Dianna Cowern’s popular YouTube series “Physics Girl” takes her on explorations of our globe’s most incredible science destinations—a 17-mile particle collider in Switzerland, a gravitational wave detector in the midst of a Washington desert, even a permafrost tunnel in Alaska. And this July, Cowern will add the United States’ deepest underground science laboratory to that list.
Cowern is traveling to Lead, South Dakota, to give the keynote talk at Neutrino Day, Sanford Underground Research Facility’s (SURF) free, citywide science festival on Saturday, July 9. While at SURF, she will visit the Davis Campus, a science laboratory nearly a mile beneath the surface, where researchers are searching for dark matter and rare particle decays.
“We are so excited to bring Dianna Cowern to SURF for Neutrino Day,” said Constance Walter, communications director. “She has an enthusiasm for physics and a passion for education that fits beautifully with the mission of Neutrino Day and SURF.”
During her Neutrino Day keynote presentation, Cowern will discuss the bizarre and odd physics concepts that drive our Universe, engaging the audience with the clarity, enthusiasm and humor that has made her channel a smashing success on YouTube.
“Usually, when I’m invited to give a talk, it’s at a conference center. I’m not often invited to give a talk at a cutting-edge, state-of-the-art research facility!” Cowern said. “SURF is the perfect backdrop for setting up excitement for science.”
With over 2 million subscribers, “Physics Girl” is a resource for fun physics videos and other materials about physics and topics related to physics. Her videos total more than 135 million views. Her show has featured such well-known figures as the legendary Rodney Mullen, Bill Nye and Anne Wojcicki—founder of 23 and me. In 2019, Dianna was named to the FORBES 30 under 30 list.
Cowern researched dark matter as an undergraduate at MIT and low-metallicity stars as a post-baccalaureate research fellow at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics—before working at GE as a software engineer designing mobile apps. Now, she invites everyone into the world of physics through experiments, demonstrations and cool new discoveries.
“When I was a kid, it was cool to say that you weren’t interested in science, that you weren’t ‘nerdy,’” Cowern said. “There wasn’t an easy way to share your passion for science or have that truly human experience of sharing your interests with others. Making exciting and accessible videos was one way for me to connect with my friends and family—and ultimately, all these people on the internet—about my greatest and nerdiest passions!”
Cowern’s “Physics Girl” videos investigate dark matter, neutrinos, supernovae explosions, gravitational waves and renewable energy—all topics researched at SURF.
To hear Cowern’s immediate reaction to being 4,850 feet underground, tune into South Dakota Public Broadcasting’s “In the Moment” live from the 4850 Level on Friday, July 8, at 11 am MT.
Then, see Cowern live and in-person at the Neutrino Day finale at the Historic Homestake Opera House on Saturday, July 9, at 4 p.m. The talk is free, but seating is limited, so arrive early.
More about Neutrino Day 2022
Throughout the day, attendees will find all their Neutrino Day favorites and discover new experiences, activities and speakers.
Join us for hoistroom tours, science activities and exhibits for all ages, live video chats with scientists underground at SURF, and engaging talks about the research happening beneath your feet. You won’t want to miss a tour of the Yates Hoistroom, wild science demonstrations with “Science Steve” Rokusek or The Journey Museum's immersive planetarium!
Neutrino Day takes place at locations across Lead, including the Sanford Lab Homestake Visitor Center, the Sanford Underground Research Facility, the Handley Recreation Center and the Historic Homestake Opera House. Start your day at the Visitor Center, then take buses to other locations throughout Lead.
To plan your Neutrino Day experience, visit www.neutrinoday.com.
