Newswise — LIVERMORE, California — Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory’s (LLNL’s) popular lecture series, “Science on Saturday,” is once again going virtual for 2022 with the theme “Energy and the Environment.”
The series is aimed at middle and senior high school students. It runs Saturdays from 10 a.m. on Feb. 5 through 26. Each Saturday will feature a different lecture from LLNL researchers joined by a master teacher of high school science.
For more information about how to attend and the complete schedule of lectures, click here Click here.
Feb. 5 – “Too Much Trash in the Air: How Can We Clean It Up?,” presented by LLNL scientists Roger Aines and Sarah Baker with Capuchino High School teacher Thi Ngo. This presentation will discuss the importance of reducing CO2 emissions in daily life and the time it will take to accomplish this transformation. The talk will highlight the primary options available to “clean up the air,” including improving how we manage forests and soils, as well as building machines to harvest carbon from plants or directly from the air. For more information, Click here.
Feb. 12 – “Small Algae, Big World: The Impact of Microalgae on Global Carbon Cycling and Sustainable Biofuels,” presented by LLNL researchers Xavier Mayali and Ty Samo along with Erin McKay, a biology teacher at Tracy High School. This presentation will discuss the fascinating world of microalgae, as well as some of the research being done at LLNL. The presentation will highlight the concept of the microbiome of algal algae (yes, they have their own microbiome!) The fate of algal-produced carbon is influenced by microalgae. Using the power of microalgae to harness their power and their microbiomes can make a big difference in our world. For more information, Click here.
Feb. 19 – “Bringing Star Power to Earth: Harnessing Nuclear Fusion,” presented by LLNL scientists Derek Mariscal and Dave Schlossberg with Granada High School teacher Tom Shefler. The National Ignition Facility is the world’s largest and most energetic laser system and was built to create extreme states of matter—similar to those found in stellar and planetary interiors. Scientists, engineers, and technicians collaborate to tackle the daunting task of harnessing fusion to recreate the engines of the stars on Earth. This presentation will give an overview of the fusion science performed at the National Ignition Facility. It will include simulations and machine learning applied to better understand the physics behind these complex physical phenomena. For more information, Click here.
Feb. 26 – “The Future in Focus: Predicting Climate Change through Observations, Modeling and Artificial Intelligence,” presented by LLNL researchers Gemma Anderson, Aaron Donahue and Mark Zelinka along with retired Alamo Elementary School teacher Stan Hitomi. This presentation will describe the science underpinning our understanding of climate change in the context of Earth’s geologic history, the role of humans in driving the unprecedented changes currently being observed, what we know about the future trajectory of warming and where the key uncertainties lie. The talk will highlight cutting-edge work in modeling the Earth’s climate, and work at the frontier of climate science through the use of artificial intelligence. For more information, Click here.
Science on Saturday is sponsored LLNL’s Science Education Program. Past Science on Saturday presentations are available at the University of California Television network and on the YouTube channel of LLNL.