Carnegie Institution for Science facts for kids
The Carnegie Institution for Science, also called Carnegie Science, is an organization in the United States. It was created to pay for and do scientific research. Its main office is in Washington, D.C..
As of June 30, 2020, the Institution had about $926.9 million to support its work. In 2018, it spent $96.6 million on science programs and running the organization. Eric Isaacs is currently the president of the Institution.
Contents
What's in a Name?
Many groups were started by a rich man named Andrew Carnegie. More than 20 independent organizations use his last name. These groups work on many different things. They include art, education, world affairs, world peace, and scientific research.
In 2007, the Carnegie Institution of Washington changed its public name. It became the "Carnegie Institution for Science." This was done to help people tell it apart from other groups Andrew Carnegie started. However, its legal name is still the Carnegie Institution of Washington.
A Look Back at History
Andrew Carnegie wanted to create a place in Washington, D.C. that would "encourage investigation, research, and discovery." He also wanted it to "show the application of knowledge to the improvement of mankind." He wrote this on January 28, 1902.
When the United States joined World War II, Vannevar Bush was the president of the Carnegie Institution. He helped convince President Franklin D. Roosevelt to create a special committee. This was the National Defense Research Committee. It helped organize the country's science efforts for the war.
Bush set up this new group in the Carnegie Institution's main building in Washington, D.C. He even turned parts of the building into offices. From here, Bush oversaw many important projects. This included the Manhattan Project, which developed the atomic bomb. Carnegie scientists also helped create the proximity fuze and make a lot of penicillin.
What Science Does Carnegie Do?
Carnegie scientists are still making new discoveries today. The Carnegie Institution for Science has six science departments. They are located on the East and West Coasts. They focus on six main areas:
- Astronomy (studying space)
- Earth and planetary science (studying Earth and other planets)
- Global Ecology (studying how Earth's systems work together)
- Genetics and developmental biology (studying genes and how living things grow)
- Extreme states of matter (studying materials under very high pressure or temperature)
- Plant science (studying plants)
Earth and Planets Laboratory
In 2020, two departments, the Geophysical Lab and the Department of Terrestrial Magnetism, joined together. They became the Earth and Planets Laboratory. This new department is still in Washington, D.C.
The Geophysical Laboratory (GL) started in 1905. Its scientists studied the physics and chemistry of Earth's deep inside. They were well-known for studying rocks and materials under high pressure and temperature. The Laboratory is also part of the NASA Astrobiology Institute. This group looks at how life started on Earth and if it could exist elsewhere.
One project studies rocks found near hot hydrothermal vents at the bottom of the ocean. They think these rocks might have helped life begin on Earth. Their research combines many fields, from physics to biology.
The Geophysical Laboratory's first goal was to understand Earth's makeup and how it works. This included creating new tools for research. Over time, their work grew to include all conditions since Earth formed. Now, they also study other planets in our Solar System and beyond.
Scientists at the Laboratory create tools to study materials in extreme conditions. This means temperatures from super cold to hotter than the Sun. They also study pressures from normal air pressure to millions of times stronger. They use special tools like diamond anvil cells. They also help manage national x-ray and neutron facilities. This work helps solve big problems in many science areas.
Laboratory scientists also study meteorites and comets. This helps them learn how simple molecules became complex in our Solar System. They look at conditions on early Earth to understand the origin of life. By studying unique environments, they develop ways to search for life on other planets. They test these methods in places on Earth that are similar to other planets.
The Department of Terrestrial Magnetism (DTM) started in 1904. They used two ships for their work. The Galilee was used first in 1905. But it wasn't good for magnetic studies. So, a special non-magnetic ship, the Carnegie, was built in 1909. It sailed seven times to measure Earth's magnetic field. Sadly, it exploded and burned.
The DTM also funded many different research projects. Their astronomy group used new methods to find and understand planets outside our Solar System. By studying other planetary systems, they learn more about our own. The geophysics group studies earthquakes, volcanoes, and Earth's structure. Cosmochemists study how the Solar System began. They also look at meteorites and how impacts happen on Earth.
Like all Carnegie departments, the Laboratory helps young scientists. They offer programs for students working on their doctorates and for those who have just finished their doctorates.
Department of Embryology
The Department of Embryology is in Baltimore, Maryland. It also has a program called BioEYES in other cities. This program teaches science to students.
Until the 1960s, this department mainly studied how human embryos develop. Since then, scientists have looked at basic questions about how animals grow and how genetics works. Their research includes:
- How genetic programming guides cells as they develop.
- Which genes control growth and obesity.
- How to make stem cells grow into specific body parts.
Department of Global Ecology, Stanford, California
The Department of Global Ecology started in 2002. These scientists study how Earth's land, air, and oceans interact. They want to understand how global systems work. They use many tools, from satellites to molecular biology instruments.
They explore the global carbon cycle. They also study how land and ocean ecosystems affect climate. And they look at how different types of living things affect how ecosystems work. These scientists have also shared their knowledge with the public. They have given talks to government groups and promoted using satellite images to find environmental problems.
Department of Plant Biology, Stanford, California
The Department of Plant Biology began in 1903 as a desert lab. It studied plants in their natural homes. Over time, their research changed to focus on photosynthesis. This is how plants make food using sunlight.
Using molecular genetics and other methods, these biologists study genes. They look at genes that help plants react to light. They also study genes that control plant growth and development. This includes genes that help plants survive diseases and tough environments.
The department also works on bioinformatics. They created the Arabidopsis Information Resource. This is an online database with information about Arabidopsis thaliana. This plant is often used for research. The department uses advanced genetic methods to study how photosynthesis is controlled. They also look at life in extreme places, like tiny plant communities in hot springs.
The Observatories, Pasadena, California, and Las Campanas, Chile
The Observatories started in 1904 as the Mount Wilson Observatory. This observatory changed how we see the universe. Edwin Hubble discovered that the Universe is much bigger than we thought and that it is growing.
Carnegie astronomers study the cosmos (space). Unlike most researchers, they design and build their own instruments. They are tracing the Universe's story from the Big Bang to the formation of stars and galaxies. They explore the Universe's structure and try to solve the mysteries of dark matter, dark energy, and the Universe's ever-faster expansion.
Carnegie astronomers now work from the Las Campanas Observatory. It was built in 1969. It is high in Chile's Atacama Desert, which is a great place to observe space. As lights from Los Angeles grew, Mount Wilson became less useful for daily observations. So, operations there moved to the Mount Wilson Institute in 1986.
The newest telescopes at Las Campanas are two 6.5-meter telescopes. They are part of the latest group of giant telescopes. The Carnegie Institution also worked with other groups to build the Giant Magellan Telescope.
In 2020, the Department of Terrestrial Magnetism and the Geophysical Lab combined. They formed the Earth and Planets Laboratory. This new department is still in Washington, D.C. John Mulchaey, an American astrophysicist, is the director of the Carnegie Observatories.
CASE: Science Education for Kids
In 1989, Carnegie President Maxine Singer started First Light. This is a free Saturday science program for middle school students in Washington, D.C. It teaches hands-on science. Students build and program robots, study pond life, and learn about the Solar System. They even build telescopes.
First Light was the start of CASE, the Carnegie Academy for Science Education. Since 1994, CASE has also offered training for D.C. teachers. This training helps them teach science, math, and technology better.
How the Institution is Run
The Carnegie Institution's main offices were at 1530 P St., NW, Washington, D.C., until 2020. This building held the offices of the president and departments like finance and publications. In 2020, the building was sold to the government of Qatar to be used as its embassy.
Important Leaders
Here are the people who have been president of the Carnegie Institution:
- Daniel Coit Gilman (1902–1904)
- Robert S. Woodward (1904–1920)
- John C. Merriam (1921–1938)
- Vannevar Bush (1939–1955)
- Caryl P. Haskins (1956–1971)
- Philip Abelson (1971–1978)
- James D. Ebert (1978–1987)
- Edward E. David, Jr. (Acting President, 1987–1988)
- Maxine F. Singer (1989–2002)
- Michael E. Gellert (Acting President, January – April 2003)
- Richard Meserve (April 2003 – September 2014)
- Matthew P. Scott (September 1, 2014 – December 31, 2017)
- John Mulchaey and Yixian Zheng (Interim Co-Presidents January 1, 2018 – June 30, 2018)
- Eric D. Isaacs (July 2, 2018 – present)
Images for kids
-
A robot, like those built in the First Light program
See also
- Kurt Adelberger
