Eight (Really) Big Ideas in Science

8232Eight UC Berkeley Lab scientists present eight game-changing concepts in eight minutes each. You can watch one at a time, but once you get started, you might not want to stop.

Inspired by the problems of our time and the mysteries of the universe, these scientists are working to answer questions we may have never thought to ask – and they’re succeeding. For instance:

Wouldn’t it be great if there was a “Google” for materials – a way to enter certain properties and easily find materials that meet those properties?

What about Mass Spectrometry Imaging – what is it and how could it revolutionize medicine?

What does an atom really look like… in 3-D?

Can we generate electricity from viruses? (Hint: yes!)

What about materials? Can we put two materials together to generate energy?

Wouldn’t it be great if there was a pill to treat people exposed to radioactive material?

Can computers be used to search for supernovae, the largest explosions in the universe?

And finally, physicist Ian Hinchliffe answers perhaps the most important question of all – why should we care about fundamental research? (He also talks about the Higgs…)

Watch Eight Big Ideas 2013 – Science at the Theater to learn more about the incredible work at UC Berkeley.