July 31, 2009

Summer Sunday Teaches Science with Gumdrops, Beethoven

The Light Sources Directorate annual open house, part of Brookhaven Lab's Summer Sundays program, drew a record-breaking number of both visitors and volunteers on July 19. A slew of hands-on scientific demos, basic lectures, giveaways, and tours attracted nearly 850 visitors from the local community to the NSLS, the second of five facilities to be showcased in the lab-wide program on consecutive Sundays during the summer.

The visitors started in Berkner Hall, where they had the opportunity to experience a new addition to the Summer Sunday program: the "Science Laser Light Spectacular," an hour show that teaches the basics of math and science via laser light. After learning the technical basics about light sources and their scientific applications, participants were bused to the NSLS, where 11 hands-on displays covering topics ranging from solar power to NSLS-II awaited.

Summer Sunday visitors explore the hands-on displays set up in the NSLS lobby

At the display, "Was Beethoven Poisoned?," visitors learned about a synchrotron experiment that found an abnormally high amount of lead in the musician's hair, which turned out to be caused by his favorite lead wine goblet. They then plucked strands of their own hair, taped them to paper slides, and watched via webcam as NSLS staff used x-ray fluorescence microscopy to measure the levels of common metals such as iron, copper, and zinc in their hair.

Upstairs, at "Hear the Light," visitors learned that by changing the intensity of light at audio frequencies, they can generate a light signal that contains sound information. Following the sound of high-pitched garbles, low hums, and melodic scales, guests were drawn to this table in the Seminar Room where record-sized spinning patterns were used to change the intensity of light from a laser pointer.

Outside, visitors watched the effect of liquid nitrogen on magnets, balloons, and flowers, tested miniature cars that run on solar and fuel cells, and looked up at the sky for a water-rocket launch held two times per hour.

The youngest guests enjoyed two of the more tasty exhibits: "Crystal-icious," where volunteers helped students make 3-dimensional, edible crystal structures out of gumdrops and toothpicks, and "Sounds of Silence," which answered the burning question, "what happens when a marshmallow Peep is subjected to vacuum?"

Summer Sunday participants watch their marshmallow Peeps expand when put under vacuum

A series of general science lectures also were offered to guests on topics ranging from using synchrotron light to investigate Long Island mussels and oysters to the study of Alzheimer's disease via an x-ray imaging system. Lecturers included Megan Bourassa, DJ Connor, Matt Engel, Keith Jones, Jean Jordan-Sweet, and Pete Siddons.

In addition, a new series of NSLS-II-based lectures were given by Andy Broadbent, Diane Hatton, and Ray Fliller in Brookhaven's Science Education Building on everything from the mechanics to the economic impact of the upcoming, world-leading facility.

Upon entering the NSLS, each guest received a quiz about scientific topics covered in the displays. Every finished quiz was handed in and redeemed for an NSLS Frisbee. In addition, a handful of people were selected raffle-style every half hour to receive an NSLS-themed prize or a tour of the experimental floor for themselves and their accompanying family or group. By the end of the day, almost 200 visitors received an up-close look at the facility's control room, beamlines, booster, and researchers.

The rest of this year's volunteer team included more than 80 staff, students, and family members from the Light Sources Directorate, including Andrew Ackerman, Marc Allaire, Jeff Ambrose, Alvin Acerbo, Steve Bennett, Lonny Berman, Larry Carr, Clinton Chan, Alex Chen, Shu Cheung, Brianne Corwin, Mary Anne Corwin, Cheryl Donato, Camille Drouin-Allaire, Larry Fareria, Marcelo Ferreira, Joann Giambalvo, Ed Haas, Joanna Hall, Marcelo Honnicke, Eugene Hu, Greg Hulbert, Steve Hulbert, Ashley Jones, Chi-Chang Kao, Thomas Kao, Jeff Keister, Brendan Kennedy, Syed Khalid, Nalaka Kodituwakku, Genny Kuczewski, John Kuczewski, Tony Kuczewski, Deborah Lange, Edwin Lazo, Yongjun Li, Corinne Messana, Lisa Miller, Shirin Mortazavi, Dave Mosher, Kathy Nasta, Christopher Owen, Kaumudi Pandya, Bishnu Panigrahi, Keri Panigrahi, Shreeya Panigrahi, Kun Qian, Ray Raynis, Courtney Roach, Lydia Rogers, Abdul Rumaiz, Cecilia Sanchez-Hanke, Michael Santana, Sergei Seletskiy, Sanjaya Senanayake, Randy Smith, Kendra Snyder, Vivian Stojanoff, Helio Takai, Naquisha Toliver, H. VanDyk, Elio Vescovo, Gary Weiner, William Willis, Barbara Wilson, Marty Woodle, Megan Wright, Nancye Wright, Xi Yang, Jonathan Yin, Raymond Yin, Zhijian Yin, Phil Yoon, Edward Zeitler, Zhong Zhong, Hua Zhou, and numerous friends and family members.