Jun 11 2009
What can you do that's free, fun and educational on a lazy summer Sunday? Visit the Department of Energy's Brookhaven National Laboratory to enjoy a variety of entertaining activities for people of all ages.
Brookhaven National Laboratory will welcome the public to tour its world-class research facilities and enjoy a variety of science shows and educational activities for adults and children during its five Summer Sundays, from July 12 through August 9.
Summer Sundays are offered free of charge, and no reservations are needed. Visitors may arrive any time between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. A different tour and an exciting new science show will be featured each week. Arrive early to avoid crowds and to take advantage of the full program. The last facility visit takes place at 3 p.m. each week, and the science shows will be held at noon, 1:30 p.m. and 3 p.m. each Sunday in Berkner Hall. Every Sunday, "A View from Space," a bilingual hands-on exhibit, will be available all day in the Berkner Hall lobby. Visitors age 16 and over must bring a photo ID.
The full Summer Sundays schedule follows:
July 12 - Energy Solutions & the Center for Functional Nanomaterials
Visit a state-of-the-art facility for the study of nanomaterials, and see where ultra-big discoveries are being made at ultra-small dimensions. Learn how improved catalysts, energy-efficient boilers and solar arrays address the national energy challenge. Enjoy the "Magic of Energy" show. This tour/talk is appropriate for adults and children age 10 and over.
July 19 - National Synchrotron Light Source
Discover how scientists use x-rays, ultraviolet light and infrared light to look into everything from batteries to viruses. Learn about NSLS-II, the Lab's newest major facility under construction and due to be completed in 2015. It will be the world's brightest light source, which will give scientists a competitive edge developing clean, affordable forms of energy. Also, take the synchrotron quiz and be mesmerized by the "Laser Light Spectacular" show.
July 26 - Family Fun Day
Bring the family out for a fun-filled science day. Enjoy the hands-on activities at the Science Learning Center. Hop aboard a fire truck at the Laboratory's firehouse. Take fire extinguisher training, walk through safe smoke, and learn about emergency preparedness. Be entertained by Mr. Fish's "Phenomenal Physics" show.
August 2 - National Weather Service and Our Environment
Visit the National Weather Service Forecast Office at the Laboratory's site, and learn how weather predictions are made for the entire New York metropolitan area. Find out how storms are tracked. Attend a weather-balloon launch at 3:30 p.m., and see the "Science of Weather" show.
August 9 - Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider
Visit this world-class particle accelerator, where physicists study what the universe may have looked like in the first moments after its creation. See particle detectors as big as a house. Enjoy the "Einstein Alive" show. This tour/show is appropriate for adults and children age 10 and over.