The Sun’s got competition

Checking your phone in the middle of the night and being momentarily blinded by its brightness is startling - now imagine a light brighter than the surface of the sun, created inside the Extreme Light Lab. Gavin Khattra, AIS Mohali, VIII A, brings to you part three of GT’s new Extreme Science Labs series, where we travel from the scorching arid deserts to sub-zero polar regions, from deep underground to towering mountain peaks, exploring laboratories that host some of the most daring experiments ever conducted.

Where is it situated?
The Extreme Light Laboratory is in the University of Nebraska–Lincoln (UNL), USA. This state-of-the-art laser lab spans three floors in the university’s Behlen lab building and it is also home to the Diocles laser, which is one of the most powerful lasers on the planet. Nebraska, where the lab is located, has a humid continental climate, meaning it has hot summers and icy winters. But the temperatures in the lab are always controlled to lower temperatures in order to keep the laser beams stable and accurate, for when it comes to science, even the tiniest of fluctuations may skew results.

Testing the unbreakable
This lab has produced the brightest light on Earth. Imagine a light so bright that it shines a billion times brighter than the surface of the sun. It has also observed changes in a vision-enabling interaction between light and matter. Those changes led X-ray pulses with the unique potential to generate images with very high-resolutions for medicine, science, security, and space exploration as well. These laser beams can help us see things at an otherworldly scale!
Built for the extremes
Since extreme science requires extreme gear, the lab boasts of temperature, vibration, and humidity control systems to avoid any disruptions. Inside the lab are three different laser systems: Diocles (0.2–0.7 PW), Diocles high rep-rate (100 TW), and Archimedes (10 TW), each more powerful than the last. And there are three target rooms, two of which are radiation-proof, and the target chambers are designed to maintain high-vacuum environments. Given the sensitive nature of their experiments, special control rooms allow scientists to operate everything from a safe distance.
Lab legends
What makes this lab truly legendary is its creation of the brightest light ever made on Earth. The researchers focused the laser to a point where it could change the way light behaves — something scientists had only theorised about before. This groundbreaking experiment was even published in the journal Nature Photonics.

Why it matters
The powerful light it creates may be used to capture super high-resolution images that help in everything from detecting cancer to scanning distant galaxies. It’s also paving the way for new physics experiments with high-intensity lasers. In short, the lab is showing the world that when science meets imagination, even light can be pushed to new extremes. To sum up, this lab shows to humanity that we can do anything with the right resources like getting stunning pictures of faraway worlds in our universe.

So, the next time you see crisp images from space or lasers doing the impossible, just know, the brightest breakthrough might have come from Nebraska!

Flash-on, science!

Capturing Data, Not Just Images

Kriti Verma, GT Network

If you thought selfies and scenic pictures were all that a camera could do, then you must look into scientific photography; where you will explore how scientists can see things beyond their staggering spectacles.

Microscopic media
Think of scientists as the paparazzi snapping glamorous close-ups of germs, tissues, and even those villainous viruses! Photomicrography helps them study samples, understand diseases, and create new medicines.

Capturing cosmic celebs
Astrophotography is your ticket to cosmic selfies with galaxies as your background. With telescopes looking like space-age cannons and cameras that love long stares, astrophotographers capture celestial treasures, making the sky look more fabulous.

Split-second shots
F1 fan must love those ‘quick-capture’ photos clicked using ultra-fast shutters, giving scientists a VIP pass to notice what is too quick. Vice versa, in time-lapse, transition is highlighted, so stars move like shooting stars, clouds sprint across the sky.

Beyond the boundaries
Infrared photography allows us to see heat, not just light. We can see plants glow and feverish people becoming heat-beacons. It’s used in environmental science, surveillance, and medical imaging.

Forensic flashes
What if Sherlock Holmes was a photographer? UV photography reveals secrets unseen to the common eye: hidden bruises, surface damage, and chemical traces.

X-ray and MRI
Another vital scientific photography includes MRIs for soft tissues in the brain and X-rays for bones that diagnose medical conditions. Every click saves a life!