Evolution is the central, unifying theme of biology—yet today, more than a 150 years since Charles Darwin proposed the idea of evolution through natural selection, the topic is still relegated to a handful of chapters in textbooks and a few class sessions in introductory biology courses. In some high school and undergraduate courses, evolution is not covered at all. In recent years, increasing numbers of research scientists, educators, an... More >>

Small particles—ranging in size from about one nanometer to tens of microns—are ubiquitous in the natural and engineered worlds. They are in the air, soil, and water on Earth and at the farthest reaches of the universe. But their properties and chemical composition are little understood, restricting scientists' and engineers' ability to predict and control their applications and impacts in both natural and engineered systems. O... More >>

The availability of highly enriched uranium (HEU) is a significant proliferation and security concern, particularly in the civilian sector, where resources may not be available or used to protect the material adequately during storage or transport. This report focuses on the civilian use of HEU as fuel for research reactors, which are used in a broad range of scientific and engineering disciplines, including nuclear engineering, nuclear physic... More >>

In recent years, there has been a worldwide resurgence in interest in nuclear energy -- and this expansion has spurred concerns about nuclear weapons proliferation. The concerns stem from that fact that fuel will be required for new power plants and that those plants will produce spent-fuel waste. As a result some nations may be interested in constructing nuclear fuel cycle facilities, particularly enrichment or reprocessing facilities. Metric... More >>

Could ancient microbes hold the key to making low-cost and efficient devices for future supplies of clean water? Are there patterns in protein structures that provide clues for creating artificial photosynthetic systems more robust than those found in nature? Can sulfur-loving bacteria living at the bottom of the ocean show us new ways to capture and utilize methane? These were just some of the topics explored in a workshop, held in Januar... More >>