What if you could power your life using pond scum? Los Alamos researchers are working to make this a reality. Courtesy/LANL
Big possibilities with tiny science! Nanotechnology scientists at Los Alamos study how to design and create structures and materials from nanoparticles. Courtesy/LANL
LANL News:
Los Alamos National Laboratory’s Bradbury Science Museum is opening two new exhibits Friday, July 26 as part of the Laboratory’s 70th Anniversary celebration.
One is a nanotechnology exhibit featuring the Laboratory’s Center for Integrated Nanotechnologies (CINT) and the other is an algae biofuel exhibit from the Laboratory and the New Mexico Consortium.
An opening reception for the two exhibits is scheduled for 6 p.m. at the downtown museum on Central Avenue at 15th Street.
“We’re pleased to open two new exhibits, on some of the Laboratory’s latest research, as part of our 70th anniversary year. I’m sure these exhibits will broaden the public’s knowledge and appreciation of Los Alamos National Laboratory,” Bradbury Science Museum Director Linda Deck said.
“Nanotechnology—The Science of the Small,” demonstrates the importance of understanding how nanoparticles work, while “Algae to Biofuels: Squeezing Power from Pond Scum,” gives visitors an overview of algae biofuels.
“We developed this exhibit with the New Mexico Consortium (NMC) and the Bradbury Science Museum to highlight our work in bioenergy,” Jose Olivares of Los Alamos; Bioscience Division said. Olivares will introduce the exhibit; to complement the algae biofuel exhibit, the Laboratory also will be releasing a video on biofuels.
“The Algae to Biofuels exhibit highlights the work of the NMC and algae researchers at the Laboratory, the University of New Mexico and New Mexico State University to create an informative, educational and interactive exhibit,” said Shannan Yeager of the NMC.
The consortium, she said, plans to develop the exhibit for a broad audience and take it on the road as part of NMC’s educational outreach program.
The New Mexico Consortium is a non-profit corporation formed by the three New Mexico research universities: NMSU, the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology and UNM.
Nanotechnology
“Nanoscience and nanotechnology are exciting new branches of science that have gained an enormous emphasis in our country since the National Nanotechnology Initiative of 2000,” said David Morris, director of Los Alamos’ CINT. “The nanotechnology exhibit at the Bradbury Museum is focused on CINT with the goal of introducing the public to our mission as a Department of Energy facility and to the many exciting discoveries and challenges of working at the nanoscale.”
Visitors will be able to see just how small a nanometer actually is, why research at the nanoscale is important and why nanoparticles behave differently. Laboratory researchers at CINT are exploring all aspects of this new science.
CINT is a United States Department of Energy nanoscale science research center operated by Los Alamos and Sandia National Laboratories.
Admission to the Bradbury Science Museum is always free and the public is welcome to attend. Photography will be allowed at the event and refreshments will be served.
Mensa, an internationally recognized high-IQ society, recently named the Bradbury Science Museum as one of its top 10 “Favorite Science Museums.
