"Deep Science" in Rapid City draws 280

Rapid City, S.D. -- Dr. Jose Alonso attracted a standing-room-only audience of 280 for his "Deep Science" lecture Wednesday night at the Dahl Arts Center in Rapid City. (In fact, we had to add chairs.)

Credit goes to the Dahl staff for lots of help promoting the event and for providing a wonderful setup  in the performance space at the new, improved, expanded arts center. Our thanks to Assistant Director Darla Drew Lerdal, Shared Services Coordinator Kathy Maxson, Events Coordinator Karen Boydston and staffer Shawn Parker. Also, our thanks go to the unknown audience member who, noting our panic as our project failed right before the lecture, stepped forward with a quick fix. ("I speak projector," he said.)

Dr. Alonso's presentation, "Neutrinos and Dark Matter in the Black Hills," was the 11th lecture in the "Deep Science for Everyone" series, which introduces South Dakotans to some of the world's top scientists. Dr. Alonso, for example, joined the Sanford Underground Laboratory as Director in Octover 2007. He "retired" from Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in California in 2002, after a 30-year career in accelerator physics. Then Dr. Alonso worked on the assembly of the ATLAS Detector, a major experiment at the new Large Hadron Collider in Switzerland.

"Deep Science" lectures are for general audiences -- from bright middle schoolers to curious senior citizens. Dr. Alonso will illustrate his talk with photos and graphics. Students are encouraged to attend -- especially those considering careers in science. "Deep Science for Everyone" lectures are sponsored by the Sanford Underground Laboratory at Homestake and by the South Dakota Science and Technology Authority.

Check this Website for more "Deep Science" lectures by Dr. Alonso and other scientists. For information about the Dahl, click here.

"Deep Science for Everyone" lectures are sponsored by the Sanford Underground Laboratory at Homestake and by the South Dakota Science and Technology Authority.