Outreach and Communication

Fermilab pursues the most challenging problems in fundamental physics. A critical part of that adventure is to bring the knowledge, excitement and understanding to our communities. To that end, we share in the privilege and responsibility of reaching out to the broad Fermilab community, the local Illinois community, and students and public visitors from around the world. We are committed to help everyone understand the benefits of their investment in our work, and to share the wonder that we experience exploring the mysteries of our universe.

How Physics Works

Physics builds the scientific model of how the world works—the “physical world”—and new tools to confront that model with reality. Technological progress depends on new physical knowledge and the new capabilities it brings.

Particle physics explores essential elements of the physical world: basic forms of quantum matter and energy, and their transformations in space and time. We have built and tested an extraordinarily successful “Standard Model” that explains all familiar forms of matter and energy and much more, but is still incomplete. Important behaviors of known particles, especially neutrinos, are not yet measured or understood. Exotic forms of cosmic matter and energy, not in the Standard Model, are known only by their gravity. Space-time itself displays a form of energy unlike all others, whose essential quantum character is still unknown. Future projects will develop new experimental tools to delve deeply into these mysteries and others.

Outreach Events Involving CPC Scientists

Below are some of the science outreach events we’ve been involved in:

Please contact the Fermilab CPC or the Fermilab Office of Communications if you would like to arrange for a public presentation with one of our scientists.

Outreach Highlights

Fermilab Dark Matter Day 2021

Fermilab Dark Matter Day 2020

Fermilab Dark Matter Day 2019

Donna Kubik’s 4 minute tour of the Cosmic Physics Center

Brendan Kiburg at TEDxNaperville

Dan Hooper at the Fermilab Lecture Series

Brenna Flaugher at TEDx Fargo

Brian Nord at Fermilab Physics Slam 2013 [starts at 51:10]

Marcelle Soares-Santos at Fermilab Physics Slam 2014 [starts at 18:15]