Fall is around the corner, and so is Los Alamos’ annual “Next Big Idea” event on Saturday, September 15. To help promote the unique and creative science community that is Los Alamos, the Lab’s Bradbury Science Museum is holding activities to dazzle and delight, and other LANL exhibits will be on display on the lawn in front of Fuller Lodge.

Bradbury Science Museum
1-2:30 p.m.: What do art and science have in common in creating visual representations? Artist Bill Gilbert, currently showing his “physiocartography” works at the Mesa Public Library Art Gallery, will discuss his work and use of technology, along with Laura Monroe and Bob Greene of the Lab’s Visualization Team, and Ralph Chapman, a visualization specialist.

3-4:30 p.m.: Art and science in collaboration is the topic of this panel discussion with representatives of Los Alamos and Sandia national laboratories, the University of New Mexico-Los Alamos, Santa Fe Institute, and the Scientists/Artists Research Collaborations residency artists.

In addition, there will be a demonstration by guest scientist Stan Cohen of his “tool for making computers that can sense and control more of the physical world than a desktop computer,” which is intended for artists, designers, hobbyists and anyone interested in creating interactive objects or environments.

Fuller Lodge Lawn Displays
Zappin' Rocks on Mars with the Rover
Stop by and talk to Roger Wiens, the principal investigator for ChemCam, who is helping discover just what Mars is made of through a high-powered laser that takes samples from the planet's surface. Also scheduled is a full-scale inflatable model of the Mars rover!

Become More Attracted to Magnets
Representatives from the Lab's National High Magnetic Field Laboratory's Pulsed Field Facility will have activities to learn more about how magnets interact with other materials, including information about superconductivity.

Proctor & Gamble Specialty Corvette
Lab research partner, Proctor & Gamble, will have a previously wrecked 1986 Corvette that some of the company's engineers modified to participate in the Grassroots Motorsports Challenge. Its claim to fame is a vacuum that allows it to hold tight corners at high speeds.

Muon Detector
The Lab is using a muon detector to help locate concealed nuclear and explosive materials without radiation. Here's your opportunity to see how this technology works in action.

For more information on the Next Big Idea, go to http://www.nextbigideala.com/home.htm.

Los Alamos National Security, LLC and LANL are helping sponsor this event.