Data Science in the News

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

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

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...

Probing carbon capture, atom-by-atom

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...

ISCP projects make machine learning advantages tangible

Data science tools are not only rapidly taking hold across disciplines, they are constantly evolving. The applications, services, and techniques one cohort of scientists and engineers may have learned could be out of date by the next cohort, especially as machine learning (ML) and artificial intelligence (AI) tools become commonplace. To keep employees abreast of the latest tools, two data...

Department of Energy announces FASST initiative

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)

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...

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

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...

LLNL and BridgeBio announce trials for supercomputing-discovered cancer drug

In a substantial milestone for supercomputing-aided drug design, LLNL and BridgeBio Oncology Therapeutics (BridgeBio) today announced clinical trials have begun for a first-in-class medication that targets specific genetic mutations implicated in many types of cancer. The development of the new drug—BBO-8520—is the result of collaboration among LLNL, BridgeBio and the National Cancer...

The Laboratory’s habit of innovation

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

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...

Machine learning optimizes high-power laser experiments

Commercial fusion energy plants and advanced compact radiation sources may rely on high-intensity, high-repetition rate lasers, capable of firing multiple times per second, but humans could be a limiting factor in reacting to changes at these shot rates. Applying advanced computing to this problem, a team of international scientists from LLNL, Fraunhofer Institute for Laser Technology (ILT)...

Igniting scientific discovery with AI and supercomputing (VIDEO)

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...

Welcome new DSI team members

When Data Science Institute (DSI) director Brian Giera and deputy director Cindy Gonzales began planning activities for fiscal year 2024 and beyond, they immediately realized that LLNL’s growth in data science and artificial intelligence (AI)/machine learning (ML) research requires corresponding growth in the DSI’s efforts. “Our field is booming,” Giera states. “The Lab has a stake in the...

WiDS Livermore conference attendees network, share research and absorb wisdom

Co-sponsored by the DSI, LLNL on March 13 hosted the 7th annual Women in Data Science (WiDS) conference for data scientists, industry professionals, recent graduates and others interested in the field. As an independent satellite of the global WiDS conference celebrating International Women’s Day, the Livermore hybrid event was held to highlight the work and careers of LLNL and regional data...

Predicting climate change impacts on infrastructure (VIDEO)

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

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...

Register for WiDS Livermore on March 13

The annual Women in Data Science (WiDS) conference returns on Wednesday, March 13. This is the seventh year for WiDS Livermore, which is independently organized by LLNL to be part of the mission to increase participation of women in data science and to feature outstanding women doing outstanding work. The all-day WiDS Livermore event is free and will be presented in a hybrid format. Everyone...

Data Days brings DOE labs together for discussions on data management and more

Data researchers, developers, data managers, and program managers from the DOE national laboratories visited LLNL on October 24–26 to discuss the latest in data management, sharing, and accessibility at the 2023 DOE Data Days (D3) workshop. Sponsored by the National Nuclear Security Administration’s (NNSA) Office of Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation and hosted annually by LLNL, the event...

Data Science Summer Institute hosts student interns from Japan

The Data Science Summer Institute (DSSI) hosted summer student interns from Japan on-site for the first time, where the students worked with Lab mentors on real-world projects in AI-assisted bio-surveillance and automated 3D printing. From June to September, the three students—Raiki Yoshimura, Shinnosuke Sawano and Taisei Saida—lived in rental apartments near the Lab and worked at the Lab on...

High-performance computing, AI and cognitive simulation helped LLNL conquer fusion ignition

For hundreds of LLNL scientists on the design, experimental, and modeling and simulation teams behind inertial confinement fusion (ICF) experiments at the National Ignition Facility, the results of the now-famous Dec. 5, 2022, ignition shot didn’t come as a complete surprise. The “crystal ball” that gave them increased pre-shot confidence in a breakthrough involved a combination of detailed...