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August 17, 2005 --

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  Anomaly at U.S. Particle Accelerator May Be Physics Breakthrough

  April 8 - Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory physicists announced the discovery of a “bump” in data that, if verified, could signify the existence of a new particle or force of nature -- or even be evidence of an unexpected form of the hypothetical Higgs boson particle. The finding stems from one of two experiments conducted at Fermi’s Tevatron, which collides beams of protons and antiprotons moving at energies of nearly 1 trillion electron volts. If the other experiment finds the same data bump, the result could be the most significant physics discovery in decades.

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  NAS Member Richard Alley to Host TV Series

  April 7 - Richard Alley, a geologist at Penn State and NAS member, is the host of a new three-part series on PBS about climate science and sustainable energy solutions. An advance screening of "EARTH: The Operators' Manual," the first program in the series, was held at the Marian Koshland Science Museum of the NAS in Washington, D.C. It shows the viewer evidence of climate change in locations around our planet and highlights sustainable energy options that are available today. The companion website for the series offers educational materials, quizzes, and frequently asked questions answered by Alley.

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• Business and Academic Leaders Call for Action on National Deficit

  March 31 - Today leaders from the business and academic communities issued a letter to President Obama and congressional leadership calling for bipartisan action to rein in the growing national deficit, as well as for investments in education and research that will support innovation and job creation over the long term. Such steps have been recommended by several reports from the Academies, including Choosing the Nation’s Fiscal Future and Rising Above the Gathering Storm, as well as an update of the latter report released last year. Among those who signed the letter was Charles Vest, president of the National Academy of Engineering.

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  Japan’s Nuclear Crisis

  March 17 - Failed cooling systems and multiple fires at the Fukushima nuclear power plants following March 11’s earthquake and tsunami have led to the release of radioactive material and elevated radiation levels in northeastern Japan. The following National Research Council reports and ongoing project may help inform the current crisis. Safety and Security of Commercial Spent Nuclear Fuel Storage (2006) examines the potential consequences of accidents or terrorist attacks that partially or completely drain spent fuel cooling pools, including the potential for fire and a release of radioactive material. Health Risks from Exposure to Low Levels of Ionizing Radiation: BEIR VII Phase 2 (2006) says that even low doses of ionizing radiation are likely to pose some risk of adverse health effects, and no level should be considered “safe.” Distribution and Administration of Potassium Iodide in the Event of a Nuclear Incident (2004) recommends that potassium iodide pills, which can prevent thyroid cancer caused by exposure to radioactive iodine, should be available to everyone age 40 or younger living near a nuclear power plant in the U.S. The BEIR VII report and similar studies rely on data from the Radiation Effects Research Foundation, a joint U.S.-Japan project to monitor the health of atomic-bomb survivors and their offspring.

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  Traffic Deaths Fall to Lowest Level Since 1949

  March 16 - The U.S. Department of Transportation's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announced that traffic fatalities in 2010 fell to their lowest levels since 1949 despite a significant increase in the number of miles that Americans drove during the year. The number of traffic fatalities fell 3 percent between 2009 and 2010 -- from 33,808 to 32,788.

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