Open House

Open House features tesla coils, potato cannons, maglev trains and more (click for audio slideshow).

Credit: Larry Gordon

Every February, the Magnet Lab invites the public to spend the day at its world-class research laboratory. Our 2009 Open House attracted a record 5,573 visitors. Our 2010 Open House is scheduled for Saturday, February 27, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

This free event features something for young and old alike: hands-on demonstrations, self-guided tours, activities from our Community Classroom Consortium partners, food and the chance to meet and chat with our scientists and other Mag Lab staff. It's also a chance to do good for the community: The canned goods we collect as the unofficial price of admission go to America's Second Harvest Food Bank of the Big Bend.

Open House offers an up-close look at our record-breaking 45-tesla hybrid magnet, our 900-megahertz superconducting magnet and other powerful research instruments. A special Kids Zone features science fun designed especially for young children.

With information and activities targeting a variety of ages, this event has become a popular family outing and is a unique opportunity to show children how fun – yes, fun! – science can be.

Open House Links:

• Audio Slideshow of 2009 Open House
• Science Demonstrations
  Audio slideshows of some of our most popular Open House exhibits, including maglev trains, the shrinking quarter machine, the Tesla coil and more.
• Open House 2009: By the Numbers
  How many visitors, how many shrunken quarters, how much oobleck and other fun factiods.
• Magnet Kits Demonstration (video)
  How to use the magnet kits sold at the 2009 Open House. (Length: 7 minutes, 18 seconds)
• Potato Cannon (article)
  This article explains how the pneumatic potato cannon works.
• Slideshow of 2008 Open House
• The Shocking Truth about Electricity and Magnetism (PowerPoint, 31 MB)
  Presentation by Mag Lab Director Greg Boebinger at the 2008 Open House
• Magnets: From Mini to Mighty (PowerPoint, 18 MB)
  Presentation by Magnet Science & Technology Director Mark Bird at the 2008 Open House
• What’s So Super about Superconductivity? (PowerPoint, 3.1 MB)
  Presentation by Applied Superconductivity Center Director David Larbalestier at the 2008 Open House

For more information contact Susan Ray at sray@magnet.fsu.edu or (850) 644-9651.