How are lasers used in science? Where can you see optics in nature? Why is the sky blue?  What makes a rainbow? Join this fun demonstration to see how light can refract, diffract, scatter, and reflect. Find out about the many applications of lasers and light, from fiber optics to communications…

We know less about what lies beneath the ocean’s surface than we know about the surface of the Moon or Mars. A big reason for that is that light gets absorbed really quickly in water, so we can only see very short distances in water. In fact, there is almost no light at all even at a few hundred feet below the surface!

This Science on Saturday will explain how sound and robots are…

All life on Earth requires water. Discovering where life exists elsewhere in the universe is one of the key questions astronomers want to answer.

In this Science on Saturday show, we will discuss how water and life are so strongly intertwined. One of our scientists, who is located in the Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands, will talk about…

Aviation Today, presented by Caroline Lamb, MIT Lincoln Laboratory

Aviation brings the world closer together: commercial airlines help people travel the world;  NOAA, NASA, and the Air Force use aircraft to make observations about the world around us; and FEMA uses aircraft to assist in disaster relief efforts. Several technologies used for these purposes trace…

Did you know there is weather in space? The sun impacts us in more ways than just providing light, it spews plasma and radiation that splatters against our home on Earth. Luckily, we are mostly protected by Earth's magnetic field, but sometimes plasma leaks through causing problems with satellites, communications, and electrical grids, and if you're floating in a space station, you'd better…

Computers are starting to understand the world! We will explore how computers “see” the world using cameras and other sensors, and how “deep learning” helps computers and robots know what’s going on around them. Computers are also playing video games to learn how to explore the world! We’ll have exciting demos of computer vision, augmented reality, and video games used in current machine…

At Lincoln Laboratory, we use light to create sound and vibration in objects at distances from a few inches to a kilometer. Then we use light as a microphone to measure sound and light from far away. This allows us to find damages in bridges or jet engines from a safe point on the ground, and helps surgeons perform ultrasound without touching the patient. We will discuss photon-to-…

Light and optics serve as the foundation for much of the cool technology found in our modern world! Come experience some of the amazing properties of light.

• See laser light bend and bounce
• Learn how different colors of light combine
• …

What weird and wonderful planets orbit the stars that shine brightly in our night sky?  Visit Lincoln Laboratory to hear a special guest from MIT's Kavli Institute explain how space scientists find exoplanets in the vast universe. Participants will test how impact craters form on different surfaces and will discuss a variety of ways to perceive our constellations.…

When Pluto was discovered in 1930, it was enthusiastically greeted as a newly found planet for the solar system. It reigned as the ninth planet until 2006, when astronomers voted to take away its status as a planet. Was this the right thing to do? This talk will be about discovering new things in the solar system, and how this led to both the rise and fall of Pluto.…

Did you know that each person perceives color differently? Come to our Sight and Color demonstration to understand how the human eye works and how animals see color.

We will explore color blindness and not only the disadvantages, but also the advantages to being color-blind.  Activities will cover how we see color in our everyday…

Did you know robots can drive cars better than humans? Come test-drive the future of personal transportation with our miniature autonomous racecars! Explore how driverless cars navigate complex environments brimming with other vehicles, pedestrians, street signs, and buildings. Hands-on activities will demonstrate how robots use sensors and algorithms to see, steer, and race. Root for your…

Come to our 3D Printing show and visit 11 stations to discover how 3D parts are designed and made. Watch the creation of 3D parts. Learn about 3D modeling software. See some of the Lincoln Laboratory projects that have used 3D printing techniques!

Can you make lightning? How do tornadoes form? What causes fog? How does air pressure affect weather, and how can you measure it? Come see our demonstrations and find out.

Explore the basics of sound! We'll examine what frequency, pitch, vibration, and wavelengths are and how they affect how you hear!

Find out how science affects art:  When you dance, sing, or listen to music, there is lots of science happening! Chemistry, physics, biology, and many other kinds of science can be seen within the arts. Join us for hands-on demonstrations to explore the intersection of the sciences and the performing arts, and the next time you’re singing in the shower, you…

Visit the Robotics Science on Saturday show and enjoy:

• Drivable robots
• Turtle Bot
• Demonstrations by middle-school and high-school robotics teams
• Lego free-build
• Jr. FLL…