The Periodic Table: A historic look at an influential mathematician

Todd Urbatsch discusses Bengt Carlson

February 5, 2024

Bengt Carlso Blackboard 5x4
Mathematician Bengt Carlson is the subject of this month's event. Los Alamos National Laboratory

Meet us at the intersection of science and history at this month’s Periodic Table event. Labbie Todd Urbatsch will discuss Bengt Carlson, a mathematician from Sweden who first came to Los Alamos during the Manhattan Project. Carlson remained in Los Alamos after the war and was the leader of T-Division’s main computing groups for more than 20 years. Carlson is best known for inventing the groundbreaking discrete ordinates SN method to solve the neutron transport equation, which is still used today.

The Periodic Table is the Bradbury Science Museum’s casual, ask-me-anything program held at projectY cowork. Gather with other science enthusiasts and talk with a special guest Labbie about their unique work. The Periodic Table is always free.

About the speaker: Todd Urbatsch, a scientist Los Alamos National Laboratory, currently leads the Radflow Project, which conducts radflow and opacity experiments. Urbatsch received a bachelor’s of science in nuclear engineering from Iowa State University in 1989 and a doctorate in nuclear engineering and scientific computing from the University of Michigan in 1995. He has three kids and a dog named Repo (Red E Player One).

Monday, Feb. 12
5:30-7 p.m.
projectY cowork
150 Central Park Square
Los Alamos, NM