For Memorial Day we took a short trip to visit FermiLab in the nearby western suburbs of Chicago. Like Argonne, Fermilab is a Department of Energy laboratory and employs a large number of dedicated scientists. However, they do very different science from what goes on at Argonne. Fermilab primarily focuses on high energy particle physics, astrophysics, and cosmology. It is (at least for a tiny bit longer) the best particle accelerator in the world. Many of the most important experimental (and some theoretical!) discoveries in particle physics have been made at Fermilab. This is very different science from what I'm used to. The subject is far smaller, the energies much higher, and the number of people involved is much larger!

The building in the picture is Wilson hall where I believe most of the offices are. The main collider ring runs around just to the left of the picture. From our own vantage point on the ground it's just a long row of dirt (the ring is buried underground) that has a slight curvature to it. The experimental halls are at different locations around the lab.

During my time as a graduate student in Seattle, I knew several professors and students that worked on projects at Fermilab. Seeing certain experimental halls that until this time were just acronyms put a nice face to the names. By seeing them, things like MINOS, CDF, D0, all became more real and not just something that I've heard or read about. It's really exciting stuff.



A decent portion of the lab is open to the public and I highly recommend going if you every get the chance. Even without a guide it can be a great experience. One word of advice would be to visit their website and print up some maps and descriptions before you get there!

Aside from the exciting science that goes on and the humbling experience of being in the place where it happens, there's a large amount of wild-life to see. I think the most famous animal residents have to be the bison. The lab keeps a small herd of them quite comfortable. Argonne has its white-deer, and Fermi has its bison. It's spring right now and the herd has at last 4 babies that we saw.

There are also a large number of birds. Kerri enjoys them to no end, including this little guy(her first blue bird of the year). We found a single tree that hosted 3 Cormorants, 1 Heron, and 1 Egret at the same time. Those are all quite large birds, and all seemingly content enough with each other not to care. Kerri had a bird sighting first on this trip finding a Bobolink. Peregrine Falcon's have also been spotted nesting, or at least attempting to nest, on the main building.

During our previous trip we saw a muskrat bringing nesting material and/or food into his little burrow. He would travel back and forth between the burrow and his favorite pieces of tall grass. Each time he'd chew off several large stalks and pull them back through the water. Once the busy little guy caught wind of us he headed under the water and stayed hidden. We checked for him this time, but he was apparently safe and snug in the burrow.