Science

Op-Ed: The Saltwater Dilemma: Innovation At The Heart Of The American Southwest

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By ZACARIAH L. HILDENBRAND, Ph.D. and KEVIN A. SCHUG, Ph.D.
Medusa Analytical

In the arid heart of Southeastern New Mexico, something remarkable is happening. Eddy and Lea counties—once quiet corners of the American Southwest—are now producing over a million barrels of oil per day, outpacing entire nations like Venezuela and Oman. But this boom comes with a byproduct that’s stirring both controversy and innovation: produced water.

This salty, chemical-laden fluid is a result of hydraulic fracturing, where water, sand, and additives are injected deep underground to release oil and gas Read More

Daily Postcard: Valles Caldera Helped Prove Theory Of Plate Tectonics Now Widely Accepted

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Daily Postcard: Two scientific bore holes from a paleomagnetism study on Cerro Abrigo. I heard that Valles Caldera helped prove the theory of plate tectonics. How so? When scientists were working to verify the theory of plate tectonics in the 1960s, Valles Caldera was an ideal study location due to the occurrence of certain aged volcanic rocks. Similarly aged rocks from Valles Caldera’s lava domes and from the ocean floor were analyzed for their symmetrical stripes of alternating normal and reversed magnetic polarity. Some of the young reversals of the Earth’s magnetic field that Read More

Young Explorers Invited To Fall & Winter Break Camps At Nuclear Museum To Spark Curiosity And Creativity

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NMHSH News:

ALBUQUERQUE — This fall and winter, the National Museum of Nuclear Science & History (NMHSH) invites young explorers to dive into discovery with its Science is Everywhere Camps—single-day STEAM adventures designed to ignite imagination and inspire life-long learning. 

Open to students in grades K–6, these camps offer hands-on science, technology, engineering, art, and math activities in a collaborative, multi-age environment. Led by the museum’s expert education team, each camp features a unique theme that transforms learning into a fun and engaging experience. Read More

Study Uses Data From Birdwatchers To Find Regional Fire Effects On Bird Populations

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Burned area photo by Andrew Stillman.

ECOLOGY News:

ITHACA, N.Y. — A new study published today in the journal Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment leveraged participatory science to reveal regional variation in bird responses to fire across the continental United States in unprecedented detail. These results can help refine fire management techniques to bolster bird populations.

The researchers analyzed data for six bird species of conservation concern whose habitat needs have a tangible impact on fire management decision-making. They unveiled clear, highly detailed regional Read More

Spaceport America To Host Open House Sunday Sept. 21

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Spaceport America open house event 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 21. Courtesy photo

STATE News:

LAS CRUCES — Spaceport America is hosting a free open house event, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 21, at County Road A021 in Truth or Consequences.

Attendees of all ages are welcome to visit the world’s first purpose-built commercial spaceport to learn about the site, its tenants, and its operations.

Vendors (food and non-food), static aircraft displays, exhibitors, STEM-related activities, and guest presenters, including NASA astronaut Wendy Lawrence, longtime NASA employee Michelle Lucas, Read More

New Findings Reveal Cause Of Potentially Damaging Electrical Discharges On Satellites

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Los Alamos National Laboratory researchers observed that increased electron activity on the surface of a spacecraft, such as the satellite in the AI-generated depiction above, resulted in an accumulated electrical charge and eventual discharge, similar to static electricity on Earth. These discharges can damage sensitive electronics onboard the satellite. Credit to: ChatGPT, DALL-E

LANL News:

For the first time, researchers have found that the number of electrical discharges on a spacecraft directly correlates to the number of electrons in the surrounding environment—information Read More

New Mexico Bureau Of Geology Names 2025 Earth Science Achievement Award Recipient

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NMT News:

SOCORRO, NM — The New Mexico Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources (NMBGMR) at New Mexico Tech will present the 2025 Earth Science Achievement Award for Research and Education to University of New Mexico Emeritus Professor Dr. Les McFadden. An influential geoscientist and dedicated teacher, McFadden will receive the award Sept. 18 at the New Mexico Geological Society’s annual Fall Field Conference in Cuba, New Mexico.

During a career spanning almost four decades—all spent in New Mexico—McFadden’s research has increased our understanding of the soils, climates (past, present, Read More

Stradling: Why Does God Care?

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By GARY STRADLING
Los Alamos

Why, in a universe of trillions of star systems, does God care about us?

As a child, I read the 1944 book by James Corbett, “Man-Eaters of Kumaon”. This story of man-eating tigers of India was exciting and illuminating for a boy in Belen, NM. One interesting thing that came to me from it was the question, “Why? Why did tigers eat human villagers?”

The author, if I remember correctly, attributed the tiger’s interest in humans for food, in at least one case, as resulting from a deficiency, a broken jaw, that kept the tiger from foraging on its traditional prey.

Courtesy photo  Read More

Local Innovation Driving Breakthrough In Space Defense

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Space Kinetic co-founders Ryan Sullivan, left, and Scott Ziegler. Courtesy photo

LANL News:

  • Originating from a garage-built prototype and with a springboard from NM LEEP at Los Alamos National Laboratory, the company is now a venture-backed deep tech leader redefining what’s possible in national security innovation.

Space Kinetic, a startup founded in 2022 by UC Berkeley alumni Scott Ziegler, M.Eng, Principal Inventor, and New Mexico Lab-Embedded Entrepreneur Program (NM LEEP) fellow, and Ryan Sullivan, MBA, U.S. Peace Corps participant, just secured investment from CerraCap Ventures Read More

LANL: Energized Watershed Project Could Boost New Mexico Economy And Increase Water Security

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LANL’s Sanna Sevanto led this agrivoltaics project in El Rito through the state SBA Program. Courtesy/LANL

LANL News:

The Energized Watershed project was recently announced as a semifinalist in the Regional Innovation Engine competition through the National Science Foundation (NSF). With goals of increasing local water security and creating economic opportunities, the project would bring new vitality to the state of New Mexico, if selected. 

“The whole purpose of the NSF Engines program is to build innovation and economic growth ecosystems in the areas that receive funding,” said Sanna Read More