Ames Lab research efforts aim to develop in-service flaw detection techniques for forecasting lifetimes under varied service conditions; scientists are working with government and industry to meet world needs for reliability in manufacturing materials and structures. Research initiatives include the development of the Magnescope, a device that measures a material's magnetic properties to assess damage and potential for failure from destructive mechanisms such as fatigue and corrosion. The lab’s research falls within eight program areas: Materials Science and Engineering, Applied Mathematics and Computational Sciences, Biological and Environmental Research, Chemical and Biological Sciences, Environmental and Protection Sciences, Simulation, Modeling and Decision Science and Nondestructive Evaluation