DOE R&D Accomplishments

Anemia -- Here Today; Gone Tomorrow

Wed, 24 Apr 2013 07:06:42 -0400

George Hoyt Whipple shared the Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine in 1934 for discoveries concerning liver therapy in cases of anemia. Whipple spent most of his career at the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry. He was part of a number of studies funded by the Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) dealing with the effects of radiation. This and other major research accomplishments can be found at the DOE R&D Accomplishments website, a central forum for information about the outcomes of past U.S. Department of Energy research and development.

Confirmation of Big Bang Theory Netted 2006 Nobel Prize

Tue, 5 Mar 2013 08:42:33 -0500

Imagine observing the universe in its early stages, about 380,000 years after birth. Using NASA's Cosmic Background Explorer (COBE) satellite, launched in 1989, John C. Mather and George F. Smoot did just that, and eventually helped cement the Big Bang theory of the universe and launched a broader understanding of the origin of giant clusters of galaxies. For their work they shared the 2006 Nobel Prize for Physics. Find related documents and resources with additional information on both Mather and Smooth at the OSTI DOE R&D Accomplishments website. DOE R&D Accomplishments is a central forum for information about significant outcomes of past DOE R&D widely recognized as remarkable advancements in science.

Disproving Physics Theory Bags 1957 Nobel Prize

Fri, 15 Feb 2013 08:00:03 -0500

Tsung-Dao Lee and his colleague Chen Ning Yang, who had worked at the Department of Energy Brookhaven National Lab’s Cosmotron, disproved a tenet of physics known as the conservation of parity and subsequently won the 1957 Nobel Prize in Physics. Read their technical reports from that era and find resources with additional information at the OSTI DOE R&D Accomplishments website. DOE R&D Accomplishments is a central forum for information about significant outcomes of past DOE R&D widely recognized as remarkable advancements in science.

DOE-supported researcher takes 2012 Nobel Prize in Chemistry

Mon, 29 Oct 2012 08:57:32 -0400

Research performed at Argonne National Laboratory supported the 2012 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for Brian K. Kobilka. Intense X-rays produced by Argonne's Advanced Photon Source helped enable the first discovery of an important class of chemical receptors that allow cells to receive signals from their environment (see Office of Science feature.) Research at Department of Energy Laboratories has been recognized with 4 Chemistry and 3 Physics Nobel Prizes in the past decade (see DOE news release). Kobilka, Professor of Medicine and Professor of Molecular and Cellular Physiology at Stanford University School of Medicine, shared the prize with Robert J. Lefkowitz, Professor of Biochemistry at Duke University Medical Center. Read more about Kobilka at the OSTI DOE R&D Accomplishments website and find a roster of Nobel Laureates associated with DOE. DOE R&D Accomplishments is a central forum for information about significant outcomes of past DOE R&D widely recognized as remarkable advancements in science.

Light received an expanded definition, Compton received a Nobel Prize

Thu, 9 Aug 2012 10:41:12 -0400

Arthur H. Compton discovered that light cannot be explained simply as a wave phenomenon, but also must be considered as a stream of particles. His confirmation of the dual nature of electromagnetic radiation earned Compton a share of the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1927. Read more about Compton and get resources with additional information at the OSTI DOE R&D Accomplishments website. DOE R&D Accomplishments is a central forum for information about significant outcomes of past DOE R&D widely recognized as remarkable advancements in science.

Curiosity lands, powered by DOE RTG

Mon, 6 Aug 2012 11:10:32 -0400

DOE's RTG is doing it again. The Department's Multi-Mission Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generator (RTG) is providing continuous power to the Mars rover Curiosity. The Multi-Mission RTG was constructed, assembled and tested by the Department and the Idaho, Oak Ridge, Los Alamos and Sandia National Laboratories. The RTG has supported many space missions, including the Apollo missions to the Moon, the Viking missions to Mars, and the Pioneer, Voyager, Ulysses, Galileo and Cassini missions to the outer solar system. For more information, see OSTI's DOE R&D Accomplishments website, central forum for information about significant outcomes of past DOE R&D widely recognized as remarkable advancements in science.

Creation of synthetic host molecules led to 1987 Nobel Prize for Cram

Thu, 28 Jun 2012 08:00:32 -0400

Twenty years after creating synthetic host molecules that mimic some of the actions that enzymes perform in cells, Donald Cram was awarded the 1987 Nobel Prize in Chemistry. In his host-guest research, Cram and his colleagues designed and prepared more than 1,000 hosts -- each with unique chemical and physical properties -- designed to attract and bind (to serve as hosts) to specific guest molecules, which can be either organic molecules or inorganic ions. Get resources with additional information including full-text documents, and see the research highlights at the OSTI DOE R&D Accomplishments website. DOE R&D Accomplishments is a central forum for information about significant outcomes of past DOE R&D widely recognized as remarkable advancements in science.

Hair spray, aerosol deodorants & kitchen refrigerators part of Rowland's 1995 Nobel Prize in chemistry

Tue, 5 Jun 2012 08:50:09 -0400

F. Sherwood Rowland earned a share in the 1995 Nobel Prize in chemistry for his work leading to the discovery that a chemical used in aerosols was slowly destroying Earth's ozone layer. Get resources with additional information and enjoy the Rowland videos at the OSTI DOE R&D Accomplishments website. DOE R&D Accomplishments is a central forum for information about significant outcomes of past DOE R&D widely recognized as remarkable advancements in science.

Owen Chamberlain, the Antiproton, and Polarized Targets

Fri, 18 May 2012 07:00:59 -0400

Owen Chamberlain, winner of the 1959 Nobel Prize in physics, shared in the discovery of the antiproton in 1955. But his scientific interests were broad, and by 1960, he had embarked on developing polarized proton targets for use in high-energy physics scattering experiments; and in the 1970s he turned to the emerging subject of high-energy heavy-ion collisions. Get resources with additional information, view the patents and find out more about Chamberlain at the OSTI DOE R&D Accomplishments website. DOE R&D Accomplishments is a central forum for information about significant outcomes of past DOE R&D widely recognized as remarkable advancements in science.

Charles Townes--the Maser and the Laser

Thu, 15 Mar 2012 14:10:26 -0400

Charles Townes foresaw the microwave spectroscope as a power tool for studying the structure of atoms and molecules and for the control of electromagnetic waves. His insights let to the Nobel Prize in 1964 "for fundamental work in quantum electronics which has led to the construction of oscillators and amplifiers based on the maser-laser principle." Find resources with additional information including many of his awards and honors at the OSTI DOE R&D Accomplishments website. DOE R&D Accomplishments is a central forum for information about significant outcomes of past DOE R&D widely recognized as remarkable advancements in science.

OSTI Kicks Off 70th Anniversary Year for Manhattan Project

Thu, 15 Mar 2012 14:07:12 -0400

Why did they call it the Manhattan Project? Find out about this pivotal time in our nation's history when the U.S. government conducted a secret and massive nationwide enterprise that took science from the laboratory into combat with a new, world-changing weapon. Read about the establishment of the Manhattan Project, 1942, at the DOE R&D Accomplishments website. Get information on the early Manhattan Project days, including a map of project sites, key events, renowned scientists of the day and the many contributions from various sites around the country as the nation moved toward peaceful uses of atomic energy.

Fermi Award winners featured at OSTI

Fri, 20 Jan 2012 14:02:22 -0500

Mildred Dresselhaus and Burton Richter are 2012 recipients of the Enrico Fermi Award, a Presidential award that is one of the oldest and most prestigious science and technology honors bestowed by the U.S. Government. Dresselhaus was honored "for her scientific leadership, her major contributions to science and energy policy, her selfless work in science education and the advancement of diversity in the scientific workplace, and her highly original and impactful research." Richter was honored "for the breadth of his influence in the multiple disciplines of accelerator physics and particle physics, his profound scientific discoveries, his visionary leadership as SLAC Director, his leadership of science, and his notable contributions in energy and public policy." Read more about these and other DOE scientific achievements at the DOE R&D Accomplishment website.

Emilio Segrè, the Antiproton, Technetium, and Astatine

Tue, 10 Jan 2012 12:43:36 -0500

Emilio Segrè, won the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1959 for the discovery of the antiproton, an antiparticle having the same mass as a proton but opposite in electrical charge. Read about this researcher at DOE R&D Accomplishments, a central forum for information about significant outcomes of past DOE R&D widely recognized as remarkable advancements in science.

Ames Lab Associate Scientist Wins Nobel Prize in Chemistry

Fri, 7 Oct 2011 09:00:14 -0400

Daniel Shechtman won the 2011 Nobel Prize in Chemistry "for the discovery of quasicrystals." Shechtman is an associate scientist at the Department of Energy Ames Laboratory (see DOE news release), an Iowa State University professor of materials science and engineering, and the Philip Tobias Professor of Materials Science at the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology. He is currently at the Technion in Haifa, Israel. Read more about Shechtman at the OSTI DOE R&D Accomplishments website. DOE R&D Accomplishments is a central forum for information about significant outcomes of past DOE R&D widely recognized as remarkable advancements in science.

DOE-supported researcher takes 2011 Nobel Prize in Physics

Fri, 7 Oct 2011 09:00:14 -0400

Saul Perlmutter, a physicist at the DOE Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) and a professor of physics at the University of California at Berkeley, won the 2011 Nobel Prize in Physics "for the discovery of the accelerating expansion of the Universe through observations of distant supernovae" (see DOE press release). Perlmutter shares the prize with Brian Schmidt of the Australian National University and Adam Riess of Johns Hopkins University and Space Telescope Science Institute. Read more about Perlmutter at the OSTI DOE R&D Accomplishments website. DOE R&D Accomplishments is a central forum for information about significant outcomes of past DOE R&D widely recognized as remarkable advancements in science.

High Energy Physics Owes Debt to Nobel Laureate Georges Charpak

Fri, 2 Sep 2011 07:54:14 -0400

He developed a host of particle detectors and won the 1992 Nobel Prize for his ground breaking multiwire proportional chamber which revolutionized particle physics. Find resources with additional information about Georges Charpak at the OSTI DOE R&D Accomplishments website. DOE R&D Accomplishments is a central forum for information about significant outcomes of past DOE R&D widely recognized as remarkable advancements in science.

Research begets research, look to 1940s for today's state-of- the-art innovation

Fri, 15 Jul 2011 10:50:21 -0400

To get exquisitely detailed imaging of the inside of the human body, today's medical practitioners turn to the MRI. To get to the roots of the MRI, researchers turn to I.I. Rabi and his ground-breaking exploration of Nuclear Magnetic Resonance in the 1940s. Rabi's work led to the 1944 Nobel Prize in Physics and supported not only the development of the MRI, but the atomic clock and the laser as well. To top off his legacy, Rabi was known for his love for and ability to teach younger generations of physicists. Find resources with additional information at the OSTI DOE R&D Accomplishments website. DOE R&D Accomplishments is a central forum for information about significant outcomes of past DOE R&D widely recognized as remarkable advancements in science.

Thin films, tunneling, and superconductivity research info at DOE R&D Accomplishments website

Thu, 14 Apr 2011 09:44:55 -0400

Ivar Giaever worked in the fields of thin films, tunneling, and superconductivity, which eventually yielded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1973. He collaborated to develop Electric Cell-substrate Impedance Sensing, a technology which studies in real time the activities of cells grown in tissue culture and has many applications today in the biophysical technology market. Find resources with additional information at the OSTI DOE R&D Accomplishments website. DOE R&D Accomplishments is a central forum for information about significant outcomes of past DOE R&D widely recognized as remarkable advancements in science.

Ting and the J/psi Particle yield Charm quark plus 1976 Nobel Prize

Thu, 14 Apr 2011 09:44:55 -0400

While conducting research in the early 1970s at Brookhaven National Laboratory, Samuel C.C. Ting concluded he had evidence of a new elementary particle three times heavier than a proton and much longer-lived than anything physics currently knew of (where "long life" is often measured in minute fractions of a second). Ting announced his discovery of the "J particle" at about the same time Burton Richter at Stanford University demonstrated the existence of the "psi particle." Richter went on to serve as Director of the DOE Stanford Linear Accelerator Center from 1984-1999. Their dual discoveries provided the first experimental evidence for a fourth quark, "charm," and earned them the 1976 Nobel Prize in Physics. Find resources with additional information at the OSTI DOE R&D Accomplishments website. DOE R&D Accomplishments is a central forum for information about significant outcomes of past DOE R&D widely recognized as remarkable advancements in science.

Women's (in DOE Science) History Month info at OSTI

Thu, 10 Mar 2011 09:32:59 -0500

Do you need info for Women's History Month Think Women in DOE Science History. Ada Yonath, 2009 Nobel Prize in Chemistry, Barbara McClintock, 1983 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine; and Maria Goeppert-Mayer, 1963 Nobel Prize in Physics, are featured at the DOE R&D Accomplishments website. Yonath counts as a double bonus if you also need info for the International Year of Chemistry. All three researchers accomplished their award-winning discoveries through work at DOE labs. A few facts (more can be found at the DOE R&D Accomplishments site):

Yonath established the Weizmann Institute in 1970, which was for almost a decade the only protein crystallography laboratory in Israel.
Among McClintock's many honors for her discovery of mobile genetic elements is a U.S. Postal Service Stamp dedication.
Goeppert-Mayer, for development of the nuclear shell model, was the second woman to receive the Nobel Prize in physics (following Marie Curie) and the fourth American woman to win a Nobel Prize.

DOE R&D Accomplishments is a central forum for information about significant outcomes of past DOE R&D widely recognized as remarkable advancements in science.

Use tag cloud & get a quick look at DOE accomplishments

Wed, 23 Feb 2011 11:44:55 -0400

Use this tag cloud to quickly find research results related to your scientific key words of interest in the DOE R&D Accomplishments database. There is a direct correlation between font size and quantity: the more times a term appears in the bibliographic citations, the larger the font size. DOE R&D Accomplishments is a central forum for information about significant outcomes of past DOE R&D widely recognized as remarkable advancements in science.

Just what is the J/psi Particle? Read more at OSTI

Wed, 23 Feb 2011 11:00:00 -0400

The J/psi is the subatomic particle that helped verify the existence of the charmed quark and bolstered the theoretical picture explaining nature's fundamental particles and how they interact. Burton Richter shared the Nobel Prize in physics in 1976 for his co-discovery of J/psi. Find out more at the OSTI DOE R&D Accomplishments website. DOE R&D Accomplishments is a central forum for information about significant outcomes of past DOE R&D widely recognized as remarkable advancements in science. For a quick look at the Accomplishments database, see the new Accomplishments tagcloud.

OSTI Video Featured

Thu, 20 Jan 2011 13:44:55 -0400

An OSTI video is featured at the Energy Blog's Vintage Energy. The Energy Blog says that the DOE R&D Accomplishments: Visions of Success video "does a great job detailing DOE's accomplishments – and with some energetic music to boot!"

From earth to space, Harold Urey's research paved pathways for modern science

Fri, 3 Dec 2010 11:14:55 -0400

The discovery of deuterium helped Harold Urey win the Nobel Prize for Chemistry in 1934 and has been called one of the foremost achievements of modern science. His work ranged from the separation of isotopes for the development of the atomic bomb to cosmochemistry, a term he coined when his interests turned to the chemistry of the planets. Read more about this pioneering scientist at the elped DOE R&D Accomplishments web page, and find resources with additional information. DOE R&D Accomplishments is a central forum for information about significant outcomes of past DOE R&D widely recognized as remarkable advancements in science.

McMillan surprised research world in 1940 with discovery of Neptunium

Fri, 3 Dec 2010 11:14:55 -0400

After scientists had believed for years that Uranium (Element 92) was the upper limit of the Periodic Table, Edwin M. McMillan in 1940 discovered Neptunium (Element 93). In 1951, McMillan and Glenn T. Seaborg shared the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for their "discoveries in the chemistry of transuranium elements." Read more at the OSTI DOE R&D Accomplishments website. Get the technical reports and find resources with additional information. DOE R&D Accomplishments is a central forum for information about significant outcomes of past DOE R&D widely recognized as remarkable advancements in science.

Olah discovered superacids, cleared path for "methanol economy"

Thu, 21 Oct 2010 11:14:55 -0400

George Olah received the 1994 Nobel Prize in Chemistry "for his contribution to carbocation chemistry" and his 'role in the chemistry of hydrocarbons. His work revolutionized the understanding of organic chemistry and led to the concept of the "methanol economy," which could reduce society's reliance on fossil fuel sources for energy and materials. Read more at DOE R&D Accomplishments, find resources with additional information and view the related patents. DOE R&D Accomplishments is a central forum for information about significant outcomes of past DOE R&D widely recognized as remarkable advancements in science.

Discovering a flaw in physics' central belief that the universe is symmetrical

Fri, 10 Sep 2010 11:19:55 -0400

Val Fitch and James Cronin won the 1980 Nobel Prize in Physics for "the discovery of violations of fundamental symmetry principles in the decay of neutral K-mesons". The two scientists used Brookhaven National Laboratory's Alternating Gradient Synchrotron (AGS) for their seminal work in charge-parity (CP) symmetry. Read more at DOE R&D Accomplishments and find resources with additional information DOE R&D Accomplishments is a central forum for information about significant outcomes of past DOE R&D widely recognized as remarkable advancements in science.

From batteries that power space craft to "pre-pong" video games, DOE scientific accomplishments have impact -- view the videos

Wed, 1 Sep 2010 08:59:05 -0400

What has DOE accomplished? For a quick overview of DOE scientific advancements of impact, view the recently posted Fast Facts and DOE Visions of Success I videos from the new video page at DOE R&D Accomplishments. This OSTI website is a central forum for information about significant outcomes of past DOE R&D widely recognized as remarkable advancements in science.

Tracking down rare cosmic rays, opening windows to the early history of the universe -- James Cronin featured

Wed, 21 Jul 2010 14:58:56 -0400

He has tracked down rare and powerful cosmic rays, he has opened a window into the earliest history of the universe, and along the way he earned the 1980 Nobel Prize in Physics. James Cronin and his award-winning research are featured at the OSTI DOE R&D Accomplishments website. DOE R&D Accomplishments is a central forum for information about significant outcomes of past DOE R&D widely recognized as remarkable advancements in science.

Revolutionary physicist and Nobel Prize winner featured at OSTI

Tue, 15 Jun 2010 08:34:30 -0400

Kenneth Wilson won the1982 Nobel Prize in physics "for his theory for critical phenomena in connection with phase transitions." Wilson is featured at the OSTI DOE R&D Accomplishments website. DOE R&D Accomplishments is a central forum for information about significant outcomes of past DOE R&D widely recognized as remarkable advances in science. According to The Harvard Crimson, Wilson "was part of the generation of scientists who revolutionized physics in the 1970s and confirmed the quantum theories of physicists from the early 20th century including Niels Bohr and Albert Einstein." Read about his award-winning work and find resources with additional information.

DOE Accomplishments at your fingertips with new tabbed widget

Fri, 4 Jun 2010 09:04:03 -0400

Download the new tabbed widget to search the DOE R&D Accomplishments Database, check out new content (including Nobel Laureate info), stay abreast of the latest DOE Accomplishments news with the RSS feed, and access the DOE Accomplishments Blog. DOE R&D Accomplishments is a central forum for information about significant outcomes of past DOE R&D widely recognized as remarkable advancements in science.

Melvin Schwartz and the discovery of the muon neutrino featured at OSTI

Wed, 5 May 2010 08:09:06 -0400

Discoveries that unleashed new opportunities for research into the innermost structure and dynamics of matter are now featured at the OSTI DOE R&D Accomplishments website. Melvin Schwartz was the co-winner of the 1988 Nobel Prize in Physics "for the neutrino beam method and the demonstration of the doublet structure of the leptons through the discovery of the muon neutrino." Read about his award-winning work, done at Brookhaven National Laboratory, and find resources with additional information. DOE R&D Accomplishments is a central forum for information about significant outcomes of past DOE R&D widely recognized as remarkable advances in science.

Radiocarbon, Carbon Dating and Willard Libby featured at DOE R&D Accomplishments Website

Tue, 9 Mar 2010 13:49:19 -0500

Willard Libby won the 1960 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for his development of a method to use carbon-14 for age determination in archaeology, geology, geophysics, and other branches of science. View the feature at DOE R&D Accomplishments, a central forum for information about significant outcomes of past DOE R&D widely recognized as a remarkable advance in science. Resources with additional information are available.

Now you can share DOE accomplishments and read the blog

Tue, 26 Jan 2010 09:47:49 -0500

From nuclear medicine to optical tweezers to secrets powering the stars, there's plenty of information you can now easily share via social media at the DOE R&D Accomplishments website. OSTI has added a share tool and a blog; RSS and a widget are also available. In addition, you can now read a brief history of DOE and predecessors on the About Page. A faceted menu and menu synopsis will help you navigate the diverse range of R&D information at this site. DOE R&D Accomplishments is a central forum for information about significant outcomes of past DOE R&D widely recognized as a remarkable advance in science.>

How do plants capture energy? OSTI features the work of Nobel Laureate Melvin Calvin

Tue, 26 Jan 2010 09:47:48 -0500

Following carbon’s path through photosynthesis earned Melvin Calvin the 1961 Nobel Prize in Chemistry and ignited DOE research into using solar energy as a renewable resource. Calvin’s work is featured at the DOE R&D Accomplishments website. Find Resources with Additional Information, including twenty-one electronic documents in the series "The Path of Carbon in Photosynthesis" and two summary-level electronic documents written in 1952 and 1960. Also available is Calvin's Nobel Prize lecture from 1961 and supplemental web pages. DOE R&D Accomplishments is a central forum for information about significant outcomes of past DOE R&D widely recognized as a remarkable advance in science.