(AGENPARL) – ven 02 giugno 2023 A weekly compendium of media reports on science and technology achievements
at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. Though the Laboratory reviews
items for overall accuracy, the reporting organizations are responsible for
the content in the links below.
….. LLNL Report, June 2, 2023
Annie Kritcher has the keen ability simplify extraordinarily complex ideas,
basically translating science so that anybody can understand it. Photo by
Blaise Douros/LLNL.
… Not lost in translation
https://www.forbes.com/sites/carminegallo/2023/05/25/build-communication-skills-for-a-successful-career-says-top-science-influencer/?sh=602552e97765
Nuclear physicist Annie Kritcher recalls pursuing a career in math and
science because it “gave me a voice.” Today, Kritcher uses her voice —
and specialized skill — to lead revolutionary experiments in nuclear
fusion, a potential milestone on the path to a clean-energy future.
Kritcher’s crucial role in a recent headline-grabbing experiment at the
Lawrence Livermore’s National Ignition Facility landed her on /TIME/’s
list of the 100 most influential people of 2023. The scientists, innovators,
business leaders and A-list celebrities also made the list.
Kritcher’s success in pursuing a scientific “Grand Challenge” offers
valuable lessons in the skills required to lead and motivate teams. According
to Kritcher, communication is the number one soft skill leaders need to align
teams around a bold mission.
One specific communication skill that sets Kritcher apart is her ability to
simplify extraordinarily complex ideas. Kritcher can translate the language
of physics for a wide range of audiences.
Read More
https://www.forbes.com/sites/carminegallo/2023/05/25/build-communication-skills-for-a-successful-career-says-top-science-influencer/?sh=602552e97765
Layers of Earth's atmosphere are shown in a view looking across Earth's
surface from the International Space Station. Photo courtesy of NASA.
… Leaving a fingerprint on temperatures

Climate “Fingerprinting” Reveals Clear Human Influence on Atmospheric Temperature Changes

New research by Lawrence Livermore scientists reveals that human activities
are undeniably altering the thermal structure of Earth’s atmosphere.
By expanding climate “fingerprinting” to the mid-to upper stratosphere,
the team has improved the detection of human effects on the climate by a
factor of five. The distinct patterns of CO2-driven temperature changes in
these areas underscore the impossibility of natural causes explaining these
shifts.
New research shows that it is now virtually impossible for natural causes to
explain satellite-measured changes in the thermal structure of Earth’s
atmosphere.
Differences between tropospheric (lower layer of the atmosphere) and lower
stratospheric temperature trends have long been recognized as a
“fingerprint” of human effects on climate. This fingerprint, however,
neglected information from the mid- to upper stratosphere.
Read More

Climate “Fingerprinting” Reveals Clear Human Influence on Atmospheric Temperature Changes

An engineer in the W80-4 (a nucleaer warhead) Life Extension Program conducts
environmental testing on a mock test unit. Photo by Garry McLeod/LLNL.
… The science behind nuclear weapons
The destructive power of nuclear weapons comes from two processes: nuclear
fission, when “scientists split the nucleus of an atom into two smaller
fragments with a neutron, and nuclear fusion, which involves bringing
together two smaller atoms to form a larger one.
In nuclear fission, neutrons collide with the nucleus of an unstable isotope,
namely uranium-235 or plutonium-239, which in turn forces the atom into
“splitting the nucleus into fragments and releasing a tremendous amount of
energy,” according to the Atomic Heritage Foundation. The process
“becomes self-sustaining as neutrons produced by the splitting of atom
strike nearby nuclei and produce more fission."
Fusion bombs are more efficient than fission bombs alone. “When exposed to
extremely high temperatures and pressures, some lightweight nuclei can fuse
together to form heavier nuclei,” and in turn release energy, as described
by the Union of Concerned Scientists. However, in order to spark the fusion
reaction, modern-day weapons tend to have a preliminary fission reaction,