SOUTH TALLAHASSEE, FL \u2014 FSU’s National MagLab welcomed families inside their facility Saturday to experience the world’s strongest magnets through hands-on experiments and science education activities. <\/p>\n
WATCH FULL REPORT BELOW:<\/p>\n
FSU’s National MagLab inspires future scientists at family open house event<\/p>\n
For the Rawls family, Saturday meant checking off another annual visit to the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory in Tallahassee.<\/p>\n
The world’s strongest magnets, usually reserved for scientists from around the globe, were at their fingertips during the lab’s annual, community open house event.<\/p>\n
“I levitated and made smoke rings and gigantic bubbles,” a member of the Rawls family said, describing their hands-on experience with the cutting-edge scientific equipment.<\/p>\n
The National MagLab, headquartered at Florida State University, attracts nearly 2,000 researchers a year who use its one-of-a-kind equipment to study advanced materials, energy, health and quantum technology. <\/p>\n
The facility is funded primarily by the National Science Foundation, with additional support from the State of Florida and the local community.<\/p>\n
“We’re taxpayer funded, so everyone is a stakeholder in our science,” Communications Director Kristin Roberts said.<\/p>\n
This year’s open house theme blended science with books and literature, using stories to help explain complex scientific concepts to visitors of all ages.<\/p>\n
“Science and books share curiosity and wonder. We’re excited to use books as a springboard to explain some of our harder-to-understand science,” Roberts said.<\/p>\n
The National MagLab stands as the only facility of its kind in the United States and operates as the largest, highest-powered magnet laboratory in the world. <\/p>\n
Community support has played a critical role in keeping the facility in Florida since it relocated from Massachusetts Institute of Technology to Florida State University in the early 1990s.<\/p>\n
“The story of the MagLab shows the importance of community support. Continued support is critical so this lab can stay here in our community,” Roberts said.<\/p>\n
For families like the Rawls’s, the lab’s global scientific impact resonates on a personal level, especially when it comes to inspiring the next generation.<\/p>\n
“Science is important, and it’s important to continue the fun with the education part,” the Rawls family said.<\/p>\n
Their enthusiasm appears to be working on the youngest family members, with one child already setting career goals.<\/p>\n
“I want to be a type of scientist, a herpetologist,” the young visitor said.<\/p>\n
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.<\/p>\n
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