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On 13 January, the US Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources was scheduled to hold a hearing on presidentelect Barack Obama's nomination of Steven Chu for head of the Department of Energy (DoE). In 2007, Chu was also instrumental in helping the university win US$500 million for bioenergy research from BP, one of the world's largest energy companies - a project that triggered controversy about the role of corporate financing in academic research (see Nature 445, 688-689; 2007).

After more than 30 years of development, the measurement performance of atom gravimeters in the laboratory has reached a high level. More and more compact, small, portable instruments begin to appear, and field measurements have been conducted gradually. At present, the field measurements of atom gravimeters are mostly static or “stop-and-go” quasi-dynamic experiments, and the research on dynamic measurement is still in its infancy. High-precision absolute gravity dynamic surveying in the field has shown attractive prospects in many aspects, and many researchers have carried out research on it. This paper first reviews the main research work of the atom gravimeter, especially its dynamic measurement technology. Then it introduces the reported principle, scheme, and equipment of atom gravimeter dynamic measurement. The generation mechanism and suppression methods of the main error sources of dynamic measurement, such as vibration noise, accelerometer drift, and carrier dynamic effect, are analyzed. Finally, the application prospects of atom gravimeter dynamic measurement technology in gravity field mapping, navigation, and underwater target detection are discussed.

The cold atomic gravimeter (CAG) has the advantage of high measurement accuracy and does not need to be calibrated on a regular basis. To achieve cold atom interference, it is first necessary to cool and trap the atoms by magneto-optical trap (MOT). However, there are many types of MOTs, and their trapping and cooling results directly affect the atomic interference, and thus, the measurement accuracy of a CAG. MOTs should be designed or selected correctly for different application needs. This paper reviews the research history of MOTs and analyzes their structure and principles. The current status of applications of different types of MOTs is highlighted. Their advantages and disadvantages are summarized, and perspectives for the development of MOTs for cold atomic gravimetry are presented.

In analyzing the distinction between flak and scandal, this investigation focuses on the discourse around Solyndra in 2011–2012 on two media platforms. Solyndra was a solar panel firm that went bankrupt after receiving American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (‘The Stimulus’) funds. The analysis shows that National Review—a rightwing journal of opinion that increasingly operates as an online platform—unswervingly utilized the Solyndra bankruptcy as an instrument of political combat. Following flak lines rehearsed by Republicans in congressional hearings, National Review narrated Solyndra as scandalous evidence of the Obama administration’s putative ineptitude and/or criminality that, moreover, discredited the efficacy of green energy. The performance of the mainstream newspaper The Washington Post presented a grab-bag mix as its objective methods insinuated flak packaged as scandal into stories when they followed Republican talking points. At the same time, The Washington Post’s discourse noted that no evidence of administration corruption was discovered despite extensive investigation and that government intervention into the economy is often highly beneficial.

Chu plans to tackle climate change by reviving the scientific and technological urgency of the Manhattan Project - enlisting some of the nation's best minds to find a way to power the world without ruining it. Just one month into his tenure, Congress gave the agency $37 billion in economic stimulus money - funds that Chu is steering towards renewable energy, nuclear power, carbon-sequestration pilot plants and projects to modernize the electric grid, all of which should help to solve the climate problem. For Chu, the summit served as a prelude to the fight next year, when he will use his main weapons - knowledge and powers of persuasion - to try to convince members of Congress to vote for a climate bill that would for the first time cap US emissions of greenhouse gases.