Topic: Los Alamos

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A Christian Science perspective.

Nathan Safferstein: Supermarket manager, atomic spy

Nathan Safferstein went from a supermarket manager to a counterintelligence agent for the Manhattan Project based on a customer's recommendation. He passed away on Tuesday.

Head of nuclear security agency steps down

On Friday, Tom D'Agostino announced his resignation from the National Nuclear Security Administration. His departure comes while the agency is under scrutiny for installing an inoperable multimillion-dollar security system at the Los Alamos National Laboratory.

Opinion: Flawed graph weakens case against Iran nuclear program (+video)

The Associated Press admits that a graph purporting to show that Iran has run computer simulations for a nuclear weapon is scientifically flawed. This raises serious questions about the quality of other 'evidence' against Iran's nuclear program. Here's a way to proceed.

Mars rover Curiosity zaps ‘Coronation’ rock with rapid-fire laser (+video)

Using a rapid-fire laser and telescope instrument called ChemCam, Mars rover Curiosity zaps its 'Coronation' rock, creating sparks of ionized gas that will be used to measure the rock's chemical contents.

What Curiosity rover is up to next: Martian target practice (+video)

Curiosity rover is nearing the moment when it will roll its wheels for the first time. But first, there are more tests, including a first zap of a distant rock with ChemCam.

Why does NASA's Mars rover have a laser beam attached to its head? (+video)

The Curiosity Mars rover, scheduled to land on Mars on Sunday night, comes with a laser mounted to its head. Why?

Enormous forest fire in New Mexico sets state record for acres burned (+video)

For the second year in a row, New Mexico is battling a huge, record-setting forest fire. The Whitewater-Baldy fire, triggered by lightning strikes, has torched more than 170,000 acres.

Thin layer of oxygen found on Dione may change search for alien life

After the Cassini probe's flyby over Saturn's frozen moon, Dione, scientists saw evidence of ionized oxygen molecules in its atmosphere. This could have interesting implications for astrobiology.

Saturn's frigid moon holds wisps of oxygen, scientists say

After the Cassini probe's flyby over Dione, Saturn's cratered icy moon, scientists have found strong evidence of a thin layer of oxygen in its atmosphere.

Exclusive: Iran hijacked US drone, says Iranian engineer (Video)

In an exclusive interview, an engineer working to unlock the secrets of the captured RQ-170 Sentinel says they exploited a known vulnerability and tricked the US drone into landing in Iran.

Los Alamos evacuation order lifted allowing 12,000 to return home

Although the threat to Los Alamos and the nation's premier nuclear research lab has passed, the mammoth wildfire raging in northern New Mexico still threatens sacred sites of American Indian tribes.

Wildfire threatening Los Alamos lab is New Mexico's largest ever

Las Conchas wildfire is now the largest wildfire on record in New Mexico. Los Alamos National Laboratory remains unscathed, as firefighters battle to contain the blaze.

Los Alamos fire could become the largest in New Mexico history

Big fires have happened before in New Mexico, but scientists see a recent pattern that may be the most severe since the last Ice Age. Among the causes: fuel buildup due to fire suppression, a decline in the annual snowpack, and warmer climate.

New Mexico wildfires approach Los Alamos nuclear lab

New Mexico wildfires are near the boundaries of the 23,000-acre Los Alamos National Laboratory, which holds some low-level radioactive material in an above-ground storage facility about three miles from the flames.

New Mexico fires threaten Los Alamos nuclear weapons lab – again

New Mexico fires, having blazed through 61,000 acres in three days, now approach Los Alamos. Residents have evacuated and the fireproofed buildings of the National Laboratories are about to be put to their second test in 11 years.

New Mexico fires encroach on nuclear facility

New Mexico fires entered the property of a nuclear facility in Los Alamos, Monday.

Letters to the Editor – Weekly Issue of January 10, 2011

A reader writes in about email piracy.

The new stimulus: Invest in nerds.

Benefits to big companies haven't done enough to stimulate the economy, so how about investing in nerdy research and development (R&D)? Nerds have plenty of 'shovel-ready' intellectual investments to fund.

The mood on Main St. as midterm elections loom

Eagle, Colorado, a town struggling to surmount recession, offers a window into why America seems so sullen heading into what could be a hinge moment in politics.

The Twilight of the Bombs

An end to the threat of a nuclear bomb? Not quite yet.

Is Hiroshima memorial a fair legacy for Harry Truman?

In Potsdam, Germany, debate rises over a memorial that marks President Harry Truman's 1945 decision to drop an atomic bomb on Hiroshima, Japan.

Warmer temperatures play big role in droughty tree die-offs