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 targeted at middle and high school students and runs Saturdays at 10 am, February 5 through February 26. Each Saturday will feature a different lecture from LLNL researchers joined by a master teacher of high school science.
For more information and a complete list of lectures, please visit www.eventbrite.com. 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 explain what it means for us to stop releasing CO2 in our daily lives and why it will take time to achieve 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 explain the fascinating world of microalgae, as well as discuss some of the research that is being done at LLNL. The presentation will focus on the concept of the algal microbiome (yes algae have their own microbiome!) Algal-produced carbon fate is strongly affected by microalgae, and harnessing the power and potential of microalgae can have a profound impact on 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. Engineers, scientists, and technicians are working together to solve the great challenge of reviving the engines of stars by harnessing fusion. 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. You can view past Science On Saturday presentations at the University of California Television network, or on YouTube. YouTube channel of LLNL.
