Lederman Science Center

Hands-on exhibits and activities that bring Fermilab’s science to life

 

Welcome to the Leon M. Lederman Science Education Center — a collaborative and inclusive space where curious and diverse explorers of all ages share in the magic of discovery and expand their understanding of the universe through interactive exhibits inspired by Fermilab’s scientific research and breakthroughs.

The mission of the Lederman Science Center is to communicate Fermilab’s leading-edge science with the public while showcasing the site’s environment and architecture by hosting programs for K-12 students, educators, and learners of all ages and backgrounds.

Featured Exhibit

Can you play quantum entanglement?

Sometimes, two (or more) particles become connected and start behaving as one system — they seem to know each other’s state no matter how separated they are. However, no information is communicated between these two particles. This phenomenon is known as quantum entanglement. In this exhibit light bulbs represent particles. The purple color represents an unknown state, which is a mix (or superposition) of all possible states. The blue and red colors represent the 2 possible states that will be revealed after a measurement. When the measurement is done, particles land in one of the 2 possible states. Depending on the degree of their entanglement the outcomes may or may not be correlated.