Deb Hart Explains MSU’s FRIB and More

While driving on Mt. Hope between Hagadorn and Harrison in East Lansing with my 15 year old stepdaughter last week, she made a comment about MSU being better than most other colleges for veterinary, etc. I said, "Yes, certainly...they have an excellent 'Packaging' program, too...and they have the F-RIB, or FRIB, or whatever they call it...it's world renown for ah...hmmm...splitting atoms...is that what they do there?"

My stepdaughter, "Isn't splitting atoms bad?"

Me, "Well, you can make bombs or energy by splitting atoms. So, depending on how you feel about nuclear bombs, they're bad or good. Same for using nuclear for energy...but, actually, they don't split atoms at the FRIB...I got that wrong...I'll have to look up what they do there."

And here's your answer from the 'Facility for Rare Isotope Beams' website:

"FRIB will enable scientists to make discoveries about the properties of rare isotopes in order to better understand the physics of nuclei, nuclear astrophysics, fundamental interactions, and applications for society. As the next-generation accelerator for conducting rare isotope experiments, FRIB will allow scientists to advance their search for answers to fundamental questions about nuclear structure, the origin of the elements in the cosmos, and the forces that shaped the evolution of the universe."

Exactly what I didn't say to her.