NEWPORT NEWS, VA. - The Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility will host two Fall Science Series Lectures this season. The first is set for Tuesday, Oct. 9 and will feature a Jefferson Lab staff member discussing how frequently physics is used in ordinary life.
Electrical Engineer Jack McKisson, a member of Jefferson Lab's Radiation Detector and Imaging group, will share with the audience a look at physics and the phenomena of nature and how they were discovered and recognized by early researchers. He will touch on the science and technology involved in rocket science, taking under sea measurements, radiation detection and measurement, space experimentation and his two expeditions to the Antarctic.
Using his varied research path, McKisson will bring attention to how much physics most people already know just from observing the world around them. The audience will get a brief history of physics, and may discover that they know more than they thought regarding a subject that some view as inscrutable.
A second lecture will follow on Tuesday, Nov. 13 and feature Edward Murphy, from the University of Virginia's astronomy department, presenting "The Origin of the Elements." In this lecture, Murphy will trace the origin of a gold atom - from the Big Bang to the present day - and beyond. Attendees will learn how the elements were forged in the nuclear furnaces inside stars, and how, when stars die - they spread elemental material into space. Murphy will take the audience through the origin of the building blocks of matter in the Big Bang and will conclude by speculating on the future of the atoms around us today.
Both lectures are free and open to students and adults with an interest in science. Both lectures will begin at 7 p.m., in the CEBAF Center auditorium located at 12000 Jefferson Ave, Newport News, and will last about an hour. Seating in the auditorium and overflow area is available on a first-come, first-served basis and is limited to about 300 people. People arriving once capacity has been reached will be turned away.
All those under age 16 must be accompanied by a parent or responsible adult. Everyone over 16 is asked to carry a valid photo ID. Security guards may perform ID, parcel and vehicle checks.
For directions and additional information about Jefferson Lab public lectures, visit: http://education.jlab.org/scienceseries/index.php or contact Christine Wheeler, email at wheelerc@jlab.org or call 757-269-7560.
A live video stream is available for those not able to attend the event. Lectures are added to the video archive for on-demand viewing upon approval from the presenter.