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 create superposition with beam-splitters?
This new exhibit in the detectors room is about the MAGIS-100 (Matter-wave Atomic Gradiometer Interferometric Sensor), which is a long-baseline atom interferometer at Fermilab. The exhibit explains how interferometers work. Beam-splitters (optical devices that reflect and transmit light at the same time) make photons take two different paths along two arms simultaneously. Mirrors at the ends of the arms reflect the beams back to the beam-splitter, where they recombine, interfere with each other, and create an interference pattern. This pattern is extremely sensitive to its environment and can be used as a detector. The MAGIS-100 will be used to detect dark matter and other phenomena that require very sensitive detectors.