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What is methyl methacrylate? Chemical leaking from California tank that could soon explode
The toxic chemical inside the large storage tank that was leaking in California is methyl methacrylate, or MMA.
What is methyl methacrylate? Chemical leaking from California tank that could soon explode
The toxic chemical inside the large storage tank that was leaking in California is methyl methacrylate, or MMA.
Tourism gains spread across California with Sacramento seeing big results
A Visit California study shows the state's tourism economy is thriving, with Sacramento experiencing notable increases in visitor spending and hotel tax revenue.
California Air Resources Board tries to balance gas prices, climate goals with upcoming vote
The California Air Resources Board is set to vote on updates to a key clean air program known as "cap and invest" as the state tries to balance its environmental goals and affordability.
California Attorney General Rob Bonta on federal lawsuits, elections and e-bikes
California Attorney General Rob Bonta sat down for a wide-ranging discussion on California Politics 360.
California Politics 360 Full Episode | Key vote that could impact future gas prices, utility bills
The Air Resources Board is expected to vote on proposed updates to the state’s Cap-and-Invest program.
We left California for Texas. It wasn't worth it, so we're moving back.
Guadalupe Galindo-Nevarez and her family moved from California to Texas for a fresh start, but high heat and property taxes pushed them to leave.
Inside California Politics: Alex Padilla, Vince Fong, Paul Mitchell join the show
(Inside California Politics) — Two congressmen and a top state analyst answered questions on a wide variety of issues this week, from the governor’s race to the state’s unemployment deb…
Inside California Politics: Alex Padilla, Vince Fong, Paul Mitchell join the show
(Inside California Politics) — Two congressmen and a top state analyst answered questions on a wide variety of issues this week, from the governor’s race to the state’s unemployment deb…
Amtrak California Zephyr journey: What I'd do differently next time
I took Amtrak's California Zephyr train from Chicago to Emeryville, California. I booked a $2,200 bedroom for the 53-hour journey.
Ranking 24 California pro sports teams from worst to first
We ranked 24 California pro teams across seven leagues. From dynasties to disappointments, expect debate from worst to first.
Poll of judges, lawyers sees grave Trump threat to rule of law
A new survey finds deep concern about presidential overreach, persecution of enemies and other unchecked abuses of power. The poll shows the stakes in November.
As influencers rise in politics, some call for tighter regulations on payments
Some campaign finance advocates are concerned that voters could increasingly be influenced by social media posts that they don’t know are sponsored.
Health and safety concerns of chemical tank emergency in Garden Grove
Elaine Bernal, a chemistry and biochemistry lecturer at California State University, Long Beach, discusses the ideas firefighters could be considering to find a solution.
High school boys volleyball: SoCal regional playoff scores
High school boys volleyball SoCal regional playoff scores following matches on Saturday.
High school softball: Southern Section Saturday playoff scores
CIF Southern Section softball playoff scores from Saturday.
JSerra, La Mirada advance to Division 1 softball title game
JSerra defeated Norco 2-0 and La Mirada knocked off La Habra 5-1 during Division 1 semifinal games on Saturday.
High school baseball: City Section championship game scores
CIF City Section championship baseball game scores from Saturday, May 23.
Trump says U.S., Iran are 'getting a lot closer,' but questions remain about concessions
Iran reportedly says the draft pact will be a “framework agreement” that defers talks toward limiting Iran’s nuclear program until later.
A de-extinction company has hatched live chicks from an artificial eggshell
A biotech company that aims to resurrect lost creatures says it has hatched live chicks in an artificial environment
Letters to Sports: Angels have gone from bad to worse
Readers of the Los Angeles Times Sports section give their thoughts and opinions about the Angels, the Dodgers, playoff nirvana and more.
Journalists Distill News on Ebola, Licensing Midwives, and California’s Budget
KFF Health News journalists made the rounds on national or local media recently to discuss topical stories. Here’s a collection of their appearances.
Fresno is one vote away from allowing alcohol consumption in ‘Entertainment Zones’
FRESNO, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) – Change is brewing in Downtown Fresno. Fresno City Councilmembers voted Thursday to pass the first phase of an ordinance to allow people to drink alcoho…
High school softball: City Section playoff scores and updated schedule
CIF City Section softball quarterfinal playoff results from Friday and semifinals schedule on Wednesday.
High school baseball: Southern Section playoff results and updated schedule
CIF Southern Section baseball quarterfinal playoff results from Friday, May 22, and the semifinal schedule.
Newsom escalates feud with Chevron, urging boycott amid soaring California gas prices
'A bridge too far?': As GOP senators revolt, Trump defends fund and attacks defectors
The president called Republican senators who broke with him quitters who are 'screwing the Republican Party.'
Medi-Cal Reentry Services Enhance Health Care Access After Release From Jails or Prisons - California Health Care Foundation
Pre-release Medi-Cal services in California are helping people exiting jail or prison get the health care, housing, and support they need.
CCHCS honors nursing excellence across California
California Correctional Health Care Services (CCHCS) honored outstanding nurses and health care leaders during the Nursing Excellence Awards.
Giving Workers a Stake in A.I. Gains Traction
Gov. Gavin Newsom of California has floated a policy idea that’s getting attention in Silicon Valley: let workers own a piece of technology disruption.
California race for Congress escalates with attacks invoking Epstein and Chavez
The attacks come as Jasmeet Bains and Randy Villegas are locked in a bitter primary for California’s 22nd Congressional District
Prep talk: Fremont, once best in City Section baseball, plays for Division III title
A freshman from Venezuela, Roiber Colmenares, leads Fremont into City Section Division III championship game.
California politics isn’t just left vs. right. Our analysis found a third extreme
A data analysis of California precincts voting on ballot measures shows that voters are divided beyond left and right.
Primary fight in key California Latino district highlights questions over Democratic Party's future
The latest fight over the Democratic Party's direction is playing out in a competitive California House primary, as progressives accuse party leaders of trying to muscle a moderate past a Latino challenger in a heavily Hispanic district.
High school boys volleyball: SoCal Regional playoffs results, updated schedule
The SoCal Regional playoffs results Thursday for high school boys volleyball.
California political campaigns scrutinized for paying social media influencers for endorsements
Scalise: Democrats' Politics of Hatred and Division Need to Stop
WASHINGTON, D.C.—Today, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) joined Fox Business Network’s Kudlow to call out Democrats’ increasingly dangerous rhetoric, failure to confront rising antisemitism on the left, and continued opposition to commonsense election integrity and border security measures.
Influencer files complaint against Steyer campaign, alleging violations
The influencer said Steyer's campaign committee failed to notify her of her disclosure requirements, as required by law.
GOP senators balk at Trump's $1.8-billion 'anti-weaponization' fund, force delay in key vote
The discord marked a potential turning point for Congress, which has been largely sidelined under the second Trump administration on the war in Iran and other issues.
Philip Glass, turning 90, gets tribute from Taylor Mac, Lucinda Childs
Taylor Mac and Lucinda Childs honored Philip Glass and his work with poets during a special performance, one of several celebrations ahead of the composer's upcoming 90th birthday.
National Democrats said they'd stay out of this California race. Then they picked a side
National Democrats said they wouldn’t endorse in California's 22nd Congressional District. Then they backed the moderate over the progressive.
Prep talk: Carson High's Tatum brothers are rising cricket players
Johnny and Johnathon Tatum will leave on trip to England this summer for international cricket tournament.
How Josh Johnson composed 'Symphony,' the music-driven special aiming to be timeless
The 'Daily Show' co-host swaps topical punchlines for something meant to last decades in his new special 'Symphony,' premiering Friday on HBO.
Too young to drink, ready to destroy: How young punks Xcomm are crashing the hardcore scene
Homework can wait for L.A.'s hardcore upstart Xcomm, whose youngest member is 14, as it focuses on the release of its debut album, 'Time to Burn.'
Democrats may vote at last minute for governor. What it will mean
With the top two candidates in the primary advancing, many Democratic-leaning voters appear to be waiting for a clear leader to emerge, political analysts say.
Accounting students work across borders to study global business chall
An SDSU program with Universidad Autónoma de Baja California built connections for immersive international business experience.
Sutter Health Recognized in Anthem Blue Cross Annual Care Provider Recognition Program
Not-for-Profit Healthcare System’s Medical Groups Honored Among the Top Healthcare Providers in Anthem’s National Network NORTHERN CALIF. – Sutter Health today announced it earned recognition as one of only four California recipients in Anthem Blue Cross’ Care Provider Recognition Program. Developed in collaboration with Anthem’s affiliated health plans, the program honors top-performing medical groups nationwide […]
Prep softball roundup: Liliana Escobar pitches JSerra to 1-0 win over Garden Grove Pacifica
The senior right-hander strikes out 10 to send the Lions to the Southern Section Division 1 softball semifinals against Norco.
Senator Laird Names Salinas Regional Sports Authority 2026 Nonprofit of the Year
Official website of Senator John Laird, representing California Senate District 17.
Health care investment firms GHO and CBC to merge
Scaling for suvival.
San Diego attackers' hate manifesto targeted many groups, sought 'destruction of political system', sources s
An Anti-Defamation League analysis of the manifesto referenced "the great replacement theory," the belief that white people are being replaced in their countries by non-white immigrants.
High school boys volleyball: Tuesday's SoCal Regional playoff results
Scores from Tuesday's SoCal Regional playoffs matches for high school boys volleyball with updated schedule.
Prep talk: Culver City volleyball finds succeeds without home court
Culver City won the Southern Section Division 6 boys' volleyball championship while playing all but two of its games on the road this season.
California business owners ‘working for peanuts’ as costs, record gas prices and regulations devour profits
California "sticker shock" is mounting for the state's small business owners, but one restaurateur and their multi-billion-dollar lender explain why they're not walking away — yet.
Inside downtown L.A.'s immersive 'Hospital of Emotions' exhibit
A new immersive art project in Los Angeles is set to occupy the shuttered St. Vincent Medical Center, turning a site in transition into a large-scale environment organized around human emotion.
TV shows are embracing L.A. as a main character
A slew of new series showcasing the many facets of Los Angeles provide a tangible reminder of why Hollywood became, and should remain, the capital of the entertainment business.
Musical reviews: 'Brigadoon' soars, 'Flower Drum Song' falters
'Brigadoon' soars at Pasadena Playhouse but 'Flower Drum Song' only intermittently comes to life at Little Tokyo's Aratani Theatre despite best intentions.
‘Choo Choo Revue’: Bob Baker Marionette Theater's new show
For the iconic L.A. troupe, this fantastical representation of a cross-country train trip is a bold look toward the future.
Sharks are helping scientists improve weather forecasts
Forecasters already rely on satellites, buoys and hurricane hunter aircraft to monitor ocean conditions. Sharks, however, may offer a way to fill gaps in places where traditional tools are sparse or expensive.
Tina Peters pardon by Jared Polis wrongly subverts process
Tina Peters deserved to go to jail but not for nine years, a panel of judges decreed, ordering her resentencing. Jared Polis then stepped in and substituted his own judgment. It was the height of arrogance.
Highway 178 closure from River Fire could threaten Kern River Valley Memorial Day business
KERNVILLE, Calif. (KBAK/KBFX) Highway 178 remains closed at both ends of the canyon because of the River Fire, raising concerns for businesses in the Kern River
Rousey's return draws US-record MMA viewership for Netflix
The first live MMA event broadcast on Netflix — featuring a double-comeback bout between Ronda Rousey and Gina Carano — attracted the most U.S. viewers in the sport's history. Netflix and Jake Paul’s Most Valuable Promotions reported on Tuesday that Saturday's event in Inglewood, California, drew as many as 17 million viewers worldwide, including a peak of 11.6 million in the U.S. The U.S. figure surpassed the previous MMA record of 8.8 million in 2011 for UFC on FOX 1.
In deal with business leaders, $30 minimum wage for L.A. hotel and airport workers will be delayed
The minimum wage will still increase to $25 in July and continue in increments until reaching $30 in January 2030.
In growing fight, Steyer's campaign says pro-Becerra influencers didn't disclose pay
Social media creators who create paid content on behalf of a California political campaign are required to disclose that the material was sponsored and who paid for it.
Can you trust that post about Tom Steyer? How paid influencers are flooding into the governor's race
Billionaire Tom Steyer is paying influencers to boost his California governor campaign. State law requires they disclose it, but offers little accountability
California, other states sue over new Trump limits on loans for nurses, PAs, therapists
California and other Democratic-led states are suing the Trump administration over new limits on federal borrowing by students in healthcare fields.
UC faculty and staff rally for state investment in science
President Milliken joined Senator Scott Wiener, UAW President Shawn Fain and hundreds of UC employees in rallying for investment in research.
'Harry Potter' TV show recasting: Gracie Cochrane leaves series
Gracie Cochrane will depart from her role as Ginny Weasley due to 'unforeseen circumstances.' The character will be recast for Season 2 of HBO's 'Harry Potter' TV show.
PWHL expands to Bay Area with San Jose team: See official colors
The Professional Women's Hockey League is expanding to San Jose, California, bringing another women's sports team to the Bay Area.
Sprawling new entertainment complex coming to Southern California city, with hotel, venues and ‘Jewel Plaza’
The project would overhaul the city's sleepy, parking lot heavy civic campus from the 1970's into what leaders hope becomes a bustling, action-packed destination.
California business owners 'trapped' in 'vicious cycle' as costs soar
As labor and energy costs rise in California, small business owners say minimum wage laws and gas taxes in the Golden State are crippling their operations.
Shakira's eight-year tax fraud nightmare ends with acquittal in Spain
Shakira has maintained her innocence for eight years as Spain filed three separate tax fraud cases against her. With an acquittal on Monday, she cleared her name.
Inside the trans athlete podium controversy sending political shockwaves in California ahead of elections
California's CIF forced co-podium placements with trans athlete AB Hernandez, igniting a firestorm in the national debate over girls' sports.
Fast-track ‘alumni’ boom: how short courses at Harvard and Stanford became big business
Fast-track ‘alumni’ boom: how short courses at Harvard and Stanford became big business
PWHL goes the way of San Jose in adding a fourth expansion team and growing to 12 overall
San Jose has landed a pro women’s hockey franchise with the PWHL completing its ambitious four-team expansion process with a first entry into California.
How California’s 2 Biggest Pension Funds Became a Battleground for Trump Politics and More
California’s two biggest public pension funds have more money than ever — and they’re hearing from more people than ever on how those assets should be used to change the world.
Dudamel on his life as he prepares to leave L.A. Phil for New York
As Gustavo Dudamel begins his final weeks in Walt Disney Concert Hall as L.A. Phil music director, he talks about what lies ahead and how he got there.
In deep blue California, Dems find a villain toxic enough to rival Trump: The power company
Rising electricity prices have frustrated voters, creating a prime target for candidates.
Prep talk: Sherman Oaks Notre Dame pitcher Ainsley Jenkins knows who to call for writing help
Freshman Ainsley Jenkins is the daughter of former Sports Illustrated writer and Clippers executive Lee Jenkins.
May Fair Draws Crowds for Four Days of Entertainment
The Dixon May Fair returned May 7-10 for its 149th rendition, bringing carnival rides, live music, livestock exhibitions and community traditions to Northern California’s oldest fair.
Out of this Prairieville family's hardest moment, a $1M company was born
What began as a deeply personal challenge for Jordanna and Louis Coleman has grown into a fast-scaling logistics business—one built not only on strategy and resilience, but on faith. LC Transport Services, founded in February 2022 and headquartered in Prairieville, started with a single truck, a home office and a determination to create stability for […]
Secretary Kennedy Brings ‘Take Back Your Health’ Tour to California, Highlights Microbiome Research and Addiction Recovery
HHS Secretary Kennedy traveled to California for his “Take Back Your Health” tour where he visited the City of Hope cancer center and met with local officials.
High school athlete slams CIF's shared podium rule as humiliating response that fails female competitors
Trans athlete AB Hernandez dominated CIF Southern Section girls' track finals, reigniting debate over California's transgender sports policies.
Schiff proposes legislation to force data centers to bring their own energy
A California senator is introducing legislation to shield utility customers from footing the bill for power grid upgrades required to power the growing number of electricity-guzzling data centers.
Kudos to Cheer Club, College of Business faculty, Cybersecurity team and more
Becky Cottrell, Ph.D., Department of Social Work, and Bridget Arend, Ph.D., School of Education Becky Cottrell from the Department of Social Work and Bridget Arend, Ph.D., from the School of Education co-authored an article recently published in an international journal. Read the article. Biff Baker, Ph.D., College of Business Biff Baker, Ph.D., received a Best in Track award from the Society for Advancement of Management for research examining bureaucratic inefficiencies within Section 8 subsidized housing programs. The study focuses on how administrative delays and communication breakdowns can create housing instability for families and discourage landlord participation. It also offers recommendations to improve accountability and trust in public housing systems. Brendan Fry, Ph.D., Department of Mathematics and Statistics Brendan Fry, Ph.D., professor in the Department of Mathematics and Statistics, co-authored the article “Modeling the Impact of Venous Collapsibility on Retinal Oxygenation,” published in the Journal of Theoretical Biology. The interdisciplinary research brought together scholars from the University of Delaware, Indiana University Indianapolis, McGill University and the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai Hospital. Access the article. Bridget Arend, Ph.D., School of Education Bridget Arend, Ph.D., professor in the School of Education, co-published the book “Facilitating Seven Ways of Learning: A Resource for More Purposeful, Effective, and Enjoyable College Teaching, Second Edition” with James R. Davis. The book explores practical approaches to improving college teaching and student learning experiences. Buy the book. College of Business Faculty At the 2026 Western Decision Sciences Institute international conference, Sally Baalbaki-Yassine, Ph.D., Debora Gilliard, Ph.D., and David Lynn Hoffman, Ph.D., from the College of Business received the Best Case Study Paper Award for “Oreo: A Global Success Story in Brand Evolution and Market Leadership.” Lisa McVicker, Ph.D., and Apryl Brodersen, Ph.D., also had their paper, “Electronic Performance Monitoring: Employer Panacea or Legal Quagmire?” accepted for publication in the Journal of Business Leadership. Community Engagement Exchange Program Metropolitan State University of Denver was selected to host international Fellow Aleja Henao Espitia of Bogotá, Colombia through the Community Engagement Exchange program funded by the U.S. Department of State. View Espitia's LinkedIn profile. David Varel, Ph.D., College of Letters, Arts and Sciences MSU Denver historian David Varel, Ph.D., has been awarded a 2026 ACLS Fellowship by the American Council of Learned Societies. The fellowship program supports outstanding scholarship in the humanities and social sciences, and selected just 63 scholars from more than 2,000 applicants this year. Varel’s project, “The Black Chicago School: Academic Activism in the Age of American Apartheid,” explores the work of Black scholars who challenged scientific racism, built alternative institutions and helped lay the foundation for the modern civil rights movement. The fellowship provides up to $60,000 to support full-time research and writing. Learn more about the fellowship. MSU Denver Office of Financial Aid Team Several MSU Denver employees were recognized for leadership and service during the Colorado Association of Financial Aid Administrators (CAFAA) conference held in May in Crested Butte. Don Holtzen, interim associate director of systems, chaired the conference and was recognized for his service as CAFAA conference chair and technology chair during the 2025-26 term. Holtzen also received the Postsecondary Institution Professional of the Year award, which recognizes financial-aid professionals who have made significant contributions to their institutions and to CAFAA. Tori Pacheco, associate director of Student Services, helped design décor and facilitate the conference and was recognized for her service as CAFAA secretary during the 2025-26 term. Destiny Candelaria, call center coordinator, served on the conference planning committee and presented on One Stops during the event. Michael Nguyen, executive director of Financial Aid and Scholarships, assisted as a CAFAA board member and was recognized for serving as president-elect during the 2025-26 term. Richard Balbag, program assistant I, received the Distinguished Support Staff Member of the Year award, honoring staff members who have made exceptional contributions to their financial-aid offices. Military Friendly Recognition Military Friendly has awarded MSU Denver Gold Status as a military-friendly university and ranked the University No. 7 nationally for military spouses. The recognition reflects MSU Denver’s strong support systems for veterans and military spouses, including transfer credit assistance and retention-focused resources. As of 2026, 1,050 military-connected students are enrolled at the University, advancing institutional priorities around serving veterans and supporting student retention. MSU Denver Cheer Club The MSU Denver Cheer Club earned third place in the 4-Year College Small Coed Intermediate division at the USA Spirit Nationals. Celebrate the win on Instagram. MSU Denver Cybersecurity Team An MSU Denver cybersecurity team earned first place in the Strategist category at the 2026 CYBER RECon National Competition hosted at Fort Meade, Maryland, by U.S. Cyber Command. Led by Jeffrey London, Ph.D., and undergraduate student Matthew Bopp, the team competed against universities and law schools nationwide with its 30-page legal analysis on cybersecurity and free speech titled “Freedom of Speech and MDM: Misinformation, Disinformation, and Malinformation.” The paper also earned Bopp a personal invitation to apply to the University of Maryland School of Law. MSU Denver Debate Team MSU Denver Debate won the 2026 Sierra Sustainability Summit hosted at Yosemite National Park in April. Students Kat Conte and Simon Bernhard bested teams from George Washington University, Gallaudet University, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, the University of San Francisco and Tennessee Tech in the modified present-and-defend style competition. Their proposal recommended adapting Colorado’s Keep Colorado Wild Pass model to support California state parks facing budget constraints. Learn about the summit. MSU Denver Women’s Golf MSU Denver Women’s Golf was represented on the national stage this month as junior Neige Dunn competed as an individual at the NCAA West Regional. She became the first Roadrunner in 10 years to qualify for NCAA Regionals as an individual. Get the details.
UC faculty and staff rally for state investment in science
UC President James B. Milliken and other leaders urged state lawmakers to pass SB 895, bipartisan legislation that would place a $12 billion bond to fund scientific research across California on the November 2026 ballot.
Steve Scalise endorses Julia Letlow for Senate after Bill Cassidy ousted from office
It’s a sign that Louisiana’s GOP establishment may be coalescing behind Letlow after her commanding win in Saturday’s election.
Southern California gets $4B mega music venue in giant new entertainment district
The concert hall is being built with music in mind, boasting "world-class acoustics" and outstanding stage views for guests.
Join us at Arte Américas on June 11 to talk about power in the Central Valley
How can the Central Valley grow its power in California? Join Fresnoland, Zocalo Public Square and local leaders to talk Fresno politics.
Training Naturalists Behind Prison Walls
A kestrel swoops to grab a smaller bird on the wing and eats it, right in front of a group of men in the garden at California Health Care Facility, or CHCF, a prison in Stockton, where the garden has become both a thriving ecosystem and a science classroom for people incarcerated there. As the feathers fly, UC Davis researcher Laci Gerhart pulls out a bird guide and shows the incarcerated men how to identify the bird by its size and coloration, noting that kestrels are North America’s smallest raptor and one of the few that are sexually dimorphic.
New MatterChat Model Helps AI to ‘See’ the Language of Science
From writing emails to generating computer code, much of the artificial intelligence prevalent in our daily lives has succeeded by mastering one domain: text. However, this leaves a major blind spot in the physical sciences, where models depend on the high-resolution, three-dimensional data of the physical world, like the intricate lattice of atoms in a crystal. Delivering on the promise of using AI for science requires teaching these data-driven text models to seamlessly “talk to” physics-based models. Now, a new AI framework from Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab), called MatterChat, solves this problem by creating a specialized “bridge.” It connects the conversational power of a Large Language Model (LLM) with a physics-based AI that models “interatomic potentials”: the complex physical forces between atoms. The resulting system already significantly outperforms general-purpose AI tools like GPT-4 at predicting material properties, and the team hopes it can accelerate scientific discovery by serving as a robust research partner that provides grounded insights and generates step-by-step instructions for synthesizing novel materials. A paper describing this work was recently published in Nature Machine Intelligence. “Traditional simulations can provide the physical rigor required for materials science, yet their computational cost remains prohibitive for high-throughput screening. Conversely, while LLMs excel at rapid knowledge synthesis, they inherently lack the ‘structural vision’ to interpret materials directly from their underlying atomic coordinates,” said Yingheng Tang, a postdoctoral researcher in Berkeley Lab’s Applied Math and Computational Research Division (AMCR) and lead author on the paper. “MatterChat was built to solve this dilemma, empowering LLMs with a structural ‘vision’ that allows researchers to leverage their full potential for solving complex, real-world materials challenges.” Empowering language models to solve complex challenges in materials science To build MatterChat, the Berkeley Lab team drew inspiration from technologies like Vision Question Answering (VQA) and Text-to-Image (T2I) generation. In these tasks, AI must translate high-level text concepts into visual images, or vice versa. Doing so requires developers to build tools that “bridge” two fundamentally different forms of data. The researchers adapted this concept to the physical sciences. With MatterChat, they created a “bridge model” that successfully connects an LLM’s general knowledge with the deep understanding of the atomic-scale world encoded in scientific interatomic potentials. Until now, researchers using LLMs to solve materials problems usually had to feed them raw data files as if they were just strings of text. It’s like asking an AI to understand a complex 3D engine based only on a parts list: the LLM can read the names, but it can’t “see” how the atoms fit together in space. MatterChat solves this by training a specialized AI bridge model, pre-trained on millions of crystal structures and an LLM, to align the LLM’s representation of the world with the interatomic potential’s representation of the world. The bridge model can translate physical insights into a format the LLM can actually understand. By giving the LLM these “scientific eyes”— a scientific “inductive bias” in the terminology of AI — the Berkeley Lab team has transformed it into a robust research tool capable of providing grounded scientific insights into complex materials challenges, such as predicting thermal stability or analyzing electronic band gaps. “We think of atoms as living in a physical space, but from a machine learning perspective, they are just vectors living in some very non-trivially structured manifold in a high-dimensional Euclidean space; and, of course, the same is true for the sentences and paragraphs that we use to express our ideas about those atoms,” said co-author Michael Mahoney, Berkeley Lab’s Scientific Data Division (SDD) AI Initiative Research Lead. “The bridge model basically gets those two structures to ‘talk with’ each other.” As a proof-of-concept of this general approach, the team trained their bridge model on a dataset curated by pairing nearly 143,000 stable atomic structures from the Materials Project with their corresponding physical properties. This training data was automatically assembled using the Materials Project’s API and deliberately enriched with properties fundamental to microelectronics design — like formation energy and bandgap — allowing MatterChat to learn the complex patterns connecting a material’s atomic blueprint to its functional performance. To validate their model, the researchers benchmarked MatterChat against a suite of other AI systems, from general-purpose LLMs to other specialized scientific AI methods. The results show that MatterChat consistently outperformed its competitors across a range of tasks. The model was more accurate in classifying material types and demonstrated superior precision in predicting numerical properties. For example, it excelled at predicting a material’s bandgap, a property critical for designing new electronics from high-capacity energy storage to next-generation computer chips. “Our design is significantly more efficient because we don’t have to build a massive AI model from the ground up,” said co-author Zhi (Jackie) Yao, a research scientist in Berkeley Lab’s AMCR. “Instead, we take two powerful, pre-trained models — a structural encoder for materials physics and an open-source LLM — and use them off-the-shelf. The only component we actually train is the lightweight ‘bridge model’ that translates between them. It’s the difference between building an entire car factory and simply designing a smart adapter that connects a world-class engine to a world-class navigation system. This approach is not only computationally efficient, but also makes the system modular, so we can easily upgrade components or adapt the bridge for other scientific domains in the future.” Crucially, this modular design highlights exactly how institutions like Berkeley Lab and the Department of Energy are carving out a highly valuable niche in the booming AI landscape. Rather than competing with Silicon Valley tech giants to build ever-larger language models from scratch, the lab is focusing on the specialized connective tissue that makes commercial AI useful for hardcore science. Because the bridge model approach underlying MatterChat is forward-compatible, it is perfectly positioned to leverage these parallel tracks of innovation. As Mahoney pointed out, “We expect that industry will continue to develop improved LLMs, and we expect domain scientists and facilities will continue to generate new data. An important part of scientific machine learning is not simply to solve problems on today’s data, but instead to develop general methods that will be forward-compatible with orders of magnitude more data, whether from scientific domains or from LLMs.” According to Yao, the MatterChat project, which was initially developed and enhanced with funding from a Berkeley Lab Laboratory Directed Research & Development (LDRD) Program, will now expand its capabilities. In a collaboration with Fermilab, MatterChat is already contributing to a U.S. Department of Energy Genesis Mission project — called Accelerating eXtreme Environment Specs-to-Silicon (AXESS) — that aims to speed up the development of next-generation, high-speed, radiation-hardened detectors for challenging particle physics experiments by using advanced 3D integrated circuits (chiplets) and AI-driven data analysis. In addition to the LDRD support, the team also credits supercomputing resources at the National Energy Research Scientific Computing Center (NERSC), located at Berkeley Lab, with MatterChat’s success. “We are incredibly grateful to NERSC; this research simply would not have happened without access to the Perlmutter supercomputer through their AI for Science program,” said Tang. Wenbin Xu, a NERSC postdoctoral fellow at the time, was also a major co-author of the work, as was Benjamin Erichson, a research scientist in Berkeley Lab’s SDD, highlighting the benefits of AMCR-SDD collaboration on AI for science. ### Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) is committed to groundbreaking research focused on discovery science and solutions for abundant and reliable energy supplies. The lab’s expertise spans materials, chemistry, physics, biology, earth and environmental science, mathematics, and computing. Researchers from around the world rely on the lab’s world-class scientific facilities for their own pioneering research. Founded in 1931 on the belief that the biggest problems are best addressed by teams, Berkeley Lab and its scientists have been recognized with 17 Nobel Prizes. Berkeley Lab is a multiprogram national laboratory managed by the University of California for the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Science. DOE’s Office of Science is the single largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences in the United States, and is working to address some of the most pressing challenges of our time. For more information, please visit energy.gov/science.
Column: Jack up taxes on California's rich? Popular liberal mantra, but bad idea
Sticking it to the rich sounds nice, but doesn't fix the problem
The booming business of anti-California merch
Being anti-California has become a business.
Xavier Becerra faces attacks from all sides in Calif. governor's race
Becerra came under fire last week for his link to a recent fraud scandal.
Eric André just dropped an insane classical album — and it's actually pretty brilliant
Eric André, host of the prank-filled "Eric Andre Show," conducted the Colburn Orchestra at a surreal concert blending genuine musicianship with comedy, promoting his new album "Film Scores for Films That Don't Exist."
LGBTQ+ comedians are redefining roasts as an art form in West Hollywood
Gay comedian Andrew Stier wanted to foster a community of queer comics when he moved to L.A., so he made a comedy show. What he got was a growing production revealing queer people are meant to roast.
Ronda Rousey entered Gina Carano fight injured
Former UFC women's bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey only needed 17 seconds to finish women's mixed marital arts pioneer Gina Carano at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, Calif. on Saturday. The two met in the featured fight of Most Valuable Promotions and Netflix's debut MMA event. It ...