When things are too big, too small or impossible to manipulate safely, scientists turn to computer models to reproduce the behavior of natural and man-made systems.
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory’s popular series, Field Trip in the Lab, returns with four new lectures that look at research enabled by computational modeling. Each lecture highlights cutting-edge science presented by leading Lab researchers who are joined by master high school science teachers.
This year’s topics include exploring nature via computer simulation; fusion modeling; menacing microbes; and simulating the human heart on the world’s fastest supercomputer.
Computer Simulations: Exploring Nature with a Computer
Computer simulation reproduces the behavior of natural and man-made systems to help us understand, predict, and communicate. Vic Castillo, a research engineer at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, shows how computer simulation is used by LLNL scientists.
Fusion Modeling: Using Big Computers to Understand One of the Universes Biggest Secrets
Postdoctoral Fellow Frederico Fiuza discusses the challenges associated with fusion modeling, and how the outstanding computational resources and advanced computer graphics at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory help us to create a miniature Sun on Earth.
Menacing Microbes: Protein Models Reveal Secrets
Protein modeling is a computational tool that researchers use to see microbial proteins. Using LLNL’s high performance computational capabilities, 3D models are created of microbial proteins, providing visual tools to expose microbial secrets.
The Cardioid Project: Simulating the Human Heart on the World’s Fastest Supercomputer
Computational physicist David Richard describes how to build a computer model of a human heart, starting from an individual cell and then using data from an actual person to create a realistic representation of a beating heart.
Lectures and demonstrations are targeted to middle and high school students which makes them perfect for anyone curious about the amazing work made possible by fast computers with substantial calculation power.
The University of California is a partner in Lawrence Livermore National Security, which manages Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, a premier research and development institution for science and technology.