Data Science in the News

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DSI Consulting Service spurs innovation

Nov. 22, 2024 - 
Today, research in nearly every scientific discipline involves data science techniques. Whether using sophisticated tools to manage and analyze massive datasets or applying machine learning algorithms to gain new insights, such techniques are becoming ever more prevalent. However, scientists and engineers may not have specific training in the newest, most pertinent data science and...

El Capitan verified as world's fastest supercomputer

Nov. 18, 2024 - 
LLNL, in collaboration with the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), Hewlett Packard Enterprise and AMD, have officially unveiled El Capitan as the world's most powerful supercomputer and first exascale system dedicated to national security. Verified at 1.742 exaflops (1.742 quintillion calculations per second) on the High Performance Linpack—the standard benchmark used by the...

ICECap looks to use exascale fusion simulations to pioneer digital design

Oct. 17, 2024 - 
A groundbreaking multidisciplinary team of LLNL researchers is combining the power of exascale computing with AI, advanced workflows and graphics processor (GPU)-acceleration to advance scientific innovation and revolutionize digital design. The project, called ICECap (Inertial Confinement on El Capitan), is a transformative approach to inertial confinement fusion (ICF) design optimization...

Measuring attack vulnerability in AI/ML models

Aug. 26, 2024 - 
LLNL is advancing the safety of AI/ML models in materials design, bioresilience, cyber security, stockpile surveillance, and many other areas. A key line of inquiry is model robustness, or how well it defends against adversarial attacks. A paper accepted to the renowned 2024 International Conference on Machine Learning explores this issue in detail. In “Adversarial Robustness Limits via...

LLNL, DOD, NNSA dedicate Rapid Response Laboratory and supercomputing system to accelerate biodefense

Aug. 15, 2024 - 
LLNL recently welcomed officials from the Department of Defense (DOD) and National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) to dedicate a new supercomputing system and Rapid Response Laboratory (RRL). DOD is working with NNSA to significantly increase the computing capability available to the national biodefense programs. The collaboration has enabled expanding systems of the same architecture...

International workshop focuses on AI for critical infrastructure

Aug. 12, 2024 - 
On August 4, LLNL researchers Felipe Leno da Silva and Ruben Glatt hosted the AI for Critical Infrastructure workshop at the 33rd International Joint Conference on Artificial Intelligence (IJCAI) in Jeju, South Korea. Professors Wencong Su (University of Michigan – Dearborn) and Yi Wang (University of Hong Kong) joined them in organizing the workshop focused on exploring AI opportunities and...

Evaluating trust and safety of large language models

Aug. 8, 2024 - 
Accepted to the 2024 International Conference on Machine Learning, two Livermore papers examined trustworthiness—how a model uses data and makes decisions—of large language models, or LLMs. In “TrustLLM: Trustworthiness in Large Language Models,” Bhavya Kailkhura and collaborators from universities and research organizations around the world developed a comprehensive trustworthiness...

Probing carbon capture, atom-by-atom

July 31, 2024 - 
A team of scientists at LLNL has developed a machine-learning model to gain an atomic-level understanding of CO2 capture in amine-based sorbents. This innovative approach promises to enhance the efficiency of direct air capture (DAC) technologies, which are crucial for reducing the excessive amounts of CO2 already present in the atmosphere. The low cost of these sorbents has enabled several...

Department of Energy announces FASST initiative

July 16, 2024 - 
On July 16, the Department of Energy formally announced the proposed Frontiers in Artificial Intelligence for Science, Security and Technology (FASST) initiative via the web page www.energy.gov/fasst (with accompanying video and fact sheet). As stated on the web page, the speed and scale of the AI landscape are significant motivators for investing in strategic AI capabilities: “Without FASST...

AI, fusion, and national security with Brian Spears (VIDEO)

July 13, 2024 - 
This episode of the Eye on AI podcast delves into the cutting-edge world of AI and high-performance computing with Brian Spears, director of LLNL's AI Innovation Incubator. The episode is presented here as a video with the following description: "Brian shares his experience in driving AI into national security science and managing the nation’s nuclear stockpile. With a PhD in mechanical...

Signal and image science community comes together for annual workshop

June 26, 2024 - 
Nearly 150 members of the signal and image science community recently came together to discuss the latest advances in the field and connect with colleagues, friends, and potential collaborators at the 28th annual Center for Advanced Signal and Image Science (CASIS) workshop. The event featured more than 50 technical contributions across six workshop tracks and a parallel tutorials session...

The surprising places you’ll find machine learning (VIDEO)

June 20, 2024 - 
LLNL data scientists are applying ML to real-world applications on multiple scales. A new DSI-funded video highlights research at the nanoscale (developing better water treatment methods by predicting the behavior of water molecules under the extremely confined conditions of nanotubes); mesoscale (determining the likelihood and location of a dangerous wildfire-causing phenomenon called arcing...

The Laboratory’s habit of innovation

June 4, 2024 - 
LLNL’s HPC and data science capabilities play a significant role in international science research and innovation, and Lab researchers have won 10 R&D 100 Awards in the Software–Services category in the past decade. The latest issue of Science & Technology Review features several award-winning projects, including ZFP and CANDLE: (1) ZFP introduces a new method of compressing large data sets...

Statistical framework synchronizes medical study data

June 3, 2024 - 
The risks and benefits of heart surgery, chemotherapy, vaccination, and other medical treatments can change based on the time of day they are administered. These variations arise in part due to changes in gene expression levels throughout the 24-hour day-night cycle, with around 50% of genes displaying oscillatory behavior. To evaluate new therapies, investigators study how a gene’s...

FAA awards approval for drone swarm testing

May 29, 2024 - 
LLNL’s Autonomous Sensors team has received the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA’s) first and—to date—only certificate of authorization allowing autonomous drone swarming exercises on the Lab main campus. These flights will test swarm controls and sensor payloads used in a variety of national security applications. Autonomous drone swarms differ from those used for entertainment...

Harnessing the power of AI for a safe and secure future (VIDEO)

May 13, 2024 - 
LLNL, alongside the Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) 17 national labs, is harnessing the transformative potential of AI for a safer, more secure future. In 2022, LLNL made history by achieving fusion ignition, marking a pivotal moment for national security and clean energy. While AI continues to unlock new insights into fusion, through the combination of cutting-edge computer modeling...

Igniting scientific discovery with AI and supercomputing (VIDEO)

April 15, 2024 - 
LLNL’s fusion ignition breakthrough, more than 60 years in the making, was enabled by a combination of traditional fusion target design methods, high-performance computing (HPC), and AI techniques. The success of ignition marks a significant milestone in fusion energy research, and was facilitated in part by the precision simulations and rapid experimental data analysis only possible through...

Predicting climate change impacts on infrastructure (VIDEO)

Feb. 26, 2024 - 
At LLNL, electrical grid experts and climate scientists work together to bridge the gap between infrastructure and climate modeling. By taking weather variables such as wildfire, flooding, wind, and sunlight that directly impact the electrical grid into consideration, researchers can improve electrical grid model projections for a more stable future. In a new video, LLNL computer scientist...

Machine learning tool fills in the blanks for satellite light curves

Feb. 13, 2024 - 
When viewed from Earth, objects in space are seen at a specific brightness, called apparent magnitude. Over time, ground-based telescopes can track a specific object’s change in brightness. This time-dependent magnitude variation is known as an object’s light curve, and can allow astronomers to infer the object’s size, shape, material, location, and more. Monitoring the light curve of...

For better CT images, new deep learning tool helps fill in the blanks

Nov. 17, 2023 - 
At a hospital, an airport, or even an assembly line, computed tomography (CT) allows us to investigate the otherwise inaccessible interiors of objects without laying a finger on them. To perform CT, x-rays first shine through an object, interacting with the different materials and structures inside. Then, the x-rays emerge on the other side, casting a projection of their interactions onto a...