Megan Magrum, Daniel Forino and Peter Denton and other Brookhaven staff meet Nobel laureates in Kyoto, Japan, at the Science and Technology in Society meeting as part of the Youth Leadership Program.
Three former experts at the US Department of Energy’s (DOE) Brookhaven National Laboratory had the opportunity to meet Nobel laureates (Brookhaven staff meet Nobel laureates in Kyoto, Japan), discuss global issues, and explore the history of Kyoto, Japan at the 19th Annual Meeting of Science and Technology in Society (STS). The annual conference, held from October 1-4 this year, brought together nearly 1,000 leaders from around the world representing organizations involved in science and technology, policy making, business and advertising. .
Megan Magrum, Team Leader in the Laboratory’s Safety and Health Division, Daniel Forino, Division Director in the Laboratory’s Materials Management Division, and Peter Denton, High Energy Theory Physicist, attended the three-day meeting as part of STS. Youth Programs. As a forward-looking organization, STS has established this program to encourage the participation and prospects of outstanding young people in science and technology. Each of the Brookhaven Lab representatives selected from that experience has a unique perspective on the role science and technology will play and the challenges ahead. Make a connection
Being able to speak to the Nobel Laureates individually gave attendees a unique opportunity to see their achievements in a larger context. Listening to them reminisce about the early days of their work gave youth leaders inspiration and insight into their own careers. “It was interesting to hear the different life experiences from each of the winners and how they got here in their careers,” Magrum said. “It was surprising to find out that this was a trip that few of them had planned. Not everyone took a straightforward approach, which I found important given my background in research and industry. They all expressed how happy they were to have the opportunity and ability to do the research they were interested in.
“When you start getting to know who you’re talking to, it’s a humbling experience, but the more we get into these larger topics, the more we start to feel more equal,” Forino said. “Most of the content of this conference is related to my interests, my education and my work. I’m excited to discuss clean renewable energy technologies like blue hydrogen and blue ammonia, chemicals that are still produced from fossil fuels but in a cleaner way that captures carbon emissions. I was also able to learn about carbon-free bicycles in partnership with Volvo, which is important as bicycles are one of the main sources of carbon emissions.
Some of the topics of youth leaders including those who are qualified are going through research and how scientists have developed and trained them. Education is a popular topic, with many participants having strong ties to academic institutions and a window into what it’s like to be young researchers and students. “One of the most meaningful conversations I had was with award winner Brian Schmidt,” recalls Denton. “He’s not just an astrologer, but the Vice-Chancellor and President of the Australian National University. We talk about education, counseling and how we train scientists, thinking about what we do well and what needs to be improved. Often the focus is only on science, but we need ideas on how to attract and retain new people in these fields, starting with education. It has many ideas, and although it may not be as big as some of the other goals, such as climate research, it is still an important global issue that deserves to be be considered.
Global experience
The STS conference not only gathers many people from all over the world, but it was held in Kyoto, one of the oldest cities in Japan. Participants had the opportunity to explore the rich landscape of Japan’s former capital.
“There’s a lot of history to see everywhere, and it’s easy to see, even with a short walk around during off-hours,” Magrum said. Planning a trip is difficult, especially with illness restrictions, but the experience is worth it.
“Kyoto was beautiful and we also saw Tokyo and Osaka during the trip,” Forino explained. “The Japanese infrastructure is really interesting. Public transportation was so unfamiliar that we felt comfortable using it quickly which made the atmosphere a breeze. Although I was able to take about four photos of the historical site, I took at least 20 of the beautiful railroad tracks.
It is easy to compare how Japan deals with energy and environmental issues when immersed in the culture, but the speakers and champions representing other regions did their best to make the attendees understand the problem. the people they face at home and on their steps. taking. and put up with it. “It’s very interesting to see how each country solves its energy problems,” Magrum said. “Every local environment can play an important role in the way they generate energy and security. In the desert, for example, high temperatures can have a significant impact on energy conservation, which must be taken into account. We can learn a lot by considering these different needs and solutions.
“Social equity and climate are important to consider,” Forino said. “Various utilities can depend on carbon-emitting fossil fuels for economic or political reasons. Some countries have doubled coal production to stimulate the economy due to the effects of the epidemic. Even when we focus locally, we need to think globally. Although we, as a planet, have one problem and one goal, we don’t have a way to get there. We need a fair and united approach.
However, clean energy is not the only major issue addressed. To overcome these challenges, society must build a diverse scientific community that can work together and benefit from unique ideas. “Diversity, equality and inclusion in physics still has a long way to go,” explained Denton, “and it’s really an international issue. It’s good to see the connections between champions and leaders.” understand this problem and try to find a way to solve it.. People at all levels of education should take responsibility for fixing the leaky pipeline, where people are giving land. High schools, universities and national laboratories will take action.
Uses
Meetings with leaders and representatives from organizations of different sizes, orientations, and structures provide insight into what the lab is doing well and highlight opportunities for improvement. “A conference of this magnitude focuses on how we as researchers communicate,” Denton said. “People speak the same language. We can get into the high-level details right away. I realized that I did not take this type of peer-to-peer communication lightly. This organization supported more people than I interact with in my daily professional life, which made the difference in communication clear. Communication is something we can improve here in the laboratory, both at the level of the department, with partners outside the laboratory or the public.
“This experience has shown me that reaching a certain level in your career gives you the opportunity to influence and shape the way your business, organization or department operates,” Magrum said. “Many of those at the conference demonstrated their ability to make positive changes, to support support, and to understand and promote the ideas of young professionals who are successful in their careers.”
Seeing where Brookhaven Lab sits on this large scale inspires and creates a sense of community. To achieve the larger goals this organization has identified, links like this are valuable. “It’s good to know we have a place on site,” Forino said. “It’s important for us to participate as a DOE laboratory. Much of the work we do here in climate science and related initiatives is part of the conversation and is relevant to what the world is doing. We should be happy about that. It’s really a collective process to achieve that effect, so even though some of the smaller sciences may not seem like a big improvement, it makes a big difference to work together.
