World

NNSA: Last HEU Removed From Switzerland

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DOE News:
 
WASHINGTON, D.C. ― The Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration (DOE/NNSA), working in collaboration with the Government of Switzerland, announced that approximately 2.2 kilogram of U.S.-origin highly enriched uranium (HEU) has been returned from the University of Basel in Switzerland to the United States.
 
The HEU is from AGN-211-P research reactor, which commenced operation in 1961 using U.S.-origin HEU Material Test Reactor (MTR)-type fuel. 
 
The reactor was operated for decades by the University of Basel
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Lecture With Former Director Of CIA Counter-Terrorism Center Robert Grenier Sept. 29

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Robert L. Grenier, former director of CIA Counter-Terrorism Center (CTC)
 
CIR News:
 
Santa Fe Council on International Relations and Congregation Beit Tikva present a lecture and book signing with Robert L. Grenier, former director of CIA Counter-Terrorism Center (CTC) and author of “88 Days to Kandahar – Lessons on the War in Afghanistan” at 5 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 29. 
 
The event will be hosted at the Forum, Santa Fe University of Art and Design, 1600 St. Michael’s Dr. 
 
America’s early success and slow, agonizing withdrawal from Afghanistan
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Middle East Expert Nakhleh Speaks On ISIS, The Middle East And US Policy Thursday

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Dr. Emile Nakhleh

LWVLA/AAUW News:

“ISIS, the Middle East and US Policy: Regional Reflections Since the Iran Agreement” is the subject of Emile Nakhleh’s talk at 7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 17, at Fuller Lodge with refreshments at 6:30 p.m. 

The League of Women Voters of Los Alamos and American Association of University Women are sponsoring the talk, which is free and open to the public.

Nakhleh is a government consultant on national security issues, particularly Islamic radicalization, terrorism, and the Arab states of the Middle East. He is a retired senior intelligence Read More

Ceres’ Bright Spots Seen In Striking New Detail

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This image, made using images taken by NASA’s Dawn spacecraft, shows Occator crater on Ceres, home to a collection of intriguing bright spots. Courtesy/NASA/JPL-Caltech/UCLA/MPS/DLR/IDA

NASA/JPL News:

The brightest spots on the dwarf planet Ceres gleam with mystery in new views delivered by NASA’s Dawn spacecraft. These closest-yet views of Occator crater, with a resolution of 450 feet (140 meters) per pixel, give scientists a deeper perspective on these very unusual features.

The new up-close view of Occator crater from Dawn’s current vantage point reveals better-defined Read More

Dartmouth Study Finds Arctic Mosquitoes Thriving Under Climate Change

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Courtesy/timrettig.com
 
DARTMOUTH COLLEGE News:
 
HANOVER, N.H. ― Warming temperatures are causing Arctic mosquitoes to grow faster and emerge earlier, significantly boosting their population and threatening the caribou they feast on, a Dartmouth College study finds.
 
The study predicts the mosquitoes’ probability of surviving and emerging as adults will increase by more than 50 percent if Arctic temperatures rise 2 °C.
 
The findings are important because changes in the timing and intensity of their emergence affect their role as swarming pests of people
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Schoonover Family Shares Need For Donations To Dominica Devastated By Hurricane Erika

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The Schoonover family. Courtesy photo
 
SCHOONOVER News:
 
Last winter our family was fortunate to visit the beautiful island of Dominica, “the nature island” of the Caribbean.
 
During our time there, not only were we able to appreciate the natural beauty of its forests, waterfalls, boiling lake and coral reefs, but we also met and became acquainted with many of its incredibly welcoming, friendly, hard-working, and knowledgeable inhabitants.
 
We have visited several foreign countries and nowhere did we feel more welcomed than when we set foot
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Los Alamos Arms Control Group Supports Iran Arms Deal

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U.S. negotiators, left, face Iranian negotiators during the March 17 Iran Nuclear Discussions morning meeting with Secretary of State John Kerry in Lausanne with Iranian Foreign Minister Zarif. Under Secretary Wendy Sherman and Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz participated in the meetings. Copyright Creative Commons/Credit: U.S. Mission / Eric Bridiers

 

By ROGER SNODGRASS
Los Alamos Daily Post

An independent arms control group in Los Alamos strongly endorsed a recommendation in favor of the recently negotiated weapons reduction agreement with Iran.

In a public meeting Friday, Read More

Author Mark Aaron Robinson Of Los Alamos Book Signing Sept. 12

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BOOK News:

Author Mark Aaron Robinson, a resident of Los Alamos, will be available to sign copies of his book, Walking Among the Wheat & Tares, 1-3 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 12 at Hastings Entertainment, 542 North Guadalupe St.. in Santa Fe.

Robinson is an ecological engineer and environmental scientist with the International Atomic Energy Agency, and Saudi geologist from the Atomic Energy Research Institute (AERI) at Riyadh, at Bedouin Well, June 2009, 40 miles east of Mecca.

Afternoon temperatures were about 128°F. The well was hand dug and ~90 feet deep. Water in the well is suitable only Read More

Environmental Research Reflected In Obama’s Trip To The Arctic

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Cathy Wilson says, ‘I am collecting shallow cores to quantify the depth of the peat layer in the soil. The peat thickness strongly controls the transfer of heat from the atmosphere into the deeper soil, which impacts how deep the soil thaws each year. We then use the hole in the ground to perform hydrologic measurements. Peat depth and hydraulic conductivity are two important parameters that go into our models that predict the rates of permafrost thaw.’ Courtesy photo
 
Frozen Methane Bubbles in Alaska: When ice-rich permafrost thaws, former tundra and forest turns into a
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United Church Youth Pastor Keith Lewis Keeps Faith-Building Fun While Raising Funds For Nepal

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David Pucket throws a whipped cream pie at Pastor Lewis during fun and games on last day of VBS. Photo by KayLinda Crawford/ladailypost.com
 
VBS students line up to throw whipped cream pies at Pastor Lewis as part of WCO fund raiser. Photo by KayLinda Crawford/ladailypost.com
 
By KayLinda Crawford
Los Alamos Daily Post

United Church of Los Alamos hosted a 5-week Vacation Bible School in August and Youth Pastor Keith Lewis kept the faith-building and learning fun with the theme: EVEREST – Conquering Challenges with God’s Mighty Power.

“Each week we talked about how God helps us,” Read More