Ask Anna

Friday June 18

Q: What does NM Tech have in terms of dual credit/underage admissions programs?

A: New Mexico Tech offers dual credit to students who attend high schools in the general area of the campus. Unfortunately we are not able to offer dual to everyone, but you are still always welcome to take summer courses with us. New Mexico Tech does also have a yearly summer program, The Summer STEM Experience, for rising juniors and seniors. We are looking to hopefully expand that program and open it up to all high school students in the coming years. You can always feel free to reach out to the Office of Admission for more information about that program. J. Cervantes

Q: What impact does volunteer hours have at UNM?

A: Volunteering can be very beneficial once you start to look for internship or job opportunities. Volunteering also enhances your academic career and helps you network with potential employers. Additionally, programs like the BA/MD or Nursing highly encourage volunteering for their application process. P. Nunez

Q: What impact does volunteer hours have at NMTech?

A: For admission, volunteer hours do not have any impact. We try to keep our admission process very straight forward which is why it is strictly based on GPA and test scores. Volunteer hours can help you out for other things though, such as non-institutional scholarships, future internships, on and off-campus jobs, etc. So do not feel like they are at all useless! J. Cervantes

Q: What impact does volunteer hours have at NMSU?

Q: On the material return form, what do you mean by "yes" and "no"?

Q: Athena - Where would the pocket nuclear reactors go to? And how long do these nuclear reactors last?

A: I am certain that they will be trained. However, similar to how spent nuclear fuel is transported, these microreactotors will be very safe and and their transportation will have to adhere to strict regulations to ensure everyone's safety.

Q: Priscilla Nunez- Can you provide me with more information about the BA/MD program? I interested in pre-med so I would love to learn about the BA/MD program.

A: The BA/MD program allows high school seniors to apply to our Medical School. If a student is accepted into the BA/MD program they will have a reserve seat into our Medical School, will obtain a full ride scholarship for the undergraduate program, and will get mentorship. You can learn more about the program by visiting https://hsc.unm.edu/medicine/education/ba-md/. P. Nunez

Q: How old do we have to be for us to apply for an internship?

A: Most internships do not have an age criteria but might have a classification (sophomore, junior, etc.) requirement. I recommend looking for internship opportunities once you start at UNM. There are a lot of opportunities provided by our Career Services Office, https://career.unm.edu/.P. Nunez

A: At New Mexico Tech many of our students start internships the summer between their freshman and sophomore years. Because of this they are able to gain a great amount of experience during the entire course of their undergraduate degree! Many of these students are continuously asked back by the companies that they intern with every year as well, and many are even offered jobs by these companies at the end of their final summer before they graduate from New Mexico Tech. In the past I have even seen internship opportunities for high school students though, so don't be afraid to look around. You never know what kind of amazing opportunities that you can find! J. Cervantes

Thursday June 17

Q: when going into the military at the age you did, is it possible to do a different job that doesn't include the fighting?"

A: I had training to help me survive any situation (I was in the Marines after all), this said on my day to day job there was no fighting as I was an electronics tech. There are many other jobs one can do mostly using your brain and I can elaborate further (ie translator etc) . Also, the military does not just go to war but there are branches that do live saving missions; help citizens after a big flood/fire, medical emergencies, earthquake search and rescue etc etc Astrid Morreale

Q: Did being in the military benefit your educational journey? Besides financially.

A: Yes, of course! there is very little in this world that I think I cannot do, I also have a larger view on things than my peers . I am known for getting things done and efficient and that is probably thanks to my military training. I also traveled to Japan and learned Japanese and visited many many states within the USA. Today I still have many friends that I keep in contact from the time I was in the military.-Astrid Morreale

Q: Did you do anything STEM related in the Marines?

A: Lots of STEM outreach, specially in racially segregated areas in the USA and with kids with disabilities in Japan. -Astrid Morreale

Q: How was you're experience with the military? I was considering taking the same route as you, but I have some doubts that maybe you could clear up.

A: Well it depends what your ultimate goal is. I wanted to finance my education, gain financial independence while getting a different view of the world along the way.- Astrid Morreale

Q: Are there any national societies for asian-american students?

A; yes the most famous one is SASE:

https://www.saseconnect.org/

Astrid Morreale

Q: Is there a paper that gives us information on what we get to decide what we get to keep or have at the end of our camp? Cause i need more info.

A: Look into the Materials Return google form sent on 6/17. If you follow the instructions, you will see what you can keep and what you need to return

Q: I would like to ask Alex Miera if she is worried that the research she does, especially any research going to the military/ the iron man, will go into unethical projects in the future.

Q: Why does the Sandia Hand only have 4 fingers?

A: The pinky is actually unnecessary when picking up and gripping things. Usually when you go to pick something up or move it, you naturally try to get your pinky out of the way when doing these tasks. That’s why the Sandia hand only has 3 fingers and a thumb. C. Gilbert

Q: How old do we have to be to apply for internships? also is there any more programs like this that you know of?

A: To apply for the High School Internship Program at Los Alamos National Laboratory, you must at least 16 years old at the time the internship begins AND have senior standing in high school. The earliest a student can apply is the second semester of their junior year in high school, in order to intern the summer after completing their junior year, when they have senior standing. More information about the LANL High School Internship Program is available at https://www.lanl.gov/careers/career-options/student-internships/high-school/index.php. Information about addition opportunities are available on the STEAM Hub of Northern New Mexico website at https://www.nmsteamhub.com/.

Q: I would like to ask Ms. Astrid Morreale more about her pathway in education. I was wondering if it was possible to join the military and the path she chose, but instead of engage in combat like she did and instead perform a STEM related service.

A:Not everything involves combat. There are many other jobs one can do where you will be guaranteed to be off the front lines and be in a STEM field: bio-chemist, lab tech, medical field, engineering etc. Also there are branches that specialize in domestic live saving missions; help citizens after a big flood/fire, medical emergencies, earthquake search and rescue etc etc Astrid Morreale

Q: How would our society be now if the women pioneers of science didn't come forward and it remained exclusive to men?

A: What a really interesting question! I don’t know that there is a specific answer, however, you can look around at what women do, what professions they are in and you see that they view the world from a different perspective than men. I think that if STEM were exclusively male than you would not see as many solutions to family and community problems.

Wednesday June 16

Q: We were more focused on the pros of exos. What about the cons of exos? Are there any issues with utilizing exos that later in life people have to deal with?

Q: How does biophysics help to study DNA?

I would say that the discovery of DNA not only helped us understand how genetic information is transmitted through generations; it also gave rise to a number of new fields, of which biophysics is one. Unlike pure biology, where experiments often involve observing live cells and understanding their peculiar behaviors without unnecessary physical manipulation, biophysics has a different approach and studies live cells from a physics perspective. For example, a biologist would ask a question— “what happens if a gene is no longer expressed, how does this affect the organism?” whereas a biophysicist would want to know if the fact that a given gene is not expressed (turned off) is affecting cell structure and other properties by say stretching it and recording associated forces and changes from a control case where a given gene is expressed (turned on).

You may find this Forbes article interesting— it also features the work Karissa did on the largest billion atom simulation of an entire gene.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.forbes.com/sites/evaamsen/2019/04/25/what-does-dna-look-like-after-66-years-were-still-learning-more/amp/

There are many things we still do not know about DNA (for example, we study how the DNA folds to form chromosomes— I am attaching a video of a chromosome model I made below). There is plenty of work to do for the future generation of scientists like you! -Anna Lappala

Q: (Alex Miera) Will there ever be another type of exoskeleton in the future? Since you've already created a prosthetic hand - what other type of exoskeleton have you created?

Q: How does the hopper robot jump that high? Also how does it know when too jump and where to jump

A: The hopper drives around autonomously, but the jumping portion is controlled by a human and instructs the hopper how high to jump by setting the angle of actuators and force of spring mechanisms. C.Gilbert

Q: Question for Athena- Are the truck drivers that transport the nuclear power trained to work with it in case there is ever an emergency?

Q: I actually have a question about how the younger kids can possibly take advantage of the camps resources later in life.

Tuesday June 15

Q: If too much radiation causes cancer, why is radiation used in cancer treatments? Are different types of cancer more sensitive to radiation?

A: Great question! All radiation is not equal. Radioisotopes used for medicine usually have very short half-lives (the time it takes for half of the isotope to decay away), usually hours to days. This is important so there is the maximum impact on the diseased cells but effect on the body as a whole is minimized. In addition, the delivery method for the isotope is essential. Isotopes can be targeted by tethering them to a biological molecule like a protein that is attracted to the tumor, so the decay energy goes to a specific place. The type of radioactive decay is also important. Alpha emitters are good for small tumors (short path length) and beta emitters for larger tumors (slightly longer decay path). All of these different aspects have to be considered and optimized when designing a radioisotope therapy. Eva Birnbaum

Q: Question for Heather- What was the most difficult part when you were apart of the launch team for perseverance?

Q: My question goes out to Marcey Hoover: You mentioned your passion to leave the environment a little better than you found it. I was wondering a few examples of what you do in your personal and professional life to fulfill this urge.

A: On a professional front, I take the time to speak at both internal and external events, encouraging people to take on careers that take action to combat climate change and contribute via science and engineering. Here is a link to a panel session that I moderated earlier this spring form the DOE YouTube channel:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w7OA8MljFqw

On a personal front, we do simple things. For example, my family opts to take our car that gets better gas mileage on any driving trips to not use as much fossil fuels, we only heat and cool the portions of our house that are used constantly (e.g. kitchen and bedroom) to conserve energy, and we have planted low-water use landscaping at our house to conserve water!

Q: What do you think you will be working on in the coming years (as your job appears to "change throughout the project lifestyle")?

Q: I would like to know what factors were taken into consideration when developing the vaccine and how it would mimic the virus.

A: The main two considerations were safety and efficacy.

The concept is as follows: the goal is to expose a person to a small piece of the COVID-19 virus enabling the person's immune system to specifically recognize the full COVID-19 virus; however this piece can't be too big (too much of the virus particle), otherwise this could result it infection. In addition, the synthetic piece of the virus needs to be stable enough to last in the body long enough to produce a robust immune response. The spike protein fits the bill perfectly. The spike protein resides on the outside of the virus and is the main piece responsible for interacting with our immune systems. The spike protein by itself connect cause an infection. It also is quite stable.

In terms of the Moderna and Pfizer mRNA vaccines, these vaccines consist of the mRNA surrounded by a shell. The shell and the mRNA need to be designed to be stable enough to survive the trip into our bodies' cells to the ribosomes, which will use the mRNA to make the spike proteins. Because the mRNA only codes for the spike protein, it cannot cause an infection. - Karissa Sanbonmatsu

Q: We’re all rovers tested in chambers or just some?

Q: For Amy Tainter- Do you think working so hard on the ranch growing up and in your adult life has helped you in your career? If so, in what way?

A: I can honestly say that most of my work ethics came from my two hard working parents (do not have an education) but worked so hard for my brothers and I to have everything we needed. second came from raising animals where my dad taught me discipline, responsibility since 11 years old and dedication to my projects (steers, swine, lambs, and horses) year after year. Then I have to thank my FFA advisor in High school who also disciplined, taught me all about life and first and for most to never be late and how to speak in front of a crowd. Ranching is only a small fraction of hard work it takes dedication, perseverance and goals/drive to want it because it is not an easy life style.

Sometimes as a woman in any career whether it be ranching, Engineering, Physicists, chemist, nursing, doctor, teacher, or officer you might feel that you have to prove yourself at one point or another but at the end of the day, the only one you have to prove to is yourself that you give everything you do 100% and you love what you do!- Amy Tainter

Monday June 14

Q: What happens to the solar panels if it hails outside?

A: Part of designing and manufacturing any product is to build into the design features to protect it while it is operating. This is what many engineers do in all types of industries including solar. Additionally, governments (state and federal) can sometimes write laws that say products must survive in certain conditions: think buildings in earthquakes and hurricanes. IN which case, a team of engineers will design and execute tests to make sure their product meets the regulations. I was curious about hail on panels too because my family is going to have them put on our house and we get a lot of hail. So I found this information from the Dept of Energy https://www.energy.gov/eere/articles/hail-no-national-labs-solar-panels-survive-severe-storm Looks like we should be ok! M. Decroix

Q: Do you trust the vaccine even though it wasn't tested for 10-15 years, and it was tested on humans?

A: Yes I do because the science behind it is solid. very often when we start a project we do our homework thoroughly so there is a high chance of success. With Covid the pressure is a lot to get it right the first time - there is no scope for mistakes and the learning curve by default had to be steep. A lot of brilliant minds and well-intentioned people were behind the vaccine. Also, remember that technology now allows to do a lot in a very short time. So it isn't like the old days where testing was much slower. Also, approvals take forever but in the case of the vaccine all hands were on board - we did not have just a couple of people at the FDA look at the application snail-pace but we had the technology scrutinized at multiple levels in parallel. Further, the mRNA technology used to make the vaccine has been in the pipeline since a couple of decades, scientists have been working on it for a long time but there was no immediate need for developing a new vaccine with this technology. Now the need is there and the technology was available - no reason not to use it.

Hope that reassures you about this vaccine. -Rashi Iyer

Q: How can you trust the vaccine if there was no critical trials on it and it was only made in a couple of months and most shots/vaccines are made 10-15 years after they start working on it, and how do you know your not going to get sick from taking the vaccine, because the flu shot for example, people got the flu shot and they still got the flu. There was a guy he got the vaccine and a couple weeks later he got covid and he died.

A: Sandra Begay: Here's the information I trust to find out details about the COVID vaccine:: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/keythingstoknow.html?s_cid=10493:cdc%20covid%20vaccine:sem.ga:p:RG:GM:gen:PTN:FY21

Q: Do you often face failures in your work, if so what are some examples, and how did you and your team overcome them?

A: LOL the work is wrought with challenges and failures. But the failures teach us a lot more than the successes - we have to trouble-shoot endlessly and we learn a lot during that process. We often have heated discussions about the correct approach and we don't always agree. The buck often ends with me and I have to make the final decision. I do so after much deliberation with everyone on the team - right from the undergraduate student who does a lot of the testing work to the senior scientist with the expertise. Often what we believe in theory should happen does not work out experimentally - so input from the students and postdocs is critical in the decision making. For eg., it was my idea to use hollow fibers for the lung but my graduate student and postdoc who grew the cells in the fiber and then performed the testing could not get it to work. we kept at it for nearly 6 months while we tried other alternative approaches. Finally, I pulled the plug on it. We make small and big decisions everyday that impacts the outcome of our work. I have been very fortunate that we have a great working team with few egos and a lot of ideas. In the end we all have the same goal. Rashi Iyer

Q: Are there gonna be more help sessions for the rover?

Yes! absolutely. Let's say from 5:30-7:30 for the next two evenings. That will give you a break and you can go get some dinner. Also the mentors usually meet about 4:30 to discuss how the sessions went. I may need to send a separate google meet link - let me talk to the other mentors and see how we're going to arrange a room and I'll post that information here and also send it out to the email list. - Matt

Q: Could we code from our own personal computers or do we need to use the Pi Top?

You can use your own laptop, it is probably recommended. Here's how to download the Arduino IDE onto your laptop.

Go to: http://chamisaelementary.com/phys_camp/home.html

and you will see links for the Arduino IDE for Windows and Mac. The Windows link takes you to the App store and installs it. The Mac link puts a file in your Downloads directory and when you click on it, it should install. (I don't know Macs, but I think that is right).

Installing the QTRSensors library is exactly the same as on the Pi Top.

-Matt

Q: What is the best advice Rita Gonzales would give to incoming internship students when it comes to succeeding but also taking care of themselves?

Friday June 11

Q: How do I secure my network?

Answer by Caren Shiozaki:

1. I always change default login passwords and user names (these are what manufacturers assign so devices are ready to go "out of the box")

2. When I get a new device, I remove the bloatware (software and apps that the manufacturer automatically installs, but not that useful).

3. Strengthen security on the wireless router: use strongest encryption protocol available; as in (1) change the router's default admin password;

change the default SSID; disable WPS (wi-fi protected setup)... which allows a wireless device to join a network w/o entering the network password;

keep firmware on my router up-to-date.

4. I keep operating system updates/patches up to date on my devices.

5. I backup my data regularly. I have a local separate device that is not networked, and I also have a backup in the cloud.

6. I run up-to-date anti virus software.

7. I use a VPN.

8. I use a password manager. This makes it easy to follow best practices of not reusing passwords, and having them sufficiently complex.

9. I do not use any digital assistants (like Alexa); I won't install RING, I won't use NEST. I have a basic alarm system; if I wanted one with visual capability,

I would configure my own using servers and webcams I control.

10. The only social media I am active on is LinkedIn, and even then I am very careful about what I post. I don't use FB, Twitter, etc. A lot of this stems

from the work I've had to do with the FBI and other government agencies, and because I am called to testify or be deposed in litigation.

Q: How do you think solar panels can benefit not only the planet but humans?

A: You could say that benefitting the planet is benefitting humans. 😊 But there are other benefits for reducing our use of carbon fuels such as reductions in rates of skin cancer and fewer strong storms that damage our homes. Solar isn’t the answer for every place on the planet, but it is really great alternative source of energy for places like New Mexico. The increasing number of alternative energy sources is really exciting for engineers because now we can match the energy source to the need and location instead of always trying to pipe in fossil fuels.M. Decroix

Q: How much solar energy is needed to light up and entire neighborhood?

A:The amount of energy needed is determined by the number of energy consuming “things” in the neighborhood. Here is a neat little info sheet for street lights. https://hypertextbook.com/facts/2004/MarinaAvetisyan.shtml

If we assume every block has 10 street lights, then the amount of energy used is 10 times the energy of one street light (let’s assume 300Watts) so 3000 Watts for every block. If your neighborhood is 10 blocks, then the street lights use 30,000 Watts. It adds up very quickly. The invention of large LED lights was a huge advancement because they require much less energy, ~100 Watts, so the same number of lights uses only 1/3 as much energy. BTW, this energy can be supplied by carbon fuels or solar or other forms of energy production. M. Decroix

Q:Ms. Anna, I was wondering if you could go over what will be included with the technology package when we choose it instead of the $300 stipend.

A: All information is on website

Q: How long does it take to destroy plutonium?

A: This question of the disposition of nuclear materials like Pu is one of the legacies that will pass to your generation, to your grandchildren, and to many generations beyond us.

1. Natural decay by radioactive transmutation (mutating from one chemical element to another) ranges from 14 years to 81 million years depending on which of the 6 or 7 Pu isotopes we are discussing, differing by the number of neutrons in their nuclei. I’m quoting half-lives which means that after one half-life the sample contains half as many “mother atoms” as you started with. For any practical sample, you never see the last mother atom decay.

2. As Hubert mentioned in discussions, Pu can be “burned up” by fission in a nuclear reactor or an accelerator within a couple of years. The required environment has copious, energetic neutrons “to split” the Pu nuclei into harmless chemical elements such as barium. These schemes can produce useful energy. The downsides include radioactivity in the fission products and the danger of losing control of the radioactive and fissile materials, which could then be used to proliferate “dirty (radioactive)” bombs or nuclear weapons.

3. Even if you wait for mother atoms to decay naturally or by forced fission, you are left with “daughter atoms”—isotopes of U or Am—that can be just as radioactive or chemically toxic as the mothers. Add another 5 years of processing and storage, here. The good news is that simple chemistry can be used to separate the mothers and daughters, which is generally much more cost effective than isotope separation methods by physical means.

4. Fusion transmutes elements, too, but I’m unaware of a fusion process for big nuclei like Pu.

5. Think of new ways to store or isolate nuclear material! Shoot it into the sun? Inject it into the Earth’s mantle at a subduction zone?

Keep in mind that radioactive materials can be safely handled and stored if respected. They are not a death ray or a plague. You are radioactive right now, and if you had a banana for breakfast your radioactivity probably doubled this morning (potassium). My father-in-law survived the bombing of Hiroshima and lived until just this year, aged 93 years, when Covid caught up with him. Alan Hurd

Q: How can you build a professional relationship with people when you are still in the introvert stage?

A: As one introvert to another, I can offer a few of tips that have worked for me.

1. In group settings, mentally prepare your remarks by jotting them down. A concise, well-ordered logic chain will bring notice to you that may nucleate further dialog.

2. Strike a diplomatic tone in all engagements. That will encourage people to contact you so that you do not have to take the initiative.

3. Be a joiner. Clubs, societies, etc. When people see that actually deliver, they will eventually see you as leadership material.-Alan Hurd

Thursday June 10

Q: Do you think we would still have to code for computers in the future?

A. Absolutely! Remember the PBJ sandwich demonstration! Computers can do amazing things. Computers can learn new things on their own. But they still need guidance from humans. Perhaps in the future we will be better able to program using voice commands, rather than typing. But programming and coding are not going away. Joan

Q: When might the next rover be sent to space? What will be it's job and when do you think it might be launched?

Q: Why would computer programming be important to learn at our age?

A: Computer programming teaches problem solving and breaking problems into logical steps. This skill is extremely useful even if you do not end up programming as part of your job. Also many jobs require technology and coding skills - is it truly a superpower. In my view the trick is to find something you are passionate and see how coding can help solving problems - many times coding just for the sake of coding is 'boring' but when solving real problems it drives you. - Thomas

A. Computers and coding are everywhere in our world, so coding is a very valuable skill to learn. And lhe younger you are when you learn, the easier it is. Toddlers can learn a new language (perhaps Russian) very easily and grow up bi-lingual. Learning a new language in High School takes years are effort (and your accent will never be as good as that toddler’s! Even Anna still has an accent). - Joan

Q: Question for Joan Lucas and Thomas Proffen: What first made you interested in pursuing a career and education in coding/computer science/programming?

A: Thomas - funny enough this happened much later. I have a PhD in Physics and in the olden days, any code we needed to analyze data we collected the PhD students and later postdoc wrote themselves. I developed an interest in scientific software writing code, being admired for my coding superpowers :) Outreach started with science outreach and it was not until my daughter was in Middle School and participated in a online computer science competition that I go into coding and technology education specifically for girls and founded Oak Ridge Computer Science Girls and that led to meeting all of you this afternoon and have a wonderful day :)

A. Joan - I took a programming course in High School as an elective, and really enjoyed it. It was a fun challenge to see if I could make the computer do what I wanted. It is like solving a puzzle or playing a game. Then I took another course, and then another…. and here I am! I never was able to answer the question “where do you want to be in ten years?”. I think life rarely is something that you can carefully plan out. You just follow your passion, keep your mind open to new experiences, and see what happens!

Wednesday June 9

Q: Why are wavelengths so important?

A: The wavelength of light tells you how much energy a photon has. There’s a famous equation:

Energy = h times c/wavelength = hc/λ

where:

E is photon energy (Joules),

λ is the photon's wavelength (meters),

c is the speed of light in vacuum - 3x10⁸ meters per second

h is the Planck constant - 6.62606957 × 10⁻³⁴ (m²kgs⁻¹)

Remember, the definition of Energy is ‘the ability to do work. The unit of energy is a ‘Joule’, which means the work done by a force of one ‘newton’ acting through a distance of one meter. One ‘newton’ is equal to the force that that gives 1 kilogram of material an acceleration of 1 meter/second/second.

All these unit definitions can be confusing, but just remember, light can do work, whether it is moving the vanes in a Crook’s radiometer, or heating up a solar panel to create electricity. The wavelength of light can ultimately tell us how much work that light can do.

Another reason wavelengths are so important is that they tell us what kind of light we are dealing with. For example, wavelengths from about 400 to 750 nanometers are in the range of visible light. X-rays have wavelengths from about 0.01 to 10 nanometers.

Q: Ms. Casperson, on one of your resume slides you had mentioned that it’s best to not use relatives and references on a resume, but would it be okay to list a relative that was a past employer? Or is it best to avoid listing relatives (past employer or not) all together?

A: It is best to avoid listing a relative as a reference because their reference will typically be viewed as biased in favor of the family member. That said, you should still list the employment in your resume and you can certainly discuss the position in your interview.

Q: Ms. Lebak, I’m not sure if you mentioned it during the lunch break, but are there any internship opportunities at N3B? If not are there any volunteer opportunities?

Q: If someone did have a non-professional resume, what is somethings that would still help them qualify for the opportunity? A: Lots of activities other than jobs can still give you relevant experience for a job posting. Just a few examples: internships, volunteering, participation in extracurricular school activities and clubs (like theater, Best Buddies, the GSA, etc.), participation in sports while still maintaining a high GPA, advanced coursework (AP, IB, etc.). Indeed.com has some suggestions for writing a resume with no experience here. - Sara M.

Q: With cybersecurity, how can we block scam callers on our phones?

A: There’s 2 ways. The best is to sign up for the National Do Not Call Registry https://www.donotcall.gov/ Also a lot of devices have the ability to manually block phone numbers.-Olivia Stella

Q:What are the requirements to become an ESA astronaut? What classes should someone take in college to become an astronaut?

A: The requirements are surprisingly simple! You need to:

• be between 18 and 50 years of age

• be a national of one of the ESA member states: Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom or 'partner states': Canada, Latvia, Slovenia, and Lithuania

• have at least a Master's degree in a STEM subject or Medicine

• have 3 years of professional experience in the field (e.g. 3 years of PhD research count)

• meet the medical criteria of a pilot (you do not need to have a pilot license but need to be physically fit to become one)

As for classes in college, essentially anything that ultimately leads to a degree in STEM - chemistry, physics, engineering or mathematics. You can also become a doctor and then be sent to space to investigate *in situ* the response of human body to 0G environment!

Q: How does the milky way galaxy account for all of its planets and star without crashing and dying out?

Even though there are about 200 billion to a trillion stars in our Milky Way, the empty space between the stars in humongous. For example, from here to the next closest star is about 20 trillion miles. So space is vast and mostly empty. Here is an example: the Andromeda galaxy is about the same size and shape as our own galaxy. It is on its way here, and will collide with our own galaxy in a billion years or so. You would think that there would be a lot of collisions between stars. But because space is so vast, there will probably not be a single crash.

(Hubert)

Another thing to think about is angular momentum. As you will learn in physics classes both linear and angular momentum are conserved in the Universe. In case you were wondering whether stars e.g. move towards the galactic centre and collide because of gravity, then this is not the case. A star stays in its orbit at a distance away from the galactic centre owing to angular momentum and does not change its course unless its host galaxy crashes with another galaxy, causing the star to gravitationally interact with other objects.

Q: What makes light exactly? Like how are the electrons in light seen by us?

Light is made by charged particles like electrons. Electrons surround the nucleus of an atom in what we call ‘energy levels’, but they don’t always stay in one level. Sometimes the atom is disturbed and an electron can move to a more energetic level. The electron wants to get down to its original less energy level, and to do so it emits a photon of light which carries the extra energy away. That is where most light comes from.

There are no electrons in the light that we see every day, just photons. Electrons do move around outside an atom (like an electric current), but they are very easily stopped when they hit something, even something as light as air. So they really never get to your eye. Astronauts in space report flashes of light from electrons and other charged particles hitting their eyes coming from the vacuum of space where there is nothing to stop them. But we don’t see this at this surface of the earth.

The answer to the second part ( how is light seen by us): The light-sensitive layer in the back of your eye is called the retina. In the retina there are light-sensitive cells. In these cells are molecules that are sensitive to photons of particular range of color (or wavelength), or to just light of any color. When a photon of light falls on these molecules, the energy of the photon is absorbed by this molecule, and this causes a whole chain reaction of chemical and electrical activity, with the result that an electrical signal is fired off from the retinal cell towards the brain. In the center of the retina there are such cells that are sensitive to 3 different colors: mostly red, mostly green and mostly blue. Cells that are sensitive to light, but not to any particular color, are sprinkled over all of the retina.

Q: What if you apply for more then 1 job, do you need to have a different reference or the same person ?

I have used the same person as a reference for different job applications, as long as that person can speak to my qualifications for that particular job. Also, it is good to let them know each time you use them as a reference . - Sara M.

Tuesday June 8

Q: Are we going to be doing mini project like every day?

A: On the first week, we are learning the concepts and doing small parts but next week every afternoon will be dedicated to working on the specific projects (MARS Robot or Ohana Hmestead)

Q: Do men feel threaten by women in science? Is it because the social norm at that time.

A: Remember that men and women are just human beings and we all have our own personalities and behaviors. Some are based in our genes and some come from our experiences. Some men will be threatened by new interactions and certainly there being more women in the workplace is new to some of them. But I have also found some women can be threatened as well. So gender stereotypes really don’t take you very far when you are on a team trying to do a job. Interactions/Relationships with people are one of the hardest parts of any profession/job. And I think, on average, more women are aware of those difficulties than most men. I try really hard to look at everyone I interact with as someone to learn about. I don’t always succeed, but I try. -Michele Decroix

Q: What does the alligator clips have that also helps light up the LED?

A: Alligator clips are made of metal, which conducts electricity, and they have a spring which makes it easy to clip onto other wires or electrical bits.

If you don't have wires with alligator clips, you have to strip the plastic insulation off some wire and wrap it around the LED legs, which is less convenient and more finicky.

Q: Do you believe Project Y would have as successful as it was without the women who contributed?

A: A: I think that the varied contributions of women were essential to making Project Y a success. The wartime laboratory at Los Alamos relied on women of science including medical staff, physicists, chemists, and mathematicians, but also needed the support of women to build a community for Project Y staff in what was then remote New Mexico. Women, like Dorothy McKibbin and Charlotte Serber, were in charge of important administrative offices in Santa Fe and in Los Alamos. Women in the military (the WACs) stepped in to take over previously male-only wartime roles, working as drivers and supply clerks. Local women from the Pueblos and nearby Hispanic villages worked in the technical areas and in laboratories, where their fine motor skills were essential in the assembly of small-scale experimental devices that led to the development of the Fat Man weapon. Women, like Frances Dunne and Norma Gross, made valuable contributions while working in hazardous field conditions. Without a doubt, women were key to the success of Project Y and to ending World War II, along with women working across the country at other Manhattan Project sites, such as Oak Ridge, TN; Hanford, WA; and New York’s Columbia University.-Ellen McGehee

A: Fun fact: There were no women engineers on Project Y. Engineering was not a common thing for women to do and still remains less common then women in science. Frances Dunne and Norma Gross did engineering work but they had science degrees. There was one woman, Miriam White Campbell, who joined the Women’s Army Corp (WACs) and worked as a draftsman for the project. She drew the final drawings to assemble the Little Boy weapon. Her work was engineering. Today we would call her a designer and she would probably have a mechanical engineering degree or a mechanical technologist credential. If she were working today, she would probably be doing a lot of 3d printing! There is an interview on You Tube where she talks about bringing her dog to live with her in Los Alamos. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R5Q0RP3x5pc -Michele

Q: How exactly does the copper tape work.

Materials that allow electricity to flow through it are called conductors. In this group are all metals, like copper, iron, aluminum etc. Also water, and all wet things, such as your body, potatoes, lemons etc conduct electricity.

Materials that do not allow electricity to pass are called insulators. In this class are plastic, rubber, cloth, paper, dry wood, air etc.

This is why for example extension cords are copper on the inside, and plastic on the outside. You can touch the cord and not get hurt, and why you don't want to touch the prongs of a plug while it is mostly plugged in.

Our copper tape is made of metal, which is a conductor, so electricity flows through it, while the paper we tape it down on does not. (Our particular copper tape has glue on it that is also made to conduct). So it is like using copper wires with a plastic insulation on it.

In the experiments we do in the camp, voltages are low enough that they are safe: you can touch the wires safely. The limit for this kind of safe work is 50 Volts. (the highest voltage we use is 9V)

(Hubert)

Q: Olivia stella: if you link multiple social media accounts, like linking spotify to instagram and instagram to apple, or something like that, does it increase the risk of you getting hacked?

A: Yes, because if they get your apple password, they have access to everything else that uses the apple password. And even if it’s just social media accounts, they might be able to use the information to access more sensitive accounts (shopping accounts, bank, etc.) Here’s a good article from 2014 (yes, it’s a persistent problem) - https://www.pcmag.com/news/reusing-passwords-across-social-media-sites-dont-do-that

Q: What makes the motor we made today with the copper wire,battery, magnets and paper clips spin ?

Remember that an electrical current running through a wire produces a magnetic field. In our motor we made, this effect stronger by winding the same wire around 7 or 8 times - this makes the magnetic field stronger. The next thing to remember is that magnets can push or pull on each other. In the little motor we made, the parts are arranged such that the magnet at the bottom pushes and pulls on the wire-coil-magnet (when we send a current through) to make it spin.

Q: I forgot what the 3 things you need to make electricity was called so my main question is what were the 3 components needed to make electricity?

If the question refers to the potato battery, this is what you need: first you need 2 different metals, plus some fluid in between, like the juice in the potato, or orange juice, or even salt water.

Q: Olivia Stella: discussing about cybersecurity " will having similar passwords on multiple platforms increase the chances of being hacked?" This seems like an important thing to know to safeguard ourselves. Other than the lessons though, I was wondering if we would have a lecturer talk to us about medicine as I currently want to study medicine and it would be really cool to learn/explore pathways for it.

A: Yes, because if they get your apple password, they have access to everything else that uses the apple password. And even if it’s just social media accounts, they might be able to use the information to access more sensitive accounts (shopping accounts, bank, etc.). Here’s a good article from 2014 (yes, it’s a persistent problem) - https://www.pcmag.com/news/reusing-passwords-across-social-media-sites-dont-do-that- Olivia Stella

Monday June 7

Q: Why are women so underestimated in the science and engineering field?

A: Underestimated is an interesting word because it depends on your perspective. I think that the field of engineering has been so male for so long that it has just taken on the behaviors and thought processes of men. It is so normal now that no one really even thinks much about how it could be different. Right now the profession is only about 20% female at the entry level so we are having a tough time breaking through with our thought processes. Areas of engineering that are changing fastest are Bio-engineering and energy/environmental because they have a higher number of women in the fields. My area of Mechanical and Aerospace is still less than 15% female. I do feel underestimated sometimes but I am not sure it is a conscious thing most of the time. I believe I just solve problems differently and it seems abnormal to my colleagues. It is frustrating! It has been helpful for me to raise the consciousness of my male colleagues about how they solve a problem. I ask a lot of questions.😊 BTW, this is true in reverse as well. My mom was a nurse which is traditionally a female profession. When male nurses started being more “normal” there were a lot of the same discussions in that field. So it is really is about being the minority in a field and not always gender.-Michele Decroix

A: Because people are weak, and it has always been easier to settle for a stereotype (as in gender roles and racism) than making

up our own mind. Unfortunately, these views can trickle down the centuries if they are not being questioned. But don’t assume that you will have a bad experience in STEM! There are strong efforts all over the world to change this situation.-Marein Rahn

Q: Why do some materials work better with different colors of led lights?

A: Every material in a circuit has a property called impedance and the value for impedance represents how easy or hard it is for electricity to “flow” through the material. Copper has a pretty low impedance and conducts electricity well. Other conductors have higher impedance and conduct electricity poorly. So if you use a different material with a different impedance in the same circuit, then you get different voltage and current output and you may not be able to light the same LED. Electrical engineers must choose materials carefully to get the right performance from circuits without “wasting” a lot of the energy, because the electricity that is not conducted through a material is lost energy. The “lost” energy is stored in the material which causes it to heat up and the components of the circuit can get very hot. Many electrical components that handle high power (like transformers in the electrical grid) need to be cooled, usually with oil. There is a lot of research happening in materials to develop broadly useable superconductor materials that can handle high power with very little loss in heat. This is a tough problem because the materials also need to be mechanically strong to withstand weather and tension between the poles and other design constraints. But if we can develop the right materials, then we can reduce the losses in the national electrical grid. This will allow us to move electricity around the nation further and faster without wasting energy.

Q: How do you get to be so determined about what you want to do so early?

A: In my case, I found something I was interested in at around age 14 (learning languages) and just kept looking for ways to keep doing that, eventually ending up with a PhD in Spanish linguistics. I never stopped liking it and still find it fascinating. However, it is not common to find what you want to major in and work on professionally when you are 14. If you aren't sure about that, there's no reason to feel bad or like you're falling behind. Also, even if you find what you want to major in and work on that early, it can still change later on (like it did for me). It is normal to have several different careers over the course of your life. - Sara Mason

A: I was not determined about what I wanted to do when I was your age. For some reason I wanted to be different than my sister. She liked science but was more interested in the medicine/biology side. I liked physics because I had to think through the problem. It wasn’t just memorizing things. Also, I could make things happen in the real world, like throwing a ball or shooting a projectile, and see the physical laws in action (gravity). My sister and I took physics class together and I was better at then she was. That was very frustrating for her. A little competition is healthy I think. 😊 My dad was a skilled tradesman in construction and worked with a lot of engineers. He said, “You should be an engineer”. I said ok but I did not know what it was. I just knew it paid well. I almost dropped out my sophomore year in college because it was really hard. But I stuck it out and the next semester I took a class in thermodynamics and found my passion for studying fluids. From there I went on to work on designing airplanes and doing research in combustion. Life opens lots of doors. The trick is sticking around so you can walk through them when you are ready.-Michele Decroix

A: I think the biggest challenge nowadays is that there is so much stuff that catches our attention at the same time, so it gets very difficult to focus on one thing. The problem is that to develop a passion for something, you really have to get into it first. So my advice would be just to select one thing (really, anything. On this page alone I see several questions that could ignite and support a whole career) that you feel you care about, and start digging into it. Read a book, sign up for a course, set yourself some goal, start a project with friends … . What’s important is that you keep digging for a bit, even if it takes some effort. The good news is that most topics get more interesting, the deeper you dig. And of course you can adjust the direction of your dig (just don’t jump to the next hole at the first obstacle!). What you have to look for is your "positive feedback loop”: Then the more you learn, the more fun it will be and the more successful you will be, which will motivate you more and so on. It just has to come from yourself (teachers and professors can only nudge you in a direction, but the initiative must come from yourself).- Marein Rahn

Q: How does electricity produce from metals and a potato?

Q: What is the weakest build of an atom? Is it graphite?

Q: How do crystals begin to form, and how does it keep its solid state?

Q:What happens if a crystals was to become liquid? Or has that never happened?

Q: What academic advice do you have for someone who wants to pursue a career in software architecture?

A: The field of Computer Science is incredibly broad, including circuit design, programming languages, Artificial Intelligence, Algorithms, Networking, etc. You will probably want to get a degree in Software Engineering, rather than Computer Science. But you don’t have to decide right away. During your first two years in college (freshman and sophomore) you should take broad range of courses to see which ones really are interesting for you. You cannot take too many Math courses! Mathematics, and that kind of logical thinking, suffuses every aspect of computing and also science!- Joan Lucas

Q:What advice would you give your younger self if you could time travel?

A: My advice for someone going to college would be to ask any question that you have, right away (if you leave them for later, they will just pile up). Don’t worry about what others think and be confident that every question you have is justified. -Marein Rahn

Q: What do zinc and cooper have in common to light up an LED light?

A: What zinc and copper have in common is that they are both metals, and metals conduct electricity very well. Because they are different metals, they react differently with the fluid in the potato, and this gives rise to a voltage difference between the two. See the video on batteries in Pascale's presentation on Wednesday:

https://youtu.be/9OVtk6G2TnQ -Hubert

Q: I wonder what is something Marie always followed and told herself when choosing to keep pushing forward not only for herself, children but also her work and studies to benefit even after she passed?

A: Marein: It’s a difficult question, since Marie wasn’t the kind of person who wanted to share too much of her personal life with the public. Maybe her drive was so strong because she was able two align two goals in her life: On the one hand, her work gave her an immense personal satisfaction, and on the other hand she grew up with the humanitarian conviction that all of us, individually, have a duty to improve the world. I think few people get to combine their own goals and life philosophy in this way. Either because they never get the chance, or because their personal desires are not compatible with a fulfilling cause (e.g. if your only goal is to get rich, you won’t have much to keep you going if you fail). Also, I think most of us often deceive ourselves into evading challenges, mostly for irrational reasons. E.g. sometimes if you are “scared" of an exam, you don’t want to study for it. I think Marie’s had such a logical and scientific attitude that she just didn’t accept obstacles as easily.

Another amazing story I didn’t get to mention:

Marie really didn’t enjoy the public attention she received in her later years (after the Nobel prizes), not even that of the early feminists of the time. But the editor of the US women’s magazine The Delineator, Missy Meloney, was so insistent that she started a campaign to fulfil Marie’s greatest wish. In the 20s, radium was already industrially produced, but Marie couldn’t afford any for her research (one gram cost 100.000 $, which would be more than 1.3 m. $ today). Mrs. Meloney managed to raise this money from her readers. So Marie agreed to write the “The Story of my Life” for the delineator, for "the encouragement to the women of America”. Together with Irene and Eve, Marie then travelled to Washington D.C. and was handed one gram of radium in a lead-lined mahogany box from president W. G. Harding. I have uploaded the relevant issues of the Delineator here: https://drive.google.com/open?id=1pgNCUT8hZSRzyuvL2samX9_YjgGpzFMm.

Q: Ask Frances Chadwick: What is the most challenging part of your job?

A: the span. Trying to get a communication just right for 13,000 people is hard. And you can’t please everyone. You’re trying to take into account all the stakeholders (often including external as well), all the reactions, often with a deadline or some other pressure. And working with the federal government – well, it’s very bureaucratic, so that can sometimes add frustrations.

QI Was also wondering about the statistics of females in medicine in relation to the data shown in both Anna'a brief presentation and Irene Qualter's data.

Q:Could there ever be a technological development that would suppress radiation?

A: Good question! We can only really “suppress” radioactivity by shielding it. Atoms are radioactive when their cores (nuclei) are too unstable to hold together. The cores consists of neutrons and protons, which are held together by nuclear forces. These work quite differently from other forces that you are familiar with, like graviational or magnetic ones. It’s very difficult to manipulate the world at that scale, and we will not be able to change the “half life” (= average stability) of an radioactive element. However, in science you can never say never! If you were able to "design your own nucleus” (e.g. by adding neutrons), you might indeed make an unstable atom stable. Indeed, theorists have predicted an “Island of Stability” in the (largely empty) map of possible nuclei, see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Island_of_stability . It’s not clear if we will ever get there though!- Marein Rahn

Questions to Frances Chadwick:

Q: What are so things over here at New Mexico that are different from were you're from?”

A: The food! The people! And the weather! Seriously, this is a great place to live - I can imagine if you grew up here, you would take it for granted, but NM is unique, and you should always remember how lucky you are. Another big difference is the open space/lack of population. The UK is a very crowded country - traffic everywhere, houses everywhere - its hard to get away. There are things I miss too of course - family, and the sense of history.

Q: “What was the hardest thing to adapt to?”

A: I think when you are a first generation immigrant, you always feel a bit “torn” - I love NM and working/living here, but I do also feel some nostalgia for places I knew as a child. But having said that, I have always felt very welcome here - not treated as an outsider, and I very much appreciate that.

Q: "Do you think it is important for young women to be involved in the sciences from early on?”

A: I dont' know. What I do know is that at some point - Sometimes at a young age, other times later on, I think it helps to find something that genuinely interests you. Often it is a teacher who can create this spark of interest, or a parent, or it can be something you discover on your own. I have three kids - one decided what she wanted to do when she was a junior in high school, another doesn't know what he wants to do when he grows up but is studying a subject he is deeply passionate about and has been since he was about 10, and the third has absolutely no idea and still thinks all school is boring!! So i hold out hope that in time, the third will find something that does interest her because it makes life more enjoyable, for one thing!

Q: “What was the easiest thing to adapt to?”

A: You can connect with people, no matter where they are from. I think humans are good at making those connections, if they try.

Monday June 8

Tuesday June 9

Wednesday June 10

Friday June 12

Monday June 15

Tuesday June 16

Thursday June 17

-Question: Although Global warming is happening, why are some areas in the world getting colder?

https://www.forbes.com/sites/startswithabang/2019/01/30/this-is-why-global-warming-is-responsible-for-freezing-temperatures-across-the-usa/#34272b0ed8cf

“When the vortex at the north pole becomes extremely weak, the high pressure zones found in the middle latitudes of Earth (where the westerlies are) can push towards the poles, displacing the cold air. This causes the polar vortex to move farther south. In addition, the jet stream buckles, and deviates towards more populous, southern latitudes. As the cold, dry air from the poles comes in contact with the warm, moist air of the mid-latitudes, you get a dramatic weather change that we conventionally refer to as a cold snap.

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/2019/01/climate-change-colder-winters-global-warming-polar-vortex/

“First, it's important to understand the difference between climate and weather. Climate is defined as the average weather patterns in a region over a long period of time.”

“Scientists believe Earth will experience more extreme, disastrous weather as the effects of climate change play out.”

“As more Arctic air flows into southern regions, North America can expect to see harsher winters. That was the conclusion of a study published in 2017 in the journal Nature Geoscience. It found a link between warmer Arctic temperatures and colder North American winters. A separate study published in March of last year in the journal Nature Communications found the same link but predicted the northeastern portion of the U.S. would be particularly hard hit.”

https://www.nature.com/articles/ngeo2986#f4

“Warming temperatures in the Northern Hemisphere have enhanced terrestrial productivity. Despite the warming trend, North America has experienced more frequent and more intense cold weather events during winters and springs. These events have been linked to anomalous Arctic warming since 1990, and may affect terrestrial processes. Here we analyse multiple observation data sets and numerical model simulations to evaluate links between Arctic temperatures and primary productivity in North America. We find that positive springtime temperature anomalies in the Arctic have led to negative anomalies in gross primary productivity over most of North America during the last three decades, which amount to a net productivity decline of 0.31 PgC yr⁻¹ across the continent. This decline is mainly explained by two factors: severe cold conditions in northern North America and lower precipitation in the South Central United States. In addition, United States crop-yield data reveal that during years experiencing anomalous warming in the Arctic, yields declined by approximately 1 to 4% on average, with individual states experiencing declines of up to 20%. We conclude that the strengthening of Arctic warming anomalies in the past decades has remotely reduced productivity over North America”

https://science.sciencemag.org/content/343/6172/729

“a rise in global mean temperature will almost certainly lead to an increase in the incidence of record high temperatures. Global warming also leads to increases in atmospheric water vapor, which increases the likelihood of heavier rainfall events that may cause flooding. Rising temperatures over land lead to increased evaporation, which renders crops more susceptible to drought. As the atmosphere and oceans warm, sea water expands and glaciers and ice sheets melt. In response, global sea-level rises, increasing the threat of coastal inundation during storms.”

https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1029/2012GL051000

“two hypothesized mechanisms by which Arctic amplification – enhanced Arctic warming relative to that in mid‐latitudes – may cause more persistent weather patterns in mid‐latitudes that can lead to extreme weather. One effect is a reduced poleward gradient in 1000‐500 hPa thicknesses, which weakens the zonal upper‐level flow. According to Rossby wave theory, a weaker flow slows the eastward wave progression and tends to follow a higher amplitude trajectory, resulting in slower moving circulation systems. More prolonged weather conditions enhance the probability for extreme weather due to drought, flooding, cold spells, and heat waves. The second effect is a northward elongation of ridge peaks in 500 hPa waves, which amplifies the flow trajectory and further exacerbates the increased probability of slow‐moving weather patterns. While Arctic amplification during autumn and winter is largely driven by sea‐ice loss and the subsequent transfer of additional energy from the ocean into the high‐latitude atmosphere, the increasing tendency for high‐amplitude patterns in summer is consistent with enhanced warming over high‐latitude land caused by earlier snow melt and drying of the soil.”

“We find that a warmer Arctic atmosphere contributes to dilated geopotential heights locally accompanied by lower heights across mid-latitudes and an equatorward-shifted jet stream. This allows Arctic airmasses to expand farther south while increasing the likelihood of heavy snowfalls. We find a distinction between early winter, when Arctic warming tends to affect only the lower troposphere, and mid-winter to late-winter when polar cap geopotential height anomalies is evident throughout the troposphere and lower stratosphere. When the entire Arctic atmospheric column is affected, the probability of severe winter weather in mid-latitudes increases, as observed during the era of AA in late winter. Colder Arctic conditions elicit the opposite response. These findings suggest that the continuation of rapid Arctic warming and melting contribute to more frequent episodes of severe winter across the Northern Hemisphere mid-latitude continents.”

Here are a couple of videos that review the topics we worked on today:

Electricty and Magnetism

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hFAOXdXZ5TM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ru032Mfsfig

How does electricity work? http://scienceline.ucsb.edu/getkey.php?key=255

How did electricity start: http://scienceline.ucsb.edu/getkey.php?key=400

Dana Dattelbaum

https://www.lamonitor.com/content/lab-dana-dattelbaum

Electrical components

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Maq5IyHSuc

Radiation

https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/atoms/files/sf_radiation_stu_bob.pdf

https://www.energy.gov/sites/prod/files/2018/01/f46/doe-ionizing-radiation-dose-ranges-jan-2018.pdf

Have you ever explored LANL website? https://www.lanl.gov/

In this page you can find some information about three of the LANL facilities we will visit on 6/19

https://www.lanl.gov/science-innovation/science-facilities/index.php?source=globalheadernav

IPF: https://www.lanl.gov/science-innovation/science-programs/office-of-science-programs/nuclear-physics/isotopes/index.php

LANSCE: https://lansce.lanl.gov/

NHMFL: https://nationalmaglab.org/user-facilities/pulsed-field-facility

pRad: https://lansce.lanl.gov/facilities/pRad/index.php

Extreme Fluids Lab: https://www.lanl.gov/projects/shocktube/

We will also be visiting the New Mexico Consortium Biolab!

NMC: https://newmexicoconsortium.org/