World

Letter To The Editor: Mosul, A Pyrrhic Victory

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By DOUGLAS REILLY
Los Alamos
 
Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi visited Mosul Sunday “to announce its liberation and congratulate the armed forces and Iraqi people on this victory.”
 
(New York Times, Sunday July 9, 2017 from al-Abadi’s official Twitter account). From the same NYT article, “The victory marked the formal end of a bloody campaign that lasted nearly nine months, left much of Iraq’s second- largest city in ruins, killed thousands of people, and displaced nearly a million more.”
 
The pictures we’ve seen in news
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Greenland’s Ocean Bloom Likely Fueled By Iron

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Satellite photo of glacial meltwater runoff from the Greenland Ice Sheet. A new study finds iron particles washed off Greenland’s rocks and soil and ferried into the sea by the meltwater are driving a recently-discovered summer algal bloom. Courtesy/NASA

 

By KER THAN
Stanford

Iron particles catching a ride on glacial meltwater washed out to sea by drifting currents is likely fueling a recently discovered summer algal bloom off the southern coast of Greenland, a new study finds.

Microalgae, also known as phytoplankton, are plant-like, marine microorganisms that form the base of the Read More

Protest For Net Neutrality Spreads Across Internet

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Courtesy image

INTERNET News:

More than 100,000 websites, Internet users and organizations are participating in a massive online protest today against the FCC’s plan to gut protections that keep the web free from censorship, throttling and extra fees.

Many of the most popular websites on the web are participating in today’s Day of Action to Save Net Neutrality to oppose the FCC’s plan to slash Title II, the legal foundation for net neutrality rules that protect online free speech and innovation.

Starting at midnight, a flood of major web platforms like Twitter, Reddit, Netflix, Spotify, Read More

LANL Holds Accountable Those Individuals Responsible For Improper Shipment Of Special Nuclear Material

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By CAROL A. CLARK
Los Alamos Daily Post

Los Alamos National Laboratory has taken swift action against those responsible for improperly shipping small quantities of special nuclear material to both Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and Savannah River National Laboratory last month.

The National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) issued a press release June 24 stating it had been informed that the shipments should have been made using commercial ground cargo services, and were packaged and containerized for this mode of transportation. However, the actual shipment

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Largest Websites On Earth Prepare For Net Neutrality Day Of Action Wednesday July 12

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INTERNET News:

  • More than 80,000 websites, Internet users and organizations plan massive online protest Wednesday, July 12. Participants include Twitter, Amazon, Facebook. Google, Reddit, Netflix, OK Cupid, Mozilla, Etsy, Kickstarter, Vimeo and PornHub…

Airbnb, Spotify, Yelp, Snapchat, and Dropbox are the latest major players to announce their participation in the Internet-Wide Day of Action to Save Net Neutrality scheduled for July 12 to oppose the FCC’s plan to slash Title II, the legal foundation for net neutrality rules that protect online free speech and innovation. Twitter, Read More

‘Secret Pass’ Opens At Bradbury Science Museum

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The Behind the Fence exhibit gives visitors a 360-degree immersive experience of key park properties at the Lab.

LANL News:

The Bradbury Science Museum will open three new exhibits and a video as part of a new experience called “Manhattan on the Mesa.” The exhibits will be dedicated 4-6 p.m., July 14 at a public opening.

“With these exhibits we help visitors to the Manhattan Project National Historical Park experience the park properties at the Laboratory that are not yet open to the public,” Museum Director Linda Deck said.

Manhattan on the Mesa includes:

 

  • A new video, titled
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PBS Science Café: Invisible Universe Revealed

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Hubble launched in 1990 and has taken fascinating images like this one since then. Courtesy/NASA

PEEC News:

The Los Alamos Nature Center Planetarium is hosting presentation on one of NASA’s most ambitious experiments. After watching NOVA: Invisible Universe Revealed, Dr. Rick Wallace of Los Alamos will discuss the astronomical significance of the Hubble’s findings, including cosmic expansion and supermassive black holes. Don’t miss this unique opportunity to uncover the invisible mysteries of our Universe.

Wallace has a Ph.D. in Astronomy and Astrophysics from the University Read More

CDC: Protect Your Child’s Skin From The Sun

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 Courtesy photo
 
CDC News:
 
Just a few serious sunburns can increase your child’s risk of skin cancer later in life.
 
Kids don’t have to be at the pool, beach or on vacation to get too much sun. Their skin needs protection from the sun’s harmful ultraviolet (UV) rays whenever they’re outdoors.
 
Seek shade. UV rays are strongest and most harmful during midday, so it’s best to plan indoor activities then. If this is not possible, seek shade under a tree, an umbrella, or a pop-up tent. Use these options to prevent sunburn, not to seek relief after it’s happened. Cover up.
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LANL: A Universal Biosensor For Infectious Disease

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LANL News:

With increased travel and globalization, the spread of new diseases has become a threat to global health—and global security. Whether in a rural village or an urban medical clinic, healthcare workers need diagnostics that provide answers then and there, for any disease, in order to effectively treat individual patients or widespread outbreaks.

That’s why Harshini Mukundan and her team at Los Alamos National Laboratory are working to develop a universal biosensor.

“If we are able to mimic the body’s immune recognition in the laboratory, we could have a universal strategy for the Read More

Leuser Ecosystem And Tropical Rainforest Heritage Of Sumatra Remains ‘World Heritage at Risk’

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Waterfall. Courtesy photo
 
TRHS News:
 
KRAKOW, POLAND ― The 41st World Heritage Committee session has voted unanimously to retain the Tropical Rainforest Heritage of Sumatra (TRHS) on the List of World Heritage In Danger due to threats facing its globally significant rainforests.
 
Panut Hadisiswoyo, founder and director of the Orangutan Information Centre, and civil society spokesperson at the World Heritage Committee meeting issued the following statement:
 
“The World Heritage Committee has confirmed the need to take decisive action to address
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