Big Ideas Lab

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STARMOC

August 04, 2026

The number of objects in orbit is doubling every two years, and the systems built to keep watch still run on formats designed around 1960s punch cards. At Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, a mission operations center called STARMOC is proving that the future of space operations can be built fast, affordable and in-house - by testing new ways to fly satellites, train AI and stay ahead in a crowded, contested sky. This is STARMOC at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. Guests featured ...

The Postdoc Journey

June 30, 2026

What happens after a PhD, but before a scientist is fully established? At Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, that in-between stage is treated as a proving ground. LLNL postdocs are given rare facilities, hard problems, mentorship, career development time, and a community built around collaboration. The result is more than professional development. It’s the moment a scientist starts becoming the person others look to for answers. Guests featured (in order of appearance): Tomi Akindele -...

SLAM

June 16, 2026

At the National Lab Research SLAM, scientists from all 17 Department of Energy national laboratories get three minutes and a single slide to explain years of complex research to people who aren't scientists. This is the story of how Lawrence Livermore built a program to teach its researchers a skill that turns out to be as essential as the science itself: making the work understandable. Guests featured (in order of appearance): Brandon Zimmerman - Staff Scientist, LLNL Christine Zachow - O...