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The public will get the opportunity to walk around Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory this weekend during the site’s first open house since the fall of 1997. 

The event runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday at the Lab, located on the hillside about the UC Berkeley campus. 

“Kids are our primary focus for the open house,” said Lab spokesperson Ron Kolb. “This is a great way for them to learn about the different scientific activities at the Lab, but it can also be a way of encouraging them to consider science careers.” 

The open house is being crafted around four theme areas: To Your Health – Shedding Light on Life’s Mysteries; The Universe in Your Pocket – Exploring Particles and Matter; The World at Your Fingertips – Exploring by Computer; and Home and Environment – Protecting Our Planet. 

Visitors will receive a program highlighting the various buildings and exhibits that relate to each theme. For example, someone interested in the “Home and Environment” theme could visit the Lighting Laboratory, the rock-fluid imaging lab, the firehouse or the hazardous waste handling facility. 

Special events during the day will include a ceremony honoring Bay Area math and science teachers at 12:15 p.m., and a 2 p.m. showing of the feature-length documentary “Me & Isaac Newton,” which includes the story of Berkeley Lab scientist Ashok Gagdil. 

Kolb said around 5,000 people attended each of the two previous open houses, held in 1995 and 1997. About half the people had a direct link to the Lab – a friend or family member of an employee – while the other half were members of the public. 

And the Lab anticipates that as in previous years, protesters will visit to distribute information highlighting their concerns about activities at the Lab, particularly with the National Tritium Labeling Facility. 

Last week, the Daily Planet was invited to take a tour of the Lab along with a group of Richmond educators who may be bringing students to this weekend’s event. The tour visited several of the sites that will be open to the public on Saturday, including the 88-inch Cyclotron, the Advanced Lighting Source, the Lighting Laboratory and the fruit fly genome center. 

Each stop featured a short presentation by scientists and staff members working on specific projects, including attempts in the Cyclotron to reconfirm the discovery of “superheavy” Element 118, which was reported at the Lab last June. 

Other presentations were made on the development of energy-efficient compact fluorescent torchiere lamps and the ongoing “mapping” project of fruit fly genes. 

Reed George, a former Motorola executive who is now working with the Lab on the mapping effort, said his current work often feels more rewarding than working with “a plastic box that beeps.” 

“Well, all of our students have your pagers,” replied one of the teachers, “so maybe they can pick up some of your science, too.” 

No public parking will be available Saturday at the Lab, but free parking and shuttle service will be offered from the Downtown Berkeley BART station and from UC Berkeley campus parking lots along Hearst Avenue. For more information, visit the Lab’s web site (www.lbl.gov/OpenHouse) or call 510-495-2222.