Big Ideas Lab

Supernovas, asteroids, dark matter, and dark energy… the universe is constantly changing. Today we’ll dive into how we track what’s shifting in the night sky and how it shapes our understanding of Th…

For decades, Earth’s atmosphere has blurred images of both stars and galaxies, greatly restricting our ability to see the universe clearly from the ground.

But that all changed with the invention of t…

What’s it really like to intern at one of the nation’s premier science and national security labs? In this episode of The Big Ideas Lab, we follow the journey from first-day nerves to high-impact res…

The modern world is an onslaught of threats – from biological and radioactive to nuclear and chemical. At the Forensic Science Center at the Lawrence Livermore National Lab, chemists are working nigh…

A mysterious package. A silent explosion. And a phone call that would change the course of forensic science forever. 

In this gripping first part of our series, we trace the origins of the Forensic Sc…

At Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, engineers and scientists are reimagining the way critical components for the U.S. nuclear stockpile are designed, tested, and produced. In this episode, we …

What if scientists could use the peculiar world of quantum mechanics to design solutions once thought impossible - changing how we build, heal, and communicate?

At Lawrence Livermore National Laborato…

Artificial intelligence is transforming how science is conducted at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. From accelerating drug discovery to optimizing complex experiments, AI is helping researche…

From fusion experiments to cancer-fighting tech, the Jupiter Laser Facility is where bold ideas meet billion-watt lasers. In this episode, we go inside the lab where students and scientists alike get…

Before a laser fires or a rocket launches, machinists make the mission possible. This episode explores the world of machining at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory—where skilled craftspeople tran…

In the vast silence of space, security is anything but quiet. At Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, cutting-edge science and strategic defense converge to protect the satellites we rely on—guard…

Today we’ll explore how technologies developed at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory make their way from the Lab into industry — impacting lives every day, in ways that might surprise you. We’ll …

What if we could harness the same energy that powers the stars to fuel our world? Scientists at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory are working towards turning this vision into reality.

In this epi…

Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory is celebrated for its groundbreaking science - from Fusion Ignition to safeguarding the nuclear stockpile. But there’s another story - grounded in community, co…

For centuries, drug discovery was a slow, trial-and-error process—sometimes taking decades to develop life-saving treatments. But what if we could speed up that timeline? At Lawrence Livermore Nation…

Inside the National Ignition Facility, 192 laser beams push the limits of science and technology, supporting critical national security and scientific research. But the extreme energy takes a toll, l…

Asteroids have reshaped Earth before—and scientists know another impact is inevitable. When traditional deflection methods won’t work, what’s the last resort?

At Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory…

In 2013, a house-sized asteroid exploded over Chelyabinsk, Russia, with the force of 30 atomic bombs. A century earlier, an asteroid impact flattened 830 square miles of Siberian forest. And while Ho…

How do you maintain a facility built to achieve the impossible? In this episode, we explore the National Ignition Facility Sustainment Project—an undertaking to ensure that the world’s most energetic…