June 4, 2003

NSLS’s Youngest Scientists Learn from Light on “Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work” Day

On April 24, about 30 daughters and sons learned about some of the scientific programs at the NSLS, and even performed their own scientific experiments. The one-day visit was part of the national "Take our Daughters and Sons to Work Day."

At the NSLS, the children learned that the facility produces many types of light, from microwaves to x-rays, which have many applications in many fields, including electronics, catalysis, microscopes, and medicine. NSLS scientists Marc Allaire, Steve Hulbert, Lisa Miller, and Vivian Stojanoff offered a tour of the experimental floor to the boys and girls, who discovered how synchrotron light is used to design non-stick coatings for aluminum pans, study bone diseases like osteoporosis, and develop new drugs using protein crystallography.

After the tour, the daughters and sons had the chance to perform their own scientific experiments. Marc Allaire demonstrated simple reflection of light from a mirror and contrasted that with the process of diffraction, which was illustrated by reflecting red laser light from a CD-ROM -- the world’s most popular diffraction grating. But perhaps the most exciting moment was when the boys and girls discovered that they could created their own rainbow patterns by diffracting visible white light from the CD-ROM.

 The boys and girls then had the opportunity to learn from Lisa Miller about the wonders of liquid nitrogen. By immersing an inflated balloon in liquid nitrogen, they discovered that the air inside of the balloon contracts, and then re-expands when warmed up. Much to the amazement of the entire crowd, the balloon survived dozens of repeated freeze-thaw cycles without bursting. But perhaps one of the most memorable experiments involved freezing natural versus artificial daffodils in liquid nitrogen. Both the children and their parents learned that it is much more fun to freeze and crumble a living flower than to take it home as a souvenir.

PHOTOS BY: Roger Stoutenburgh.

FOR MORE INFORMATION: Lisa Miller