innovation

Top 7 innovation stories of 2023 — Interesting Engineering

Interesting Engineering lists the top seven amazing innovations that pushed the boundaries of science and technology in 2023. Included in this line up is the latest announcement from the Muon g-2 collaboration with more evidence of a new force of nature that could revolutionize our understanding of the universe.

From Amazon Web Services blog, March 7, 2023: The new Quantum Instrumentation Control Kit (QICK) developed by Fermilab and U Chicago engineers proved to drastically improve quantum computer performance while cutting the cost of control equipment. Now, Amazon Web Services has collaborated with Fermilab QICK engineers to have the tool kit accepted as an open-source software project for quantum devices.

From the Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation of the University of Chicago, April 4, 2022: The Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, the Strategic Program for Innovation at the National Labs kicked off a new strategic program for innovation on March 23rd with 17 scientists and staff from Argonne National Laboratory and Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory.

From The Innovation Platform, July 10, 2020: In this Q&A, Mauricio Suarez, Illinois Accelerator Research Center head and Fermilab deputy head of technology development and industry engagements, discusses the development of compact particle accelerators, using accelerators for the environment and in medicine, and commercializing technologies developed for high-energy physics.

Oak Ridge National Laboratory Technology Transfer Office Head Michael Paulus shakes Aaron Sauers's hand. Photo: Cherri Schmidt

Members of the national laboratories, leaders from the Department of Energy and experts in advanced manufacturing converged at the third summit in DOE’s InnovationXLab Series. Fermilab had strong representation at the meeting, featuring particle physics technologies that have been adapted for use in our everyday lives. We connected to find ways to wield national laboratory resources to help launch new industries and rejuvenate manufacturing.

In electrospinning, a positive charge is applied to liquidized material to create thin strands that eventually harden into a solid, fibrous material. Photo: Reidar Hahn

Fermilab scientists are preparing for future, high-power particle beams with a technological advance inspired by spinning sugar. It’s a new type of target — the material that beams collide with to produce other particles, such as neutrinos. The target is designed to be able to withstand the heat from high-intensity beams, expanding the potential of experiments that use them. Researching this new patent-pending technology already has led to a TechConnect Innovation Award and might have applications in the medical field.

From Nation News, April 9, 2017: Arden Warner is attracting attention to himself and his work as a physicist at Fermilab and to his private exploit developing a nontoxic way to clean up oil spills.

THE Port humanitarian hackathon at CERN brings people from multiple industries together to make the world a better place.