National Center for Computational Sciences

A crowd of Oak Ridge National Laboratory supporters, science buffs and interested citizens visited the American Museum of Science and Energy last Thursday night for ORNL Director Thom Mason’s report on lab programs, progress and recent achievements.

Mason, lab director since July 1, talked of the importance of energy on the world’s agenda and how science at ORNL can help address some of the related challenges, an ORNL press release stated.

“Energy has moved to the top of the national and international policy agenda,” Mason said. “The dialogue is increasingly focused on generation, distribution, and consumption of energy and its impact on the environment, national security, and the economy.

“ORNL has an extraordinary set of tools that uniquely positions us to deliver science and technology critical to addressing these energy challenges.”

Mason said those tools include world leadership in open science computing and neutron sciences; the Department of Energy’s first nanoscience center; the nation’s broadest portfolio of energy programs; and robust programs in nuclear technology, materials sciences, and national security.

“Our challenge is to use these assets to deliver results that are significant on both the national and the international scale,” Mason said. “Now is the time to execute the science.”

Mason cited several recent successes at ORNL, including:

• DOE awarding an ORNL-led team a $125 million BioEnergy Science Center.

• ORNL’s Cray Jaguar being ranked the second most powerful computer in the world.

• Researchers at the lab winning six R&D 100 awards.

• The University of Tennessee-ORNL Joint Institute for Computational Sciences receiving $65 million from National Science Foundation to develop a computer capable of 1,000 trillion calculations per second.

• The High Flux Isotope Reactor restarting with a new cold neutron source and world-class instrumentation.

In addition to applying world-class facilities toward its scientific output, Mason said the lab will continue recruiting top talent, upgrading facilities, and maintaining operational excellence with a strong emphasis on safety. The continuing modernization includes plans for new laboratory facilities to replace those in the 4500 complex, construction on the Oak Ridge Science & Technology Park, and the central campus cleanup gaining momentum in 2010, he said.

The talk was hosted by Friends of ORNL. ORNL is managed by UT-Battelle for the Department of Energy.

Source: OakRidger