Feature Articles
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Updates every hour. Last Updated: 29-Jun-2026 14:15 ET (29-Jun-2026 18:15 GMT/UTC)
A rising researcher: Tanner Mauseth helps unlock the secrets of irradiated materials
DOE/Idaho National LaboratoryThe first thing people notice about Tanner Mauseth is his height. At 6 feet, 8 inches, he played Division I football for the University of Idaho while he majored in applied physics.
A quantum leap: INL discovers new behavior in plutonium that could reshape nuclear science
DOE/Idaho National LaboratoryBrian Anderson named ORNL’s director of the office of institutional strategic planning
DOE/Oak Ridge National LaboratoryORNL has named Brian Anderson director of the Office of Institutional Strategic Planning, where he will help shape the laboratory’s long-term research strategy and priorities. Anderson most recently led ORNL’s Enrichment Science and Engineering Division, advancing key nuclear science and national security initiatives.
Aires Tide, a new concept for fast-tracked flight tests, to debut on National Mall
DOE/Sandia National LaboratoriesStudents develop manufacturing software in ORNL–Tennessee Tech partnership
DOE/Oak Ridge National LaboratoryDiscovery Supercomputer’s first applications selected for Day-One Science
DOE/Oak Ridge National Laboratory- Funder
- Advanced Scientific Computing Research
New AI-enhanced tools detect electrical arcing, reduce wildfires
DOE/Oak Ridge National Laboratory- ORNL researchers have developed advanced tools to immediately detect abnormal power grid conditions that lead to wildfires, equipment damage and blackouts.
- The approach incorporates artificial intelligence to rapidly analyze grid data and automatically alert a utility to dangerous grid behaviors requiring immediate response.
- ORNL is partnering with utility Southern California Edison (SCE) to validate the technology against five years of field-collected data.
Novel high-temperature alloys enable lighter, more fuel-efficient truck engines
DOE/Oak Ridge National LaboratoryORNL tested two aluminum alloys — cast ACMZ (AlCuMnZr) and printed DuAlumin3D — in a prototype GM engine. The materials enabled a more-than-10-percent improvement in fuel efficiency and a 15-percent reduction in weight without sacrificing strength or durability.
- Funder
- U.S. Dept. of Energy, General Motors, Oak Ridge National Laboratory
Mining batteries, in a microwave
DOE/Sandia National LaboratoriesInstead of letting old lithium-ion batteries pile up as waste, Sandia National Laboratories researchers have developed a microwave-based process to recover and remake their cathodes, potentially turning spent batteries into a new domestic source of critical materials.