Last year, the National High Magnetic Field Lab in Tallahassee canceled its annual open house because of the pandemic. But on Saturday the event was back and attended by what appeared to be record crowds.
Maybe it was just a case of pent-up demand, but the giant research center was essentially wall-to-wall with visitors on Saturday.
There were more than 100 science demonstrations. FSU undergrad engineering intern Megan Reece was helping demonstrate super-conductivity and why it's important.
"The big thing about super-conductivity is that it doesn't lose engergy, so we can use this in the power grid in the future. (It's) cheaper for the public and it'll just be more efficient for running electricity without losing energy."
There was also a special visitor helping out with one of the demonstrations, Cori Bassett with the National Science Foundation. That's the Mag Lab's primary funding source, along with the State of Florida. Bassett was mightily impressed with all the kids enjoying the event.
"It's amazing! I mean the age range, the diversity, just being able to see kids standing side-by-side working with each other to see how things are doing. It's really exciting."
Also exciting, the chance for everyone to check out the world's largest and most powerful magnets, which attract researchers from all over the globe.
