CERNFor decades, Fermilab has been the host institution for U.S. CMS. The CMS experiment at CERN records data from high-energy particle collisions produced by the Large Hadron Collider, the world’s biggest particle accelerator. Earlier this year, Fermilab scientists working on CMS helped create a tool that expands the search for new particles at the LHC. The search could either uncover physics beyond the Standard Model or set the most stringent limits in the search for a class of theoretical particles called long-lived particles. In September, the CMS collaboration announced a new mass measurement of the W boson, one of nature’s force-carrying particles, that is consistent with predictions. This new measurement, which followed the 2022 measurement by the Collider Detector at Fermilab experiment that differed from the Standard Model prediction, is the most elaborate investigation of the W boson’s mass to date and took nearly a decade of analysis.The Department of Energy also approved the start of full production for the $200 million DOE-funded contributions to the upgrade of the CMS experiment. With the high-luminosity upgrade to the Large Hadron Collider planned for 2029, CMS collaborators need to upgrade the detector to keep up with the forthcoming more-intense particle beams.Fermilab connections continue to be strong at the highest levels of the CMS collaboration. Patty McBride, a Fermilab distinguished scientist, completed her two-year term as the CMS spokesperson in September. She passed the torch to a new management team that includes Fermilab senior scientist Anadi Canepa, now a deputy spokesperson for CMS until 2026.Advertisement 5Story continues belowThis advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.Article content4. Detected first neutrinos at the Short-Baseline Neutrino DetectorThe international Short-Baseline Neutrino Program at Fermilab is devoted to examining the properties of neutrinos and the nature of neutrino oscillations in more detail than ever before. The Short-Baseline Near Detector is the near detector for the SBN Program while ICARUS, which started collecting data in 2021, is the far detector. A third detector called MicroBooNE finished recording particle interactions with the same neutrino beamline that same year.After nearly a decade of planning, prototyping and constructing the near detector, SBND made major progress in 2024. In February, SBND was filled with liquid argon, which it uses to see tracks left by charged particles. A few months later, the detector saw its first neutrino interactions. But it’s only the beginning for SBND: the collaboration will operate the detector, analyzing many millions of neutrino interactions, for the next several years. SBND will see more neutrinos than any other detector of its kind, and the large data sample will allow researchers to study neutrino interactions with unprecedented precision, helping to inform future experiments that will also use liquid argon to detect neutrinos, including DUNE.Advertisement 6Story continues belowThis advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.Article content5. Moved massive magnetsIn February, crews very carefully moved a superconducting solenoid magnet 1.5 miles across the Fermilab campus. The 65,700-pound magnet was built for the Mu2e experiment, which is looking for evidence that a muon can transform into an electron. If observed, this muon-to-electron conversion would point to new physics. The team moved the first Mu2e magnet in December 2023. Once assembled into the Mu2e detector, the magnets will create a low-energy muon beam that will be directed at an aluminum target. The magnets will also provide a constant magnetic field in the detector region that allows scientists to accurately determine the momentum of the resulting electrons.Over the summer, a different kind of magnet weighing over 100,000 pounds was moved from the University of Illinois Chicago to Fermilab. The repurposed superconducting magnet will be used in a future experiment.In late fall, Fermilab shipped its second quadrupole magnet cryoassembly to CERN. This magnet is part of Fermilab’s contribution to the high luminosity upgrade of the Large Hadron Collider. It uses advanced niobium-tin (Nb3Sn) magnets to strongly focus the proton beams and increase the number of collisions. Fermilab innovations were crucial to making these high-field magnets possible.Advertisement 7Story continues belowThis advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.Article content6. Strengthened our leadership in quantum information scienceFermilab is the proud host of the Superconducting Quantum Materials and Systems Center, one of the five DOE National Quantum Information Science Research Centers. The SQMS Center brings together more than 30 partner institutions representing national labs, industry and academia, all dedicated to advancing critical quantum technologies with a focus on superconducting quantum systems.During 2024, SQMS scientists and engineers achieved reproducible improvements in superconducting transmon qubit lifetimes with record values in excess of 1 millisecond. The results were achieved through innovative materials and design techniques that eliminated major loss sources in the devices. SQMS has also advanced quantum computing platforms based on high-coherence superconducting cavities.Over the summer the Department of Energy approved IBM as a new partner in SQMS. This collaboration intends to leverage the strengths of these two organizations to address key hurdles in quantum computing, communication and large-scale deployment of superconducting quantum platforms.This year, SQMS led the NQISRC’s executive council, coordinating joint activities across the five centers, which have strengthened the national quantum information science ecosystem, achieving scientific and technological breakthroughs as well as training the next-generation quantum workforce.Quantum technology can also be used to probe the fundamental theory of quantum mechanics. Fermilab theorists and experimentalists used qubits to constrain alternatives to the standard laws of quantum mechanics in which systems evolve linearly in time.Advertisement 8Story continues belowThis advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.Article content7. Got very QUIETIn June, a new quantum sensor and computing research center named the Quantum Underground Instrumentation Experimental Testbed became operational. QUIET sits one hundred meters underground at Fermilab in an area that previously housed a neutrino experiment. Its companion surface lab, LOUD, had been operating for over a year prior to QUIET’s opening. Together, QUIET and LOUD enable controlled experiments that use quantum sensors to directly compare an environment that is significantly shielded from cosmic rays and other energy effects with the environment on the earth’s surface.In October, superconducting qubits were successfully deployed at QUIET for the first time, marking the transition from infrastructure development to unique scientific studies at the lab. Scientists are using QUIET to understand how these superconducting qubits are impacted by cosmic rays and other high-energy particles. This knowledge could help researchers construct new types of qubits that could be shielded from interference or design ones that are insensitive to it. In addition, QUIET can contribute to a range of applications that require ultra-sensitivity to their environment, including dark matter detection. QUIET and LOUD are funded by the Quantum Science Center, of which Fermilab is a primary founding member.Advertisement 9Story continues belowThis advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.Article content8. Learned more about dark energy and our universeWe’re not just about particle physics! Astrophysics is an important piece of Fermilab’s portfolio. In 2024, Fermilab researchers continued to shed light on some of the greatest mysteries in the cosmos — such as dark energy, the enigmatic entity that makes up about 70% of our universe. Fermilab scientists lead the Dark Energy Survey, an international collaboration of over 400 astrophysicists, astronomers and cosmologists, which shared two results in 2024. In January, they announced the strongest constraints on the expansion of the universe ever obtained with the DES supernova survey. A month later, the collaboration released a new measurement of cosmic distances that supports the standard model of the accelerated expansion of the universe.This year, researchers released the first results from the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument, which is gathering light from some 30 million galaxies at a telescope at Kitt Peak National Observatory. The DESI collaboration used the first year of data to make the most extensive 3D map of our universe and world-leading measurements of dark energy. They also charted how nearly 6 million galaxies cluster across 11 billion years of cosmic history, lining up with predictions of Einstein’s theory of general relativity. Fermilab contributed key elements to DESI, including the online databases for data acquisition, software to control the robotic positioners, the corrector barrel, hexapod and cage.Advertisement 10Story continues belowThis advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.Article content9. Advanced emerging technologies to benefit physics and beyondFermilab’s contributions to research and technology development reach well beyond physics. In collaboration with 3M, Fermilab scientists successfully demonstrated that an electron beam can destroy PFAS, a suite of useful chemicals that don’t easily break down and accumulate in the environment and human body. Fermilab researchers are also building a prototype electron beam accelerator to make X-rays for sterilizing medical equipment — a potentially game-changing development for the growing medical equipment sterilization industry, which is looking for alternatives to current technologies that use substances that can present safety issues.This year, Fermilab researchers also received funding from the Department of Energy as part of its Accelerate Innovations program to develop three different emerging technologies: superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors, 3D integrated sensing solutions, and compact superconducting radio frequency electron-beam accelerator technology. An additional federal grant enabled a collaborative project between Fermilab and California-based RadiaBeam Technologies. Fermilab engineers used their expertise in cryomodule design and conduction cooling to help RadiaBeam design and assemble a conduction-cooled cryomodule and break into the superconducting industrial accelerator market.In another quantum experiment, Fermilab scientists demonstrated the ability to use specialized quantum techniques to stimulate the creation of photons, increase sensitivity and minimize noise. This research can significantly enhance the ability to detect faint signals such as those emitted from dark matter.Lastly, this month, Fermilab engineers announced they are ready to bring to market a new companion to the Quantum Instrumentation Control Kit, an open-source control and readout system supported by the Quantum Science Center. The new product, QICK box, builds on QICK’s ability to enable researchers to improve quantum system performance by manipulating signals in ways that optimize their ability to read information stored in quantum bits. In September, the team also rolled out QICK version 2.0, which features updated software and firmware.Advertisement 11Story continues belowThis advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.Article content10. Improved the campus and access to itThe year 2024 was a standout for the Fermilab campus as the new Integrated Engineering Research Center, with its environmentally sustainable design, received multiple awards, including the Department of Energy’s 2024 Outstanding Net-Zero Building Program/Project Award and the High Performance Sustainable Building Award. The 80,000-square-foot multi-story laboratory and office building, located next to Wilson Hall, provides workspace for around 100 engineers and technicians and has been bustling with activity since its completion in 2023.Last year, the Fermilab campus reopened to the public after a hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In January 2024, Director Lia Merminga announced updates to Fermilab’s site access, including the exciting news that our iconic Wilson Hall had reopened to the public. Since then, thousands of visitors have attended public tours, Saturday Morning Physics lectures, teacher workshops, field trips and other events. Additionally, Lederman Science Center welcomed nearly 6,000 guests. Learn more about visiting the lab here.In 2024, crews continued improvements on many areas of the Fermilab site, including starting construction on Fermilab’s new welcome center, which is expected to open in fall 2025. Located near Fermilab’s main entrance on Pine Street, the Fermilab Welcome and Access Center will host both informational and administrative functions for smoother processing and access to the site. The construction project also includes a new guardhouse and the reconfiguration of traffic routes for cars, bicyclists and pedestrians to provide easy and secure access to the campus.Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory is supported by the Office of Science of the U.S. Department of Energy. The Office of Science is the single largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences in the United States and is working to address some of the most pressing challenges of our time. For more information, please visit science.energy.gov.AttachmentsLBNF/DUNE cavernPIP-II at FermilabArticle contentShare this article in your social networkComments Join the Conversation Featured Local Savings

Ten ways Fermilab advanced science and technology in 2024

Science and Health

This section is Partnership Content suppliedThe content in this section is supplied by GlobeNewswire for the purposes of distributing press releases on behalf of its clients. Postmedia has not reviewed the content. by GlobeNewswire Breadcrumb Trail LinksGlobeNewswireAuthor of the article:GlobeNewswirePublished Dec 17, 2024  •  12 minute readTwo colossal caverns, each more than 500 feet long and seven-stories tall, were completed to contain the gigantic particle detector modules for the Long-Baseline Neutrino Facility/Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment, an international collaboration led by Fermilab. A third cavern will house utilities for the operation of the DUNE far detector. Credit: Ryan Postel, Fermilab GNWArticle contentBatavia, Illinois, Dec. 17, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Every day, scientists, engineers and technicians at Fermilab push the boundaries of knowledge in fields like particle physics, accelerator technology, quantum information science and astrophysics. Read about 10 ways the laboratory has advanced science and technology in 2024. Additionally, a video highlighting the laboratory’s accomplishments may be viewed here.Advertisement 2Story continues belowThis advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLYSubscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.Exclusive articles from Barbara Shecter, Joe O’Connor, Gabriel Friedman, and others.Daily content from Financial Times, the world’s leading global business publication.Unlimited online access to read articles from Financial Post, National Post and 15 news sites across Canada with one account.National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.Daily puzzles, including the New York Times Crossword.SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLESSubscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.Exclusive articles from Barbara Shecter, Joe O’Connor, Gabriel Friedman and others.Daily content from Financial Times, the world’s leading global business publication.Unlimited online access to read articles from Financial Post, National Post and 15 news sites across Canada with one account.National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.Daily puzzles, including the New York Times Crossword.REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLESCreate an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.Access articles from across Canada with one account.Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments.Enjoy additional articles per month.Get email updates from your favourite authors.THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK.Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.Access articles from across Canada with one accountShare your thoughts and join the conversation in the commentsEnjoy additional articles per monthGet email updates from your favourite authorsSign In or Create an AccountorArticle contentArticle contentArticle content1. Achieved important progress with DUNEFermilab is the host laboratory for the Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment. This international collaboration will explore the mysteries of elusive particles called neutrinos. More than 1,400 scientists from over 35 countries and CERN are part of the collaboration that is seeking to answer some of the biggest questions around our understanding of the universe. DUNE will be installed in the Long-Baseline Neutrino Facility, currently under construction in Lead, South Dakota at the Sanford Underground Research Facility, and at Fermilab in Batavia, Illinois. Crews completed excavation of DUNE’s caverns in February, removing close to 800,000 tons of rock from a former mine in South Dakota for the future subterranean home of the experiment’s far detector. A ribbon-cutting event was held in August with officials from around the globe commemorating this historic milestone. In September, a test for lowering steel beams was successfully completed in preparation for the next phase of the project.Meanwhile, in Illinois, the Fermilab accelerator complex achieved a critical milestone towards high intensity running for DUNE, reaching 1 MW beam intensity from its Main Injector. Additionally, workers prepared the eight acres at Fermilab where the future DUNE near site will be built. And a prototype for the near detector — the 2×2 demonstrator — saw its first accelerator-made neutrinos. Across the pond at CERN in Geneva, Switzerland, prototypes for the far detector — ProtoDUNE — were filled with liquid argon to ready them for operation.This year, Jim Kerby was appointed the new LBNF/DUNE-US project director. Kerby brings over 30 years of engineering and technical management experience to the table. He will be responsible for managing all Advertisement 3Story continues belowThis advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.Article content2. Made major advancements with the Proton Improvement Plan-II projectProton Improvement Plan-II is providing a major upgrade to the Fermilab particle accelerator complex, including a state-of-the-art superconducting radio frequency linear accelerator. The PIP-II project started off the year by welcoming a new director, Pantaleo Raimondi, a world-renowned physicist with extensive experience in accelerator physics and project management at labs around the world.The PIP-II team also made progress with one of the five types of cryomodules that will make up the linear accelerator. Fermilab successfully shipped a prototype high-beta 650-megahertz cryomodule — the largest needed for the PIP-II linac — to the United Kingdom and back again. This was an important step in testing the cryomodule transportation system and a final test before shipping the first actual cryomodule built in the U.K. to the United States.PIP-II is the first particle accelerator in the U.S. to be built with significant contributions from international partners. Institutions in France, India, Italy, Poland and the U.K. are contributing technologies, instrumentation and expertise to build the accelerator. Early in 2024, India’s Department of Atomic Energy informed the U.S. Department of Energy that India is officially moving from the research and development phase to the construction phase for its contributions to the PIP-II project. Pieces of India’s largest in-kind contribution to PIP-II, the cryogenic plant, are scheduled to arrive at Fermilab in the next month after a two-month journey over sea and land. In addition, PIP-II partners at UK Research and Innovation received the first production HB650 cavity, which was tested and met specifications. And PIP-II partners at INFN, the National Institute for Nuclear Physics in Italy, placed the contract to produce all low-beta 650-megahertz cryomodule cavities.In November, the project completed the Early Conventional Facilities subproject, marking the subproject’s readiness for the final stage of approval, known as CD-4, planned for January 2025.Top StoriesGet the latest headlines, breaking news and columns.By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc.Thanks for signing up!A welcome email is on its way. If you don’t see it, please check your junk folder.The next issue of Top Stories will soon be in your inbox.We encountered an issue signing you up. Please try againArticle contentAdvertisement 4Story continues belowThis advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.Article content3. Continued our involvement in the CMS experiment at CERNFor decades, Fermilab has been the host institution for U.S. CMS. The CMS experiment at CERN records data from high-energy particle collisions produced by the Large Hadron Collider, the world’s biggest particle accelerator. Earlier this year, Fermilab scientists working on CMS helped create a tool that expands the search for new particles at the LHC. The search could either uncover physics beyond the Standard Model or set the most stringent limits in the search for a class of theoretical particles called long-lived particles. In September, the CMS collaboration announced a new mass measurement of the W boson, one of nature’s force-carrying particles, that is consistent with predictions. This new measurement, which followed the 2022 measurement by the Collider Detector at Fermilab experiment that differed from the Standard Model prediction, is the most elaborate investigation of the W boson’s mass to date and took nearly a decade of analysis.The Department of Energy also approved the start of full production for the $200 million DOE-funded contributions to the upgrade of the CMS experiment. With the high-luminosity upgrade to the Large Hadron Collider planned for 2029, CMS collaborators need to upgrade the detector to keep up with the forthcoming more-intense particle beams.Fermilab connections continue to be strong at the highest levels of the CMS collaboration. Patty McBride, a Fermilab distinguished scientist, completed her two-year term as the CMS spokesperson in September. She passed the torch to a new management team that includes Fermilab senior scientist Anadi Canepa, now a deputy spokesperson for CMS until 2026.Advertisement 5Story continues belowThis advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.Article content4. Detected first neutrinos at the Short-Baseline Neutrino DetectorThe international Short-Baseline Neutrino Program at Fermilab is devoted to examining the properties of neutrinos and the nature of neutrino oscillations in more detail than ever before. The Short-Baseline Near Detector is the near detector for the SBN Program while ICARUS, which started collecting data in 2021, is the far detector. A third detector called MicroBooNE finished recording particle interactions with the same neutrino beamline that same year.After nearly a decade of planning, prototyping and constructing the near detector, SBND made major progress in 2024. In February, SBND was filled with liquid argon, which it uses to see tracks left by charged particles. A few months later, the detector saw its first neutrino interactions. But it’s only the beginning for SBND: the collaboration will operate the detector, analyzing many millions of neutrino interactions, for the next several years. SBND will see more neutrinos than any other detector of its kind, and the large data sample will allow researchers to study neutrino interactions with unprecedented precision, helping to inform future experiments that will also use liquid argon to detect neutrinos, including DUNE.Advertisement 6Story continues belowThis advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.Article content5. Moved massive magnetsIn February, crews very carefully moved a superconducting solenoid magnet 1.5 miles across the Fermilab campus. The 65,700-pound magnet was built for the Mu2e experiment, which is looking for evidence that a muon can transform into an electron. If observed, this muon-to-electron conversion would point to new physics. The team moved the first Mu2e magnet in December 2023. Once assembled into the Mu2e detector, the magnets will create a low-energy muon beam that will be directed at an aluminum target. The magnets will also provide a constant magnetic field in the detector region that allows scientists to accurately determine the momentum of the resulting electrons.Over the summer, a different kind of magnet weighing over 100,000 pounds was moved from the University of Illinois Chicago to Fermilab. The repurposed superconducting magnet will be used in a future experiment.In late fall, Fermilab shipped its second quadrupole magnet cryoassembly to CERN. This magnet is part of Fermilab’s contribution to the high luminosity upgrade of the Large Hadron Collider. It uses advanced niobium-tin (Nb3Sn) magnets to strongly focus the proton beams and increase the number of collisions. Fermilab innovations were crucial to making these high-field magnets possible.Advertisement 7Story continues belowThis advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.Article content6. Strengthened our leadership in quantum information scienceFermilab is the proud host of the Superconducting Quantum Materials and Systems Center, one of the five DOE National Quantum Information Science Research Centers. The SQMS Center brings together more than 30 partner institutions representing national labs, industry and academia, all dedicated to advancing critical quantum technologies with a focus on superconducting quantum systems.During 2024, SQMS scientists and engineers achieved reproducible improvements in superconducting transmon qubit lifetimes with record values in excess of 1 millisecond. The results were achieved through innovative materials and design techniques that eliminated major loss sources in the devices. SQMS has also advanced quantum computing platforms based on high-coherence superconducting cavities.Over the summer the Department of Energy approved IBM as a new partner in SQMS. This collaboration intends to leverage the strengths of these two organizations to address key hurdles in quantum computing, communication and large-scale deployment of superconducting quantum platforms.This year, SQMS led the NQISRC’s executive council, coordinating joint activities across the five centers, which have strengthened the national quantum information science ecosystem, achieving scientific and technological breakthroughs as well as training the next-generation quantum workforce.Quantum technology can also be used to probe the fundamental theory of quantum mechanics. Fermilab theorists and experimentalists used qubits to constrain alternatives to the standard laws of quantum mechanics in which systems evolve linearly in time.Advertisement 8Story continues belowThis advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.Article content7. Got very QUIETIn June, a new quantum sensor and computing research center named the Quantum Underground Instrumentation Experimental Testbed became operational. QUIET sits one hundred meters underground at Fermilab in an area that previously housed a neutrino experiment. Its companion surface lab, LOUD, had been operating for over a year prior to QUIET’s opening. Together, QUIET and LOUD enable controlled experiments that use quantum sensors to directly compare an environment that is significantly shielded from cosmic rays and other energy effects with the environment on the earth’s surface.In October, superconducting qubits were successfully deployed at QUIET for the first time, marking the transition from infrastructure development to unique scientific studies at the lab. Scientists are using QUIET to understand how these superconducting qubits are impacted by cosmic rays and other high-energy particles. This knowledge could help researchers construct new types of qubits that could be shielded from interference or design ones that are insensitive to it. In addition, QUIET can contribute to a range of applications that require ultra-sensitivity to their environment, including dark matter detection. QUIET and LOUD are funded by the Quantum Science Center, of which Fermilab is a primary founding member.Advertisement 9Story continues belowThis advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.Article content8. Learned more about dark energy and our universeWe’re not just about particle physics! Astrophysics is an important piece of Fermilab’s portfolio. In 2024, Fermilab researchers continued to shed light on some of the greatest mysteries in the cosmos — such as dark energy, the enigmatic entity that makes up about 70% of our universe. Fermilab scientists lead the Dark Energy Survey, an international collaboration of over 400 astrophysicists, astronomers and cosmologists, which shared two results in 2024. In January, they announced the strongest constraints on the expansion of the universe ever obtained with the DES supernova survey. A month later, the collaboration released a new measurement of cosmic distances that supports the standard model of the accelerated expansion of the universe.This year, researchers released the first results from the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument, which is gathering light from some 30 million galaxies at a telescope at Kitt Peak National Observatory. The DESI collaboration used the first year of data to make the most extensive 3D map of our universe and world-leading measurements of dark energy. They also charted how nearly 6 million galaxies cluster across 11 billion years of cosmic history, lining up with predictions of Einstein’s theory of general relativity. Fermilab contributed key elements to DESI, including the online databases for data acquisition, software to control the robotic positioners, the corrector barrel, hexapod and cage.Advertisement 10Story continues belowThis advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.Article content9. Advanced emerging technologies to benefit physics and beyondFermilab’s contributions to research and technology development reach well beyond physics. In collaboration with 3M, Fermilab scientists successfully demonstrated that an electron beam can destroy PFAS, a suite of useful chemicals that don’t easily break down and accumulate in the environment and human body. Fermilab researchers are also building a prototype electron beam accelerator to make X-rays for sterilizing medical equipment — a potentially game-changing development for the growing medical equipment sterilization industry, which is looking for alternatives to current technologies that use substances that can present safety issues.This year, Fermilab researchers also received funding from the Department of Energy as part of its Accelerate Innovations program to develop three different emerging technologies: superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors, 3D integrated sensing solutions, and compact superconducting radio frequency electron-beam accelerator technology. An additional federal grant enabled a collaborative project between Fermilab and California-based RadiaBeam Technologies. Fermilab engineers used their expertise in cryomodule design and conduction cooling to help RadiaBeam design and assemble a conduction-cooled cryomodule and break into the superconducting industrial accelerator market.In another quantum experiment, Fermilab scientists demonstrated the ability to use specialized quantum techniques to stimulate the creation of photons, increase sensitivity and minimize noise. This research can significantly enhance the ability to detect faint signals such as those emitted from dark matter.Lastly, this month, Fermilab engineers announced they are ready to bring to market a new companion to the Quantum Instrumentation Control Kit, an open-source control and readout system supported by the Quantum Science Center. The new product, QICK box, builds on QICK’s ability to enable researchers to improve quantum system performance by manipulating signals in ways that optimize their ability to read information stored in quantum bits. In September, the team also rolled out QICK version 2.0, which features updated software and firmware.Advertisement 11Story continues belowThis advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.Article content10. Improved the campus and access to itThe year 2024 was a standout for the Fermilab campus as the new Integrated Engineering Research Center, with its environmentally sustainable design, received multiple awards, including the Department of Energy’s 2024 Outstanding Net-Zero Building Program/Project Award and the High Performance Sustainable Building Award. The 80,000-square-foot multi-story laboratory and office building, located next to Wilson Hall, provides workspace for around 100 engineers and technicians and has been bustling with activity since its completion in 2023.Last year, the Fermilab campus reopened to the public after a hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In January 2024, Director Lia Merminga announced updates to Fermilab’s site access, including the exciting news that our iconic Wilson Hall had reopened to the public. Since then, thousands of visitors have attended public tours, Saturday Morning Physics lectures, teacher workshops, field trips and other events. Additionally, Lederman Science Center welcomed nearly 6,000 guests. Learn more about visiting the lab here.In 2024, crews continued improvements on many areas of the Fermilab site, including starting construction on Fermilab’s new welcome center, which is expected to open in fall 2025. Located near Fermilab’s main entrance on Pine Street, the Fermilab Welcome and Access Center will host both informational and administrative functions for smoother processing and access to the site. The construction project also includes a new guardhouse and the reconfiguration of traffic routes for cars, bicyclists and pedestrians to provide easy and secure access to the campus.Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory is supported by the Office of Science of the U.S. Department of Energy. The Office of Science is the single largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences in the United States and is working to address some of the most pressing challenges of our time. For more information, please visit science.energy.gov.AttachmentsLBNF/DUNE cavernPIP-II at FermilabArticle contentShare this article in your social networkComments Join the Conversation Featured Local Savings

At just a few millimetres in length, tiny handfish babies delight scientists

Science and Health

A Tasmanian marine research project has handed “one of the world’s rarest fish” a lifeline.More than 200 of the critically endangered red handfish are now “thriving” in a captive breeding program, which is in the safe hands of scientists at the University of Tasmania’s Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies (IMAS).Andrew Trotter, research and co-lead on the project, said the program’s success was vital to safeguarding the fish’s future.”[It] feels like our team is making significant ground in saving the species,” Dr Trotter said.The handfish hatchlings are kept in tanks with hopes to one day transfer some of them to the wild.

is Almirante Guillermo Brown University Accredited in USA?

Technology

is Almirante Guillermo Brown University Accredited in USA?No, not in the USA. The Universidad Nacional Guillermo Brown (UNaB), also known as Guillermo Brown National University, is a public higher education institution located in Burzaco, Buenos Aires, Argentina. In addition, established in 2015, UNaB, officially recognized by the Argentine Ministry of Education, Culture, Science, and Technology. As a result, ensuring its programs meet national educational standards.4icuIn the United States, accreditation became managed by non-governmental agencies recognized by the U.S. Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation.U.S. Department of Education UNaB does not hold U.S. accreditation, as it operates under Argentina’s educational system.However, its degrees may become recognized in the U.S. through international credential evaluation services. Thus, which assess foreign academic qualifications for equivalency. Recognition of foreign degrees varies by institution and employer, so it’s advisable to consult with specific organizations regarding their policies on international credentials.UNaB offers a diverse range of undergraduate and postgraduate programs across various fields of study. The university stands committed to providing quality education and fostering academic excellence. It boasts a well-equipped library and offers administrative services to support its students.Top Universities ListAs a relatively young institution, UNaB is continually developing its reputation within the academic community. Its official recognition by the Argentine Ministry of Education underscores its adherence to national educational standards. Prospective students and collaborators become encouraged to visit the university’s official website. Moreover, for the most current information on its programs, admissions, and services.Amherst College Moves Away From Woke CultureHome Recognition Accreditation Foreign 2021 Brown Howis Almirante Guillermo Brown University Accredited in USA?