Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory's (LLNL) popular lecture series, "Science on Saturday," will return on Feb. 7 and continue through Feb. 28 at Las Positas College in Livermore, Calif.
The series features four engaging lectures under the theme "Computing the Future!" highlighting cutting-edge Laboratory research that uses the power of computing, from molecular biology to space exploration. Each lecture will be presented by leading LLNL scientists alongside high school science teachers. Geared toward middle and high school students, the talks will begin at 10 a.m. and last for one hour. The schedule of lectures is listed below and is also available on the Science on Saturday web page.
- Feb. 7: "Cosmic Treasure Hunt: Finding Stardust in Meteorites," presented by LLNL Lawrence Fellow Emilie Dunham and Granada High School teacher Tom Shefler. This lecture will explore how dying stars create many of the elements found on Earth and how tiny grains of ancient "stardust," preserved in meteorites, provide clues about the stars that helped form our solar system and even the atoms in our bodies.
- Feb. 14: "High Tech Virus Fighters: AI, Supercomputers, and Biology on the Front Lines," presented by LLNL scientist Dan Faissol and Tracy High School teacher Erin McKay. This lecture will discuss how artificial intelligence and molecular simulations on powerful computers are used to design better antibody-based medicines, helping researchers stay ahead of fast changing viruses and other disease-causing germs.
- Feb. 21: "Can Video Game Chips Make Cities Safer? How GPUs Help Scientists Combat Airborne Threats in Urban Areas," presented by LLNL researchers Adam Wise, Ruiqing Du and Jeff Mirocha, and Capuchino High School teacher Thi Ngo. This lecture will cover how graphics processing units (GPUs), originally developed for video games, are now used to run atmospheric simulations up to 100 times faster, supporting new strategies to protect people in cities from hazardous airborne threats and extreme heat.
- Feb. 28: "Quantum Computing: A Cool Way to Compute the Impossible," presented by LLNL scientists Sean O'Kelley and Kristi Beck, and retired San Ramon Valley Unified School District teacher Stan Hitomi. This lecture will introduce the basics of classical bits and quantum bits (qubits), explain how superconducting qubits must be cooled to temperatures colder than outer space and highlight how quantum computers could eventually tackle problems far beyond the reach of today's fastest supercomputers.
Science on Saturday is sponsored by LLNL's Science Education Program. After each lecture, tours of Las Positas College will be offered. Pre-registration is required for the lectures and tours. Both are free to attend.
