Argonne National Laboratory

There are “chain reactions” taking place at Argonne National Laboratory. In 1942, Argonne created the world’s first controlled, self-sustaining “nuclear chain reaction.” Fast forward 70 -years - Argonne is one of the country’s premier facilities for energy-related research and development and the Advanced Photon Source X—ray project.

Argonne National Laboratory was born from a famous University of Chicago scientific moment. While doing conduction research for the Manhattan Project during World War ll, Enrico Fermi and his team solidified their place in history when they engineered the first nuclear chain reaction. While this discovery was a key component in developing the atomic bomb, it also led to more peaceful applications of atomic energy.

Argonne's battery program has the scientific community all charged up. With electric cars becoming more popular every year, and predictions that electric airplanes are only a few decades away, research being done at Argonne will impact future generations.

The lab's work extends far beyond cars and planes. In fact, its most popular resident is its Advance Photon Source (APS), the world's brightest X-ray beam. APS receives more than 6,000 international scientific visitors annually and has shed light on virtually every industry.

As proud member of the DuPage community, Argonne has held community roundtable meetings for elected officials and leaders for over 20 years. Their outreach and education programs range from traditional field trips to scheduled facility tours to initiatives like "Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day" and "Out Loud" a highly popular lecture series. 

The most powerful computer ever built in the United States will make its home at Argonne National Laboratory in 2021 as stated by the U.S. Department of Energy. Aurora, the United States' first exascale computer, will combine unprecedented processing power with the growing potential of artificial intelligence to help solve the world's most important and complex scientific challenges.

Step outside at Argonne and walk, run or explore! Argonne's natural surroundings are an inspiration for innovation. Add some steps to your day and enjoy walking the campus. Connect to the wilderness and scientific wonders of this community friendly legend. Argonne is in Lemont, IL. Visit www.anl.gov.