NIF Dedication

The National Ignition Facility was officially dedicated on May 29, 2009, exactly 12 years after its groundbreaking. (Dedication of world’s largest laser marks the dawn of a new era) Speakers included Senator Dianne Feinstein, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, Lt. Governor John Garamendi, members of Congress Ellen Tauscher, Jerry McNerney, and Zoe Lofgren, as well as officials of the Department of Energy. See a montage of how the event was covered by the news media. [More NIF video]

SPAMS

Security and law enforcement officials may soon have a new ally – a universal detection system that can monitor the air for virtually all of the major threat agents that could be used by terrorists. It's called SPAMS (Single-Particle Aerosol Mass Spectrometry) and is being developed by a team of LLNL scientists and engineers It has already been tested in laboratory and field experiments. In their latest advance, the team has conceptually shown that they can almost simultaneously detect four potential threat materials – biological, chemical, explosives and radiological – along with illicit drugs.

Hydrogen Car Tank Technology

A cryogenic pressure vessel developed and installed in an experimental hybrid vehicle by an LLNL research team can hold liquid hydrogen for six days without venting any of the fuel. Unlike conventional liquid hydrogen (LH₂) tanks in prototype cars, the LLNL pressure vessel was parked for six days without venting evaporated hydrogen vapor. The LLNL development has significantly increased the amount of time it takes to start releasing hydrogen during periods of long-term parking, as compared to today’s liquid hydrogen tanks capable of holding hydrogen for merely two to four days.

Artificial Retina

Lab researchers have joined a unique consortium to develop implanted electrodes that will restore sight to those who have lost vision later in life due to macular degeneration, retinitis pigmentosa, or those who are legally blind due to the loss of photoreceptor function.

BioSecurity and Nanosciences Laboratory
and
Center for Biotechnology, Biophysical Sciences and Bioengineering

These two new research facilities were officially inaugurated in September 2000. They focus on assembling multidisciplinary teams to develop new technologies and then link their research to medical and environmental applications.

Radscout

RadScout is a compact, lightweight, battery-powered detector to allow workers or first-responders with minimal training to rapidly identify radiation threats, such as in luggage, vehicles, or shipping containers. Radscout was developed at LLNL, and is now licensed for commercial use.

Atomic Testing Museum

Video from the opening of the Atomic Testing Museum in Las Vegas. Interviews with Sergei Khrushchev, the son of the former Soviet premier. He recalls growing up in Moscow as his father rose to power during the height of the Cold War's nuclear tensions with the U.S. Also, Troy Wade, president of the Nevada Test Site Historical Foundation, describes working at the Nevada Test Site, as he previews the museum's exhibit rooms.

Select the video clips