Trillions of neutrinos pass through you (and the entire Earth) every second without interacting. How do they pull off this incredible feat? Physicist Kirsty Duffy explains the origin of the neutrino’s superpower on this episode of EvenBananas.
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Energy is one of those confusing physics terms that has both familiar and technical meanings. In this video, Don Lincoln sheds some light on what physicists mean when they say the word, as well as some truths about energy that would shock his high school physics teacher.
In part IV of our “How to do big science” series, Fermilab scientist Boaz Klima explains the scientific peer review and publication process, using research at the CMS particle collider experiment at CERN as an example.
In this lecture, part III of the virtual lecture series, “How to do big science,” Deborah Harris talks about the construction of the MINERvA neutrino experiment at Fermilab. The MINERvA collaboration used a high-intensity neutrino beam to collect data on neutrino interactions with a wide variety of materials. Harris served as the project manager of detector construction, and in 2010, she was elected to be the scientific co-spokesperson of MINERvA.
Fermilab’s CDF experiment has recently announced a measurement of the mass of the W boson with unprecedented precision. Even more interesting, the measurement disagrees with theoretical predictions. If confirmed, this could be a very big deal. In this video, Fermilab’s Don Lincoln gives a far-ranging explanation of the measurement and its significance.
Neutrinos are neutral, meaning the magnets in a particle accelerator can’t manipulate them. So how can scientists make a dense beam of neutrinos for their experiments? Neutrino physicist Kirsty Duffy and Fermilab accelerator operator Laura Bolt explain the power of protons and how teams can generate intense beams of neutrinos using particle accelerators.
Physics students often ask how it is that a massless photon can have momentum. In this video, Don Lincoln shows that the question arises from a misuse of equations and also shows that, when you think about it, it’s not surprising at all.
Watch highlights of the popular cryogenics show for kids and adults with Fermilab’s Mr. Freeze: cool demonstrations with liquid nitrogen to explore the properties and effects of extreme cold.
Using neutrino experiments at Fermilab as an example, Jorge Morfin explains the path of a large physics experiment from inspiration through the proposal process to approval. The lecture is part II of the virtual lecture series, “How to do big science,” hosted by the Fermilab Arts & Lectures At Home Series.
“Why is the sky blue?” is a natural question, asked by many people, children and adults alike. In this video, Don Lincoln answers the question and even reveals the surprising fact that it should really be purple.