DULUTH So, how did you spend Barbenheimer weekend?

Did you devote nearly 5 hours to a couple of movies and collapse afterward into a popcorn- and cola-infused coma?

I put about 3 hours in for Barbenheimer (or as I prefer to call it Oppenarbie because thats more fun to say). I watched another Christopher Nolan work of art with Oppenheimer. My Barbie experience will arrive later.

But what a fascinating piece of social media engineering/marketing, huh? Once someone mashed those movie titles together, social media ran with it and the movie marketeers werent far behind. They were probably in cahoots.

But the lexical blend (as its called by some) mostly took flight on the interwebs due to the movies being polar opposites: A historical drama and a comedy. One featured the desert tones of New Mexico and the other pummeled viewers with hordes of pink. A movie about a bomb and another about a bombshell.

Well, neither bombed.

People turned out in droves to see both, though Barbie has raked in the most box office receipts of the two films since they opened.

Much was opined about the order in which moviegoers would attend the two flicks. Most recommended seeing Oppenheimer first and then concluding the day with the lighter fare, Barbie. The thought being that its better to follow up the heady, darker movie with something more accessible and brighter (though, by most accounts, Barbie is a think-piece in its own way).

Indeed, even though I didnt devote another 2 hours to Barbie last Saturday, I still found myself in need of an old-fashioned popcorn movie to wash away all that nuclear imagery.

So I ended the day streaming The Meg and swimming with a giant prehistoric shark in the wonderful waters of cinematic make-believe.

Here are some DNT highlights from the past week:

Clint Austin / Duluth News Tribune

First of all, please accept my apologies for posting a snowplowing photo in late July. I know many of you (including me) are still suffering a bit of trauma from last winters snowpocalypse.

But in a related story, we found out this week just how much it cost the state of Minnesota to clear the myriad miles of highway in the Land of 10,000 Frozen Lakes. No spoilers here, but it was A LOT.

DNT outdoors reporter John Myers shared that lofty price tag with readers this week.

80 years of diagnosing autism

PeopleImages / Getty Images / iStockphoto

One of our summer highlights at the DNT is hosting interns and watching them hone their journalism skills in our newsroom skills that they take back to their college programs in the fall.

One of our interns, Devlin Epding, is a student at the University of Minnesota and has a bright future in our industry.

His latest story for the News Tribune takes a deep dive into the history of autism and how its diagnoses and treatments have changed in the 80 years since its discovery in 1943.

Raiders of the Frost River bags

Jay Gabler / Duluth News Tribune

Harrison Fords iconic character Indiana Jones is fond of telling Nazis and other neer do wells that priceless artifacts of antiquity belong in a museum.

Well, sharp-eyed observers caught Indy carrying a bag during Indiana Jones and the Dial Destiny that belongs in Lincoln Parks Frost River store.

So, Lucasfilm has a lawsuit on its hands. DNT arts and entertainment reporter Jay Gabler broke down the details of this dispute for readers this week.

Here are a few more stories from the past week to check out:

Editor's note: Weekly Wave is a newsletter that I publish every Friday morning. Please consider subscribing it's free and hits your inbox just once a week. You can sign up here.

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Rick Lubbers has been in his role since 2014 and at the News Tribune since 2005. Previous stops include the Superior Telegram (1999-2005) and Budgeteer News (1997-1999). Prior to that, he worked at the St. Cloud Times and Annandale Advocate in Minnesota, and the Greenville Daily News and Grand Rapids Press in Michigan. He received his journalism degree at Central Michigan University.

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Weekly Wave: Social media engineering boosted 'Barbenheimer' to ... - Duluth News Tribune

To further interests in the world of engineering, Trane Technologies in Tyler and Project Scientist partnered up to educate local girls with a week-long program.

I like that I get to do science, because I like science, and I get to make friends while Im here, said Elyse Robinson, 8. I also like getting to see what my mom does because shes an engineer here.

According to its website, Project Scientist is a nonprofit organization that ignites and cultivates STEAM confidence in marginalized and underserved girls. By delivering high-quality experiences in science, technology, engineering, arts and math, they provide access to education and gainful career pathways that expand professional opportunities and awareness.

The most fun thing that we did all week is well, it's two things: we got to make a prosthetic hand and go to the lab, where we got to take a tour, Elyse said.

The program teaches girls from Tyler ISD ages 4 to 12 about sustainable and life-saving inventions, such as wind turbines, 3D-printed prosthetics and more.

Project Scientists mission is to provide high quality STEAM experiences to girls who are still in their educational years all the way from elementary through high school so that they can see what its like to actually have a career in an engineering field, said Julie Eagle, manager of AC & HP Engineering. Sometimes that's not as visible, in both women in the field, as well as the careers themselves and what that entails.

According to the Texas Education Agency, STEAM, which is an acronym for science, technology, engineering, art and mathematics, is defined as a method of hands-on teaching and learning where students learn to apply academic content by creatively solving real-world problems with innovative design-based thinking to prepare students for future career opportunities.

By Trane Technologies partnering up with Project Scientist, the objective is for girls to see themselves as scientists, innovators and builders in a field that has long been dominated by men.

At the beginning of the week, I don't think any of them would have said oh yeah, I can build a robotic arm but by the end of the week, they kind of see how it all comes together, Eagle said.

According to the U.S. Department of Labor, women fill nearly half the jobs in the states but only hold 27% of science, technology, engineering and math jobs. With Project Scientist, the national gender gap can get a little closer with the summer and after-school STEAM programs.

I love the Trane is giving these girls an opportunity to see that science is for them too and that it's not just boys that can be good at math and science, said Beth Robinson, a design engineer at Trane Technologies. It's just giving an opportunity to all work together and it's not just them, there's lots of other girls just like them.

There had been 50 girls in attendance this week, learning about the field from female role models.

We had 10 female engineers come out and talk to the girls so that they could kind of see that these women are approachable they have hobbies, they have kids who go to the same school, Eagle said. So, it makes it a little bit more tangible, achievable to the students.

The girls heard from the engineers of how tough the industry can be but being able to create complex ideas, such as 3D printing and robotics, can be fun and rewarding.

This week we have been working on pretty much the whole process of creating a design working to solve a problem of trying to figure out how to create a prosthetic arm, said Jenifer Blackburn, a teacher for Project Scientist. They started with their design plan on paper, then they figured out what all their criteria was, what their constraints were, and then they went through the process of developing different types of prototypes and then expanding on those prototypes to make them better each time they went through the process.

According to Blackburn, the students were eager to get started.

They really seem to be enjoying and excited to do this, she said. On the first day, they were ready to get started with building by Tuesday and Wednesday, they really wanted to build on things but I had to keep telling them that its a process, we cant just jump into it. We gotta learn that we have to make a plan, you gotta organize, you gotta know what your materials are.

In her first year, Blackburn was excited to be on board.

I hope to continue next year and maybe grow the program a little bit more, she said. Maybe extend it to even high school girls coming in and working with different engineers and seeing the process and maybe getting them ready for college or even exploring those options.

According to their press release, Trane Technologies partnership with Project Scientist is part of its corporate citizenship strategy, Sustainable Futures, which focuses on providing students underrepresented in the STEM field with access to education and research for pursuing green and STEM careers.

One of our focuses around STEAM education is that Trane has committed to providing $100 million for women and girls in our 2023 commitments, Eagle said. They have a commitment for a million dollars over three years towards their partnership with Project Scientists.

Wrapping things up Friday afternoon, the program hosted a Science Fair celebration which gave the girls an opportunity to showcase what they learned throughout the week.

When it comes to doling out advice for girls who might be interested in the field, the experts all say go for it.

Dont worry about the small stuff, whatever you wanna do you can do it, Blackburn said. It doesn't matter who you are or what you do you can accomplish anything. Jump in with both feet.

You don't have to love everything but find something you do love and keep pursuing it, Eagle said. Even if your classmates aren't interested, even if it doesn't seem like the cool thing to do, follow your passion. Keep following your curiosity.

Do not be discouraged by what you see, Robinson said. When you go into a class you're excited about and see only boys and think that it's not for you know that you belong there and there's nothing wrong with wanting to be there too.

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Trane Technologies and Project Scientist teach local girls about engineering - Tyler Morning Telegraph

More students and recent graduates of Missouri S&T took the Fundamentals of Engineering exam offered by the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES) last year than any other school in the nation, according to an NCEES report.

In 2022, 586 exam registrations were attributed to S&T. Texas A&M came in second with 467, and Montana State University was third with 455.

Many schools recognize the value of licensure and encourage their students to take the FE exam during their senior year or soon after graduation, NCEES notes in the 2022 issue of Squared, the organizations official source for engineering and surveying licensure statistics. Engineering positions at all levels of industry and government increasingly require licensure. Getting on the licensure path early puts engineers in a position to succeed professionally.

Dr. David Borrok, vice provost and dean of the S&T College of Engineering and Computing, shares similar sentiments and says this illustrates the universitys commitment to preparing students for successful careers.

At Missouri S&T, we understand the importance of preparing our students to have a successful career, and taking the FE exam really gives them a leg up in the process, he says. Also, the fact that so many S&T students and recent graduates successfully take this exam says something about them and about our university. Students from S&T want to hit the ground running so they can use their knowledge and skills to have an impact and help shape the future.

Licensure requirements vary by state, but passing NCEES exams is a standard part of the process.

In Missouri, to become a licensed professional engineer, applicants must have earned a bachelors degree in an engineering program accredited by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology Inc., have four years of satisfactory engineering experience after completing the degree, and pass both the FE exam and the Principles and Practice of Engineering exam.

For more information about the Missouri S&T College of Engineering and Computing, visit cec.mst.edu.

Missouri University of Science and Technology (Missouri S&T) is a STEM-focused research university of over 7,000 students. Part of the four-campus University of Missouri System and located in Rolla, Missouri, Missouri S&T offers 101 degrees in 40 areas of study and is among the nations top 10 universities for return on investment, according to Business Insider. For more information about Missouri S&T, visit http://www.mst.edu.

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More Missouri S&T students take FE exam than any school in the ... - Missouri S&T News and Research

The U.S. Department of Energy has awarded $7.5 million to researchers at the College of Engineering in an effort to speed the licensing of advanced nuclear reactors, ensure that communities are respected during reactor siting, monitor and limit corrosion in nuclear reactors, and more.

The biggest project that U-M leads, funded with $3 million from DOEs Integrated Research Projects program, aims to speed up the advanced nuclear reactor licensing process by building a tool that gives companies the data needed for design approval.

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission requires extensive data about how new reactors will operate over time up to 20 years. Companies must show that reactor parts can survive radiation and other stresses. Test reactors are slow and expensive, and these days are not very available.

As an alternative, the U-M team will shoot atomic nuclei at the material a technique known as ion irradiation to create a predictive tool that advanced reactor companies can use to show how well their core materials can withstand decades worth of radiation damage.

Ion irradiation is not only faster, in terms of days versus years, and cheaper thousands versus millions of dollars it also does not require special handling or disposal issues, and advances in ion irradiation techniques and simulation and modeling have established the technique as a viable substitution for reactor irradiation, said Gary Was, professor emeritus of nuclear engineering and radiological sciences, who leads the project.

Other U-M contributors include Kevin Field, associate professor of nuclear engineering and radiological sciences, and Emmanuelle Marquis, professor of materials science and engineering. The project includes collaborators at the University of Tennessee, Pennsylvania State University, Prairie View A&M University, Texas A&M University, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Idaho National Laboratory and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory.

In addition, four projects are funded with $1 million each by the Nuclear Energy University Partnerships Program:

A tool for engaging communities on the clean energy transition. Nuclear energy has been stymied in part due to public opinion in the areas around potential plant sites, but it is a critical part of the transition to a zero-emissions grid.

Aditi Verma, assistant professor of nuclear engineering and radiological sciences with the U-M Fastest Path to Zero Initiative, will lead a survey of communities in New Mexico exploring views on clean energy, nuclear energy and a just energy transition. The findings will be used to build a tool that assesses public sentiment and helps match technology developers with communities.

Real-time impurity detection. Sodium-cooled fast reactors have meltdown-proof designs and could run on spent fuel from our current fleet of water-cooled reactors. However, impurities like oxygen and hydrogen can get into the sodium coolant and cause problems like corrosion and blockages.

Milos Burger, assistant research scientist in nuclear engineering and radiological sciences, leads a team that will develop better sensors to monitor impurities in sodium-cooled fast reactors. Besides being more sensitive than current sensors, they will be able to identify the type of impurity, which can help reveal the source of the contamination.

Determining how radiation degrades reactor components. Stresses in nuclear reactors including radiation, pressure and heat can change the shape of components.

A team led by Field will develop a quick and cost-effective method to test materials under different cyclic stresses and varying heat conditions during ion irradiations. The team will use a rig that can vary the amount of stretching that material experiences throughout an ion beam experiment.

Ultrasonic imaging to assess reactor parts. Some next-generation nuclear reactor parts are 3D-printed to reduce manufacturing time and costs, but defects like little holes where the layers didnt stick together could cause parts to fail if they are used.

A team led by Serife Tol, assistant professor of mechanical engineering, will develop advanced ultrasonic imaging to look for such defects so that these parts can be approved.

Finally, a project that will help nuclear scientists and technologists prepare for the quantum revolution is funded with an additional $500,000 from NEUP.

Algorithms that work on current computers wont work on quantum computers. While others are already at work on how to simulate fluids with quantum computers, neutrons the particles responsible for triggering fission in nuclear reactors need attention.

A team led by Brian Kiedrowski, associate professor of nuclear engineering and radiological sciences, will begin to encode the behaviors of neutrons in a way that quantum computers can understand.

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College of Engineering receives $7.5M to advance nuclear energy ... - The University Record

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. Professor Farshad Rajabipour has been named interim head of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering in the Penn State College of Engineering, effective July 1. Rajabipour assumes leadership of the department following the appointment of Patrick Fox as dean of engineering at Ohio University.

We are at a unique moment in time for our department, one filled with fascinating opportunities and research initiatives led by our outstanding faculty, staff and students, Rajabipour said. These include climate solutions, decarbonization, sustainable development, water-food-energy nexus, infrastructure resiliency, equitable transportation, space construction, and artificial intelligence, to name a few.

This leadership transition and the departments upcoming move to west campus from our longtime home in Sackett Building provide a fresh opportunity for partnerships to enrich our staff and faculty culture, to identify new avenues for bolstering student enrollment, and to energize the implementation of our strategic plan for the future.

Rajabipour, a Penn State faculty member since 2009, also is the new director of the Center for Integrated Asset Management for Multimodal Transportation Infrastructure Systems, a U.S. Department of Transportation Region 3 University Transportation Center at Penn States Larson Transportation Institute. Previously, he held civil engineering appointments at the University of Hawaii at Mnoa and Purdue University. Rajabipour also served as a visiting faculty member at the Indian Institute of Technology Madras.

Rajabipours research interests include decarbonizing cement and concrete, marginal and nonconventional pozzolans, extending the durability and service life of infrastructure, sensor development, and ultra-high-performance concrete. He holds a bachelors degree from Sharif University of Technology and masters and doctoral degrees from Purdue University.

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Interim head named for civil and environmental engineering - Pennsylvania State University