Laboratory volunteers helped students from Carlos F. Vigil Middle School in Española take part in a morning of challenging and fun math activities at Santa Fe Community College (SFCC) on April 14. Organized by nonprofit STEM Santa Fe, with support from the Laboratory and SFCC, the 2022 Julia Robinson Math Festival also included lunch and tours of the SFCC campus.
Julia Robinson Mathematics Festivals take place all over the world in honor of the famous mathematician, and in Santa Fe the activities included math and logic puzzles such as Skyscrapers (a form of 3-D sudoku), and Wolves and Sheep (a strategy game played on a modified checkerboard). The tours included visits to SFCC’s Automotive Technologies Center and the Medical Simulation Lab.
Input sought for shift to carbon-neutral economy
From wind farms to electric cars, the movement of global markets away from conventional fossil fuels to more sustainable energy sources is gaining momentum. To identify options for the Intermountain West, a new coalition in which the Laboratory is a partner is asking the public for input on regional perspectives as part of a plan for making the shift to a carbon-neutral economy in 15 years.
I-WEST is currently offering one-on-one listening sessions through May for tribes, local community leaders, special interest groups, educators, students, policy makers, project leaders, entrepreneurs and others who want to join the dialog and offer their perspectives on energy transition in the Intermountain West. To schedule a session, contact I-WEST at iwest@lanl.gov. For more information about the initiative and the listening sessions, visit iwest.org.
Laboratory studies artifacts linked to Coronado Expedition
The Coronado Historic Site in Bernalillo recently received a Community Technical Assistance grant from the Laboratory to help in their research into objects that may be connected to the Coronado Expedition. A copper pendant and a copper arrowhead were provided to the Laboratory to be analyzed non-destructively. X-ray analysis techniques were used to study the objects’ morphology, shape, composition and atomic information.