Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) is a United States Department of Energy multi-program research laboratory located in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, employing more than 4,000 scientists, engineers, and support staff. ORNL operates the world’s fastest and most powerful supercomputer—the Summit supercomputer—which is capable of performing more than 200 quadrillion calculations per second. This article will provide an overview of ORNL’s history, facilities, research programs, and impact on the scientific community.
The origins of ORNL can be traced back to the Manhattan Project—a top secret effort during World War II to develop the world’s first nuclear weapons. In 1942, the U.S. government purchased 60,000 acres (24,000 hectares) of land in rural Tennessee for the purpose of building an industrial complex that would produce enriched uranium for use in atomic bombs. The site chosen was isolated and sparsely populated, which helped to keep the project secret from enemy spies. Construction of the facility began in 1943 and was completed in just over two years at a cost of $1 billion (equivalent to $13 billion today).
ORNL officially opened its doors in September 1945 with 3,000 employees working onsite. The lab’s first director was Nobel Prize-winning physicist Ernest O. Lawrence—one of the key figures behind the development of the atomic bomb. Under Lawrence’s leadership, ORNL quickly became one of the world’s leading centers for nuclear research and development.
In addition to its role in developing nuclear weapons during the Cold War era, ORNL has also played a major part in numerous civilian scientific endeavors including:
-Developing peaceful uses for nuclear technology
-Performing cutting-edge materials science research
-Leading efforts to clean up environmental contamination
-Studying climate change and developing renewable energy sources