Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory

Mock terrorists defeated security personnel in a recent drill at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, where nuclear weapons research is conducted, federal officials said Tuesday.

Researchers at the University of Texas at Austin have turned on the Texas Petawatt laser on March 31 for, well, a very brief period of time. The specs of the device are mind-boggling: It has the power output of thousands of power plants and is brighter than the surface of the sun. Yet, the total power output of the atom-splitting laser is just enough to keep a light bulb burning for only a few seconds.

A former Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory scientist who lacked proper credentials sent off an uninspected package containing two open vials of deadly pathogen anthrax across the country in 2005, triggering a $450,000 federal fine against the lab, authorities say.