Past Event · SLAC on Tap

Diamonds are (not) forever

How blowing stuff up with lasers like a James Bond villain can teach us about the insides of planets

In the film Diamonds are Forever, James Bond’s archnemesis uses diamonds to build a space-based laser weapon that can blow up stuff on Earth. SLAC physicist and Bond villain in training Emma McBride, however, uses lasers to mimic the extreme conditions found inside planets, where temperatures and pressures can reach high enough to actually melt diamond. Join us for SLAC on Tap at The Patio in Palo Alto where Emma will chat about how blowing stuff up with lasers can teach us about planetary interiors. Have a drink, find out more about matter in extreme conditions and stick around after the talk for some trivia, giveaways and a liquid nitrogen ice cream demo with samples.

About Emma McBride

Emma McBride is a Panofsky Fellow at SLAC where she blows stuff up with lasers in an attempt to take over the world, works to recreate the extreme conditions found inside Earth and other planets and continues to explore the extremely bright X-rays provided by the Linac Coherent Light Source.

Past Event · SLAC on Tap

Diamonds are (not) forever

How blowing stuff up with lasers like a James Bond villain can teach us about the insides of planets

SLAC on Tap
An audience sits on a patio listening to a science talk and demonstration.
Date
Tuesday, June 25, 2019
6:00–7:00 p.m. PDT