Fermilab Friday

August 15th, 2009 | By 49

Today Christy got to see some Fermilab! We stopped by the Lederman Center and then Wilson Hall. I gave the pictures from my camera to Tona in Communications and chatted with her and ??? for a bit before heading to the 15th floor. A great view! We walked the little exhibits and took in a bit of a Fermilab tour movie. After the movie the tour guide pointed me out as the Fermilab rapper! 15 minutes about to end… :) We took off to see the bison and Christy got to see her first cornfield! We also went by the 15 foot wide bubble chamber. Back to the Wilson Hall (HIGHRISE!) to have some wine and chat with Aaron (bassman!), Kyle from Master Control and Robin from ‘Atom Smashers’ before headed down to see the recently approved results from D0 and CDF. We minds were melted hardcore with the high-energy particle physics business.

DAN could not come out tonight! He was either going to hang with us and shoot more and watch the Drug Sniffing Dogs rock or go watch his friend rock out with the Blizzard of Oz. Dan was so wacked out from his swine flu and allergies being on the prairie that he was going to stay home and take care of himself. Sometimes you gotta do that. Get well Dan Lamoureux! Ben G from the Former Fat Boys could also not make it (he went fishing, the pic looks relaxing!) but my new Illinois friends are dropping like flies!

We leave during the Q&A part of the CDF results (D0+CDF are pretty much listening better to the signal-to-background, no Higgs yet yo!) to get ready for the show. Arrive and start pizza and beering and beering it up. We chat with Eric who, along with Ben, are supposed to be on a tv show about rollercoasters. Eric brought along an accelerometer that hung like a Flavor Flav clock around his neck while Ben jailbroke his iPhone so it could run his custom accerlerometer app.

Drug Sniffing Dogs!

Such awesome! Anyway, we drink, the Drug Sniffing Dogs rock, funky49 rocked a set and more Drug Sniffing Dogs bringing it. We made our own after party with me and Ben and Christy and Britany. After that Christy and I had our own party. A great time. Thank you so much Ben Kilminster and Fermilab for having me speak, rap and shoot a music video. I’m so thankful!

Fermilab Monday

August 11th, 2009 | By 49

I wonder if these bison make Fermilab cheese? Anyway…

Breakfast with yogurt and fruit again. Drove to Fermilab and saw the bison closer up for the first time. I also visited the Lederman Science Center. It has that video I LOVE that shows you the metric powers of 10. You know the one, it starts with some couple chillin on a blanket next to Lake Michigan and zooms out so you can see the Milky Way galaxy and beyond and will zoom in to the guys hand? The rest of the Lederman Science Center is pretty cool and a MUST before you go and see the stuff on the 15th floor of the Wilson Hall. I also spent some cheddar on Fermilab tattoos and car decal and a onesie for my cousin Tracy who is having a bay-bee.

Meet up with Ben at the Highrise (remember, that’s what you are supposed to call the Wilson Hall!) and we put up a bunch of flyers. Ben must know a ton of people because we handed off like half the flyers to volunteers who did most of Wilson Hall (err, the Highrise). Next we flyered up the D0 office as well as the Users Center where we will be performing Friday night. We also flyered up the CDF offices as well as the CDF building where their control room is (along with a bunch of scissor lifts, a huge mural of the CDF experiment and displays explaining sensor elements of the CDF array of equipment.

Ben made up the flyers to promote the Friday show (funky49 with Fermilab’s Drug Sniffing Dogs!) as well as the Tuesday “Science Outreach via Rap” presentation. Pretty cool! When we came back I had the best souvenir ever! A parking ticket from Fermilab’s security! Too sweet!

Went back to the hotel and crashed until it was time to battle traffic on the way to the Drug Sniffing Dogs practice. They rocked hard last night but rocked EXTRA hard with their brass section! Sax (got a reed actually) plus trombone and trumpet.

TACO BELL VOLCANO NACHO FOR DINNER FTW!

Fermilab Sunday 1

August 10th, 2009 | By 49

First, Dr. Ben Kilminster is beer powered awesome. But before that…

Sunday afternoon. I couldn’t stand it. I had to drive out to Fermilab National Accelerator Laboratory today. Did I mention this weather is hot and the ToYOta from MinneSOta has crappy AC?

Do you remember when that guy from Close Encounters of the Third Kind is haunted by imagery of the Devil’s Tower… and then he finally sees it? That’s how I felt! I’ve been seeing the Wilson Hall* in pictures and video for the past few months. First I see the top of it for a second through some trees. Then I see more of it as I drive closer. Finally the building appears in full view and I have to stop the car and take it in.

*Fermilab peeps don’t call it the Wilson Hall. They call it the ‘Highrise’.

I drove around and found the D0 and CDF sites. Saw the bison. Drove down Power Line Road (it has power lines next to it! crazy road naming scientists!). I also kicked it in the atrium of the Wilson Hall/Highrise. They have a Faucault Pendulum there! Dave and I tried to get some funky49 ‘press shots’ with one for our MOSI photo shoot! I wrote some new note cards while alone in the cafeteria area. I went for Thai food thinking I’d get some vegetarian dish and be good. NOPE! Nearest Thai joint was closed so I found somewhere for a Chicago style hot dog (Vienna Beef) and chili. Took a nap and headed off to see the Drug Sniffing Dogs practice.

The Drug Sniffing Dogs are mainly musician/experimenters from Fermilab’s CDF group. They ROCK! Steve Z liked the instrumental and most were enthused about the raps (except for the drummer who will be a harder nut to crack?). I got an invite from Aria to see where anti-matter is made on Tuesday. YES! I basically cracked a few beers and listened to a bunch of rawk in an unfinished basement! My second in two days! What else did I have twice in two days? White Castle. No more, I promise. Watched some Penn & Teller Bulls hit before going to bed.