Hidden behind an unremarkable door in a basement on Cummington Mall is a small machine shop that produces some pretty remarkable stuff. We're talking about BU's Scientific Instrument Facility (SIF).
Founded in 1987, SIF produces cutting-edge, experimental hardware for use in scientific experiments being conducted by researchers here in Boston and across the globe. The shop's highly skilled technicians build the tools that make discovery possible, from desktop vacuum chambers for use in labs on campus to components for major research projects like the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) at the Kitt Peak National Observatory in Arizona and at the ATLAS experiment at CERN, the European atomic physics laboratory in Geneva, Switzerland.
SIF is the first stop in our new series "Behind the Scenes at BU," where we take you to corners of the campus unknown to many students, faculty, and staff. Today's video introduces you to some of the remarkable work being done at SIF. Take a look.
