Doomsday Squad at Argonne National Laboratory Prepares for Chaos


Imagine a massive cyberattack that shuts down Chicago’s critical infrastructure, like electric power to hospitals and prisons.

Or consider an Ebola virus outbreak, transmitted and spread through the city’s massive, bustling transportation hub.

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These global and regional disaster scenarios are daily considerations for Argonne National Laboratory’s Global Security Sciences division, nicknamed the Doomsday Squad.

The division of scientists and engineers predict catastrophic events using Argonne’s powerful technological and scientific resources, including Mira – one of the world’s fastest supercomputers.

By running computer models that simulate cataclysmic scenarios, the Doomsday Squad preemptively crafts appropriate responses to mitigate further devastation.

The GSS was launched in 2014 and comprises four centers focused on separate threats and solutions: the Center for Strategic Security, Risk and Infrastructure Science Center, Strategic Alliance for Global Energy Solutions and Systems Science Center.

Argonne researchers Charles Macal and Megan Clifford, both members of the Doomsday Squad, join Phil Ponce to discuss the laboratory’s program.


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