Ev the Electron at the 2019 ALS User Meeting

Eventually we will create a whole post about our first Kickstarter project: Ev's Synchrotron Adventure: An Electron's Story, but I wanted to share one highlight. We were invited to share our work at the 2019 ALS User Meeting on October 1–3, 2019 at the Advanced Light Source in Berkeley, CA. The scientists and staff there have been so supportive of this project and we are so appreciative!

Poster Slam - 1 min to share our "research"

Our booth was a little different--most presenters shared posters detailing scientific research made possible by the use of the light source, or were commercial booths with special accelerator-related materials and equipment. (Fun fact: one of Ev's co-authors, Sam - now a freshman at UC San Diego - won third place for his heat shield research with NASA Ames and Lawrence Berkeley National Labs. Check him out!) 

Our "booth" at the ALS user meeting (Oct 2019)

Finally, the ALS User's Executive Committee made a little plaque for us--I mentioned that they are very supportive! 

Then, in December, our 2019 seventh grade class participated in writing their own scientific proposals and, through a modified proposal review process, four groups were chosen to go to the Advanced Light Source and scan their samples on Beamline 8.3.2. (If you want to read more about the genesis of this thus-far yearly trip, you can read our 2013 blog post.) Prior to the trip, I had the opportunity to read the latest draft of Ev's Synchrotron Adventure to my 12- and 13-year old students.  The results were.... mixed... though they did say it helped the science be more approachable! (The nice thing about adolescents is that they don't sugarcoat anything to spare your feelings. So, I know the compliments were earnest and the apathy was honest.) 😁

(If you are still reading, you probably would appreciate this delightful cartoon, shared recently by the Canadian Light Source Education page. Click on the image below to go to the page and see more!)

(This says "posted 12-18-2019." But it is was actually written, then published on 5-2-2021. Nothing l like a global pandemic to put a hard pause on anything non-essential.)