Los Alamos National Laboratory
Speakers Bureau
- Nature, Nurture or Neither: The New Science of Epigenetics
- The Shapes of Proteins: A Look Inside the Molecular Machines of Life
- Exploring Mars with Curiosity and its Laser
- History of Los Alamos National Laboratory
- Higgs Boson and Beyond: The Quest for New Laws of Physics
- Quantum Cryptography: Using Physics to Keep Secrets Safe
- Looking Inside Explosions and Other Things
Speaker Services
The Laboratory has speakers with experience in a wide variety of subjects who can tailor their content for a range of audiences. Below are some to consider. Don't see a subject you need? Contact us and we'll try to find the right person for you.
CALL (505) 665-4400
Topics and Speakers
Topic areas |
Speakers |
Example talk |
HIV Vaccines Immune system |
Bette Korber Researcher for the Lab's Theoretical Biology and Biophyics group |
AIDS: A History of a Global Pandemic The considerable diversity of HIV worldwide represents a critical challenge for designing an effective HIV vaccine. But it now appears that a vaccine bioinformatically optimized for immunologic coverage of global HIV diversity—called a mosaic vaccine and designed by Korber and her LANL team—may confer protection from infection. |
Epigenetics Stem cells Reprogramming DNA, junk DNA RNA world Molecular biology Atomistic-level biology Developmental disease Structural biology Molecular effects on early childhood development Computational biology and high-performance computing |
Karissa Sanbonmatsu Researcher for the Lab's Biology and Genetics group |
Nature, Nurture or Neither: The New Science of Epigenetics Is our behavior and physical appearance hardwired by our DNA, or a product of our environment? New advances in molecular biology are providing a third option to the age-old debate of “Nature versus Nurture.” While DNA is often considered the blueprint of life, environmental factors can affect genes for more than three generations (mother, child, grandchild, and great-grandchild) as well. This talk includes information on how you can alter your genetics. |
Dark matter Physics at the Large Hadron Collider High-energy physics Elementary particle physics |
Michael Graesser Researcher in areas of dark matter and theoretical subatomic physics for the Lab's Nuclear and Particle Physics, Astrophysics and Cosmology group |
Higgs Boson and Beyond—The Quest for New Laws of Physics It’s looking more and more like what was discovered at the Large Hadron Collider is the Higgs Boson. This talk can tell you what the researchers were looking for and bring you up-to-date on the latest research on this important scientific breakthrough in physics. |
Smart grid energy Granular materials--A descrete state of matter Turbulence and mixing in nature Nonlinear science (chaos, nonlinear dynamics) |
Robert Ecke Director of the Lab's Center for Nonlinear Studies |
Nonlinear Dynamics: Chaos and Patterns to Turbulence and Mixing
|
Black holes Nuclear measurement and detection Role of Lab in world-class science |
Bill Priedhorsky Program director for the Lab's Science Resource Office |
Black Holes and Collapsed Starts: Our Galaxy and its Neighbors When astronomers use satellites to study X-rays from the stars and galaxies, they see directly into the most extreme places in our Universe: the black holes and neutron stars that mark the death of stars. This talk explains black holes and where the current science has led us. |
Superconductivity Electric transmission and storage |
Dean Peterson Researcher with the Lab's Sensors and Electrochemical group |
Lost in Transmission—Saving Energy with Superconductivity Superconductors are special materials with zero electrical resistance and the potential to significantly enhance our ability to generate, transmit, use and store energy. This talk explores the science of high-temperature superconductivity. Peterson discusses applications ranging from high-speed trains levitated by superconducting magnets to underground cables that can virtually eliminate the ten percent of transmitted energy that is now lost to resistive heating. |
Space exploration Mars exploration Mars Rover Curiosity |
Roger Wiens Project lead for the ChemCam laser instrument currently operating on the Mars rover Curiosity |
Exploring Mars with Curiosity and its Laser On August 6, 2012, the Curiosity rover was lowered to the Martian soil by a “sky crane,” settling on its own six wheels. It sports 10 instruments, an arm that weighs as much as a whole previous generation Mars rover and a laser that vaporizes bits of rock up to 25 feet away to determine their compositions. This talk describes the rover, its journey to Mars and Curiosity’s new discoveries. |
Structural genomics Proteins |
Tom Terwilliger Researcher for the Lab's Biosecurity and Public Health group |
The Shapes of Proteins: A Look Inside the Molecular Machines of Life Proteins are tiny molecular machines that can speed up chemical reactions. Structural genomics is a new field that aims to create 3-D pictures of proteins to help better understand how these microscopic factories work inside cells with the aim to develop better therapeutic drugs. |
Radiography X-rays |
Christopher Morris Researcher for the Lab's Subatomic Phyics group |
Looking Inside Explosions and Other Things The ability to see within objects advances science and medicine and provides a better understanding of the forces unleashed by high explosives during detonation. During his presentation, Dr. Morris talks about the history and science of radiography and how X-rays, protons and naturally-occurring cosmic rays can be used to see through opaque objects. From assisting surgeons with pictures of what’s inside a human body to helping border agents find nuclear contraband inside freight containers, a wide range of applications can be discussed. |
Quantum cryptography Codebreaking Codemaking |
Richard Hughes Researcher for the Lab's Applied Modern Physics Group |
Quantum Cryptography—Using Physics to Keep Secrets Safe Anyone who uses a credit card, computer, or smartphone relies on cryptography—the science of secret communications—many times a day. The story of cryptography is a centuries-long struggle between code-makers and code-breakers, but the new technology of quantum cryptography is poised to tip the scales in favor of the codemakers by harnessing the quantum properties of single particles of light (photons). |
LANL history Cold War Stockpile Norris Bradbury Manhattan Project |
Alan Carr Lab historian with the Lab's Record Management Services |
LANL history The Story of Los Alamos, 1943-1992 History of Los Alamos National Laboratory A Brief History of Los Alamos National Laboratory Introduction to the Laboratory Archives:
The Role of Los Alamos in World War II The Role of Los Alamos in World War II, The Historian’s Cut—a more in-depth version of the lecture presented in two parts: The Road to Trinity, Trinity to Tokyo Bay Los Alamos, 1970-1992: The Story of the Stockpile |
Los Alamos Weather Meteorological monitoring |
Jean Dewart Meteorologist with the Lab's Environmental Compliance Program |
Meteorology and Weather at Los Alamos |
Have another topic in mind? We have other experts on a variety of other subjects who may be available. Please contact us at (505) 665-4400 or speakers@lanl.gov.