Newswise — On July 11946, a new laboratory was born with a single purpose: to kick-start the field of nuclear energy.

Seventy-five years later, the U.S. Department of Energy’s Argonne National Laboratory has grown into one of the country’s largest science laboratories, with thousands of employees working with partners in industry and academia to tackle pressing challenges in energy, climate, science, health and medicine, and national security.

Argonne will celebrate its diamond anniversary with a series of free virtual public events throughout the week of June 28, and everyone is invited to join in.

Read on to learn more about each of the events — including how to register — along with other ways the laboratory is celebrating in 2021.

Celebrating 75 Years at Argonne National Laboratory: Supercomputers and X-rays
June 286-7:30 p.m.

In this event, hosted by the Chicago Council on Science and Technology (C2ST), Argonne experts will provide an in-depth look into Argonne’s large-scale science facilities. Thousands of researchers from around the world every year use these powerful tools, which include the Advanced Photon Source and the Argonne Leadership Computing Facility, to drive discoveries across the spectrum of science. Registration is recommended for this free event, which will be hosted on C2ST’s Facebook page and YouTube channel.

Through Scientists’ Eyes: The Next 75 Years of Discovery and Impact
June 307-8:15 p.m.

In this anniversary edition of Argonne’s popular OutLoud public lecture series, four leading researchers will provide a glimpse into the next 75 years of science at the lab. Atmospheric scientist Scott Collis, physicist and computational scientist Katrin Heitmann, neuroscientist Narayanan ​Bobby” Kasthuri and chemist Dave Rotsch will discuss the path forward to breakthroughs in climate change prediction, astrophysics, brain mapping, and diagnosing and treating disease using radioisotopes. Registration is required for this free virtual event.

Decarbonization Within Reach
July 110-11:30 a.m.

This event explores how partnerships between laboratories, academia, government and industry will help the United States reach its ambitious goal of net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. This event features keynote speaker Arun Majumdar, a Stanford University professor who has previously served as the founding director of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Advanced Research Projects Agency – Energy, and as vice president for energy at Google. A panel discussion moderated by Argonne’s Kawtar Hafidi will include Kerry Duggan, CEO of SustainabiliD, and the University of Chicago’s Michael Greenstone. Registration is required for this free virtual event, which is part of Argonne’s Director’s Special Colloquium series.

Join Argonne in Doing Acts of Kindness

Argonne is not only celebrating its diamond anniversary with the public and with employees, but is also reaching out to have a positive impact in Chicago-area communities through the 75th Anniversary Acts of Kindness. Lab employees have so far helped raise funds for diverse student scholarships and donations for animal rescue organizations, and have cleaned up trails in forest preserves, among many other activities. Follow Argonne on Twitter and Facebook to see our employees in action, and join us to help spread kindness all year long — one act at a time.

Learn about Argonne’s History at the Forefront of Discovery

For 75 years, Argonne has accelerated science and technology for U.S. prosperity and security. Throughout 2021, the lab is publishing articles, interactive features, and videos telling the story of our lab’s history — and its future.

Argonne National Laboratory seeks solutions to pressing national problems in science and technology. The nation’s first national laboratory, Argonne conducts leading-edge basic and applied scientific research in virtually every scientific discipline. Argonne researchers work closely with researchers from hundreds of companies, universities, and federal, state and municipal agencies to help them solve their specific problems, advance America’s scientific leadership and prepare the nation for a better future. With employees from more than 60 nations, Argonne is managed by UChicago Argonne, LLC for the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Science.

The U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Science is the single largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences in the United States and is working to address some of the most pressing challenges of our time. For more information, visit https://​ener​gy​.gov/​s​c​ience.