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From Rapid City Journal, Oct. 10, 2019: Fermilab Director Nigel Lockyer comments on British contributions to the Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment during an Oct. 8 event in which British air power and science were feted Tuesday in Rapid City, South Dakota. Honored guests included the Royal Air Force’s Red Arrows Aerobatic Team, a British diplomat and a group of U.S. and international scientists associated with the Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment.

Look out, oil spills. The concept of using floating magnets for cleaning up oil spills, which started as a demonstration in a 9-ounce cup, is now a full-scale prototype — thanks to an agreement between Fermilab’s Office of Partnerships and Technology Transfer and Natural Science LLC.

Many researchers from Latin America can trace their entry into experimental particle physics to an initiative started by former Fermilab Director Leon Lederman.

Early Tuesday morning, three physicists—James Peebles, Michel Mayor and Didier Queloz—were rewarded for decades seminal contributions to advancing science with a phone call from Stockholm. This year’s Nobel Prize in Physics was awarded “for contributions to our understanding of the evolution of the universe and Earth’s place in the cosmos.”

Scientists working at CERN have started tests of a new neutrino detector prototype using a promising technology called “dual phase.” If successful, this new technology will be used at a much larger scale for the international Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment, hosted by Fermilab. Scientists began operating the dual-phase prototype detector at CERN at the end of August and have observed first tracks. The new technology may be game-changing, as it would significantly amplify the faint signals that particles create when moving through the detector.

With an increasing underground workforce, the Long-Baseline Neutrino Facility has undertaken multiple projects to ensure worker safety. Working closely with Sanford Lab staff, LBNF recently completed an upgrade to emergency systems, including areas of refuge and evacuation capabilities.

From APS’s Physics, Oct. 3, 2019: Fermilab scientist Brian Nord imagines a future where machines test hypotheses on their own — and considers the challenges ahead as scientists embrace artificial intelligence techniques. Nord has begun applying AI to problems in astronomy, such as identifying unusual astronomical objects known as gravitational lenses. He spoke to Physics about his recent projects and how he thinks AI will change the way researchers do science.

Fermilab and the University of Bern in Switzerland have signed an agreement to develop detector components for the laboratory’s neutrino experiments. The agreement is the first of its kind between Fermilab and a Swiss university.

From Sanford Underground Research Facility, Sept. 27, 2019: Several projects are under way at Sanford Underground Research Facility to improve the reliability of the facility’s infrastructure. Crews are improving the facility for its role as the far site for Fermilab’s Long-Baseline Neutrino Facility. The LBNF project recently completed an upgrade of the main ventilation fan for the underground facility.

From UChicago News, Oct. 1, 2019: AI technology is increasingly used to open up new horizons for scientists and researchers. At the University of Chicago, researchers are using it look for supernovae, find new drugs and develop a deeper understanding of Earth’s climate. University of Chicago and Fermilab scientist Brian Nord is partnering exploring a “self-driving telescope:” a framework that could optimize when and where to point telescopes to gather the most interesting data.