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 Thursday

August 14th, 2009 | By 49

A very multicultural breakfast: Today started with breakfast with Dan and Ben. Ben had the Hobo Platter that we were laughing about yesterday. Do hobos know they have their own platter here? Dan had the Italian Skillet again which cheesed me off. I was gonna get it today but he was complaining about it yesterday. I bet it was full of deliciousness! I got a breakfast burrito. Ben was a French Hobo with his Hobo platter /w French Toast, I was Mexican and Dan was Italian.

Dan shooting buffalo like its 1867!

Dan and I go see the bison. People were honking at us from the road which was hilarious while we were filming. A lady with some kids asked to take my picture with them. I asked if I could have my picture taken with them too! It was an honor. After the bison (with the Wilson Hall in the background!) we bounced out to D0. We shot in their datacenter, control room and their experiment build hall. Dan was really happy with the last one. He also got to shoot Marc from the control room using a geiger counter on something. I was busy tweeting what we were doing.

Dan after shooting Marc from the D0 Control Room

After that, we go to the CDF offices and shoot with Dr. Ben Kilmister. Dan shot him explaining how Higgs events and shot me being confused. We stepped outside where he shot us bullshirting and doing the ‘Atom Smasher’ handshake that we came up with. It starts with daps and then a first bump “collision” that results in particles being sprayed outward. Keep it nerdy.

Dan and Dr. Ben Kilminster

Dans Tips for Successful Video Shoots:
* Rapper needs to know their lyrics
* Rapper needs to be presentable
* Rapper needs tote all of their clothing every day of the shoot (oops!)
* Dan hates shadows
* Other stuff why are you asking me to remember?

Steve & Christy on the train – huzzah public transportation!

Afterward I race to the airport to pick up my girlfriend, we park the car and train into the city. We peep a giant Picasso metal sculpture, the Cloud Gate, fountains, find our hotel, have a drink 95 floors up in the John Handcock Tower (seriously, why pay $15 to go to the 94th floor, when you can pay $15 for an adult beverage on the 95th floor?) and then to Ed Devevic’s for dinner (thanks Gary!). Train back to the car to drive back to Naperville.

Another Great Day. Thanks Illinois!

Fermilab Tuesday

August 11th, 2009 | By 49

TODAY ROCKED! First, check out what’s on a bulletin board at the Wilson Hall

I guess mainly because this day was going to stress me out the most. Giving a speech to a room full of scientists when the most education I have is a simple Bachelors degree?

Today couldn’t have started off any worse. That Taco Bell Volcano Nachos I had last night? Bad idea. I was getting torn up from the inside. Breakfast was some yogurt and a few grapes and a vitamin (which made my stomach even more upset!)

I shaved with store brand disposable razor blades. Let’s call them Mach Faux’s because they kinda suck. Drove out to Fermilab bumpin Kanye. It’s a good liiiiiiife I told myself. I started to believe. Took this great shot of the Wilson Hall (errrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr HIGHRISE) and sent a tweet bout it. I hung out in the room the presentation was going to be in and talked with the AV guys, Al and Jim a bit. They were cool. I wanted to spend as much time as possible in the room to get used to it. Around 10:30 I met up with Aria and she took me on a tour of cool stuff… like where the anti-matter is stored! First was the Cockcroft-Walton where things start with a simple bottle of hydrogen (H) and they hit it with an extra electron so its H-. From there we saw a bit of the Linac which starts to accelerate the H- in a pulse.

funky49 with Cockcroft-Walton generator

Did I mention I saw where anti-matter gets stored? We had to walk down there with a real Geiger counter!

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.