Living in an era when the latest discoveries in physics regularly make headlines, it can be easy to miss the individual contributions from the scientists and institutions around the globe making these advances possible. Highlighting these contributions, along with the quirky world from physicists working behind the scenes, has been the focus of Quantum Diaries since it launched in 2005.
Quantum Diaries is sure to continue in that role, but today relaunches with four physics laboratories in its ranks: Brookhaven, CERN, Fermilab and TRIUMF. Each of the laboratories will be posting regular updates to Quantum Diaries.
All of the labs have already gotten started. In its first post, Brookhaven Laboratory provides a thorough description of its current physics work. CERN, aware of the challenges of fitting complex scientific explanations into 140-character tweets, hopes this new forum will give the laboratory a place to expand on the news of the day coming from the LHC and other experiments. Fermilab details a number of expectations for 2011, including updates on the Higgs search, more data from its neutrino experiments, the launch and construction of several experiments, and a decision that the Tevatron will shut down in September 2011. Finally, Canadian physics laboratory TRIUMF explores the difficulty of summing the full range of its work, from manufacturing isotopes to treating eye cancer, in a single catchy name.
As these laboratories continue to contribute to the site, Quantum Diaries welcomes commenting, feedback and constructive discussions on each post. Check back for frequent updates from our new laboratory members, as well as continued updates from our regular Quantum Diaries bloggers.
Brookhaven
Brookhaven National Laboratory is a multipurpose research institution funded by the U.S. Department of Energy. Located on Long Island, NY, Brookhaven operates large-scale facilities for studies in physics, chemistry, biology, medicine, applied science, and advanced technology. The Laboratory's almost 3,000 scientists, engineers, and support staff are joined each year by more than 5,000 visiting researchers from around the world.
CERN
CERN is one of the world's largest and most respected centres for scientific research. Its business is fundamental physics, finding out what the Universe is made of and how it works. At CERN, the world's largest and most complex scientific instruments are used to study the basic constituents of matter: fundamental particles.
Fermilab
What is the nature of the universe? What are matter and energy, space and time? At the U.S. Department of Energy's Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, thousands of scientists from universities and laboratories across the United States and around the world collaborate on experiments to discover what the universe is made of and how it works.
TRIUMF
Located in Vancouver, British Columbia, TRIUMF is Canada's national laboratory for particle and nuclear physics. The laboratory is owned and operated as a joint venture by a consortium of 16 Canadian universities and celebrated its fortieth anniversary in 2009. TRIUMF brings together dedicated physicists and interdisciplinary talent, sophisticated technical resources, and commercial partners in a way that has established the laboratory as a global success.
