From stars to the Amazon, free lectures explore the story of gold

Los Alamos National Laboratory Director Emeritus Terry Wallace traces gold’s cosmic journey in Albuquerque, Santa Fe and Los Alamos

May 15, 2019

2019-05-15
Terry Wallace

LOS ALAMOS, N.M., May 15, 2019—Los Alamos National Laboratory Director Emeritus Terry Wallace will discuss the cosmic and tectonic journey made by the metal gold in three Frontiers in Science public lectures beginning May 20 in Albuquerque.

“Gold is one of the most fascinating of the 4,500 mineral species on Earth, and no mineral (or metal) evokes more emotion,” said geologist Wallace. “But it also has an incredible scientific story: a gold nugget is made of material that was not born in our planet or even our solar system.”

Titled “Gold: from the Big Bang to the Amazon forest,” the talks will discuss how the metal was created, how it came to be found on Earth, and the spell it has cast over humankind.

All Frontiers in Science presentations begin at 7 p.m. and are free of charge. The talks are:

  • Monday, May 20 at Explora, 1701 Mountain Rd. NW, Albuquerque
  • Wednesday, May 22 at the Jemez Rooms, Santa Fe Community College, 6401 Richards Avenue, Santa Fe
  • Thursday, May 23 at the Duane Smith Auditorium, 1300 Diamond Drive, Los Alamos

Sponsored by the Fellows of Los Alamos National Laboratory, the Frontiers in Science lecture series is intended to increase local public awareness of the diversity of science and engineering research at the Laboratory.

For more information, call (505) 667-7251 or email David Moore.

About Los Alamos National Laboratory

Los Alamos National Laboratory, a multidisciplinary research institution engaged in strategic science on behalf of national security, is managed by Triad, a public service oriented, national security science organization equally owned by its three founding members: Battelle Memorial Institute (Battelle), the Texas A&M University System (TAMUS), and the Regents of the University of California (UC) for the Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration.

Los Alamos enhances national security by ensuring the safety and reliability of the U.S. nuclear stockpile, developing technologies to reduce threats from weapons of mass destruction, and solving problems related to energy, environment, infrastructure, health, and global security concerns.