WASHINGTON, Feb. 18 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following report (No. R48423) on Feb. 13, 2025, entitled "Energy and Water Development Appropriations for Nuclear Weapons Activities: In Brief" by Defense Policy analyst Anya L. Fink. Here are excerpts: * * * Contents Introduction ... 1 NNSA's Weapons Activities Account ... 1 Selected Major Programs ... 2 Stockpile Management ... 4 Production Modernization ... 6 Stockpile Research, Technology, and Enginee  more

MADISON, Wisconsin, Feb. 18 -- The University of Wisconsin Madison campus posted the following news: * * * Devesh Ranjan named dean of UW College of Engineering Devesh Ranjan, a mechanical engineer and UW-Madison alumn, will begin his new role as the tenth dean of the College of Engineering in June. He returns to Wisconsin after leading Georgia Tech's George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, one of the country's largest and highest-ranked engineering programs. Photo by Mikey Fulle  more

ARGONNE, Illinois, Feb. 20 -- The U.S. Department of Energy's Argonne National Laboratory issued the following news release: * * * New nanoscale technique unlocks quantum material secrets A breakthrough method reveals unique atomic vibrations near interfaces of two materials, paving the way for advanced quantum technologies Argonne researchers have developed a cutting-edge technique to study atomic vibrations near material interfaces, opening doors to new quantum applications in computing an  more

MERCED, California, Feb. 21 -- The University of California Merced issued the following news: * * * Researchers Developing New Tools in Fight Against Methane Emissions By Patty Guerra UC Merced researchers are taking part in a comprehensive, multi-agency effort aimed at efficiently measuring and mitigating methane emissions. IBM and Los Alamos National Laboratory are leading the effort, which earned a $20 million award from the U.S. Department of Energy in December. UC Merced's team, led b  more

ARGONNE, Illinois, Feb. 19 -- The U.S. Department of Energy's Argonne National Laboratory issued the following news release: * * * Self-driving lab transforms materials discovery Harnessing the power of artificial intelligence and automation to uncover new possibilities Argonne researchers use Polybot, an AI-driven automated material laboratory, to produce high-conductivity, low-defect electronic polymer thin films. Plastic that conducts electricity might sound impossible. But there is a sp  more