The free virtual event brings fun, family-friendly physics from the lab to the living room!
Fermilab’s annual Family Open House returns for families and kids of all ages to experience America’s premier particle physics laboratory from the comfort of their homes. Activities will include live talks, pre-recorded “on-demand” demos and activities, trivia, virtual tours of the lab facilities, a community art show and more. All events and activities are free for all to enjoy, but advanced registration is required. This is the 18th year for the Family Open House hosted by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory and builds on last year’s virtual event, which engaged more than 10,000 participants from around the world.
A world without atmosphere: Fermilab Senior Engineer, Lucy Nobrega, demonstrates the novel effects of a vacuum on a system in A World Without Atmosphere. Credit: Fermilab
The five-day event line-up features the return of the “Iron Scientist” competition, which will have Fermilab staff members going head-to-head in a battle to create homemade physics demos. Inspired by cooking shows like Food Network’s “Iron Chef” and “Chopped,” each competitor will receive a box of mystery items to create their own science demonstration. The virtual audience members will vote on the best presentation and choose the winner who will be declared the Iron Scientist.
“We are really excited for the return of the virtual Family Open House,” said Amanda Early, Fermilab senior education program leader. “It’s really cool that, regardless of where people are located, they can learn more about the amazing research that takes place at the Fermilab.”
Two Fermilab scientists receive a mystery box and are challenged to create their best science demos as part of the Family Open House Iron Scientist competition. Credit: Fermilab
Perennial favorites like the Mr. Freeze cryogenics show and Ask-A-Scientist will make an appearance via Zoom. Visitors can tune in to webinars on a wide variety of topics, including physics, art and ecology. There are also special opportunities for teachers to engage in the events with their students during virtual classroom visits. And lab staff will read STEM-themed bedtime stories on Facebook Live each evening during the Family Open House at 7:00 p.m. CST.
Interested in what has been happening at Fermilab this past year?
This year’s schedule will offer people an unusual chance to peek inside experiments such as the Muon g-2 experiment, which released exciting first results in April 2021 that captivated the world. Participants will get a virtual tour of the Fermilab site, with a chance to view and learn about world-class research facilities not typically open to the public.
This year’s Family Open House will run from Feb. 9-13 and more information is available on the website on these free live-streamed events. Advanced registration is required.
The event receives support from Fermilab Friends for Science Education.
Follow the Fermilab Education Office on Facebook or Twitter for live updates.
The U.S. Department of Energy’s Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory America’s premier national laboratory for particle physics and accelerator research. A U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science laboratory, Fermilab is located near Chicago, Illinois, and operated under contract by the Fermi Research Alliance LLC, a joint partnership between the University of Chicago and the Universities Research Association, Inc. Visit Fermilab’s website at www.fnal.gov and follow us on Twitter at @Fermilab.
The DOE Office of Science is the single largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences in the United States and is working to address some of the most pressing challenges of our time. For more information, please visit science.energy.gov.