When we think of labs, we often imagine white-coated geniuses huddled over exciting experiments and world-changing inventions. In reality, the work of most labs is pretty mundane. This doesn’t mean they are unimportant, quite the opposite. Labs that carry out routine testing for diseases or analyse blood samples carry out vital and life-saving work but often don’t make the headlines.
Most people experience labs when they volunteer for clinical trials, for example. For more information on how Adaptive Phase 1 Clinical Studies function, visit a site like https://www.richmondpharmacology.com/specialist-services/adaptive-phase-i-studies
There are some labs, however, that do make headlines. Here are some of the more extreme laboratories across the globe:
SNOLAB, Canada
This lab is located under the Earth’s surface. No, it isn’t an HQ for a Bond villain but a fascinating research facility studying neutrinos. It is the lowest lab in the world and must be positioned in this subterranean environment to prevent cosmic radiation from affecting the study.
This particular facility has received a great deal of media attention. It is the location of the Hadron Collider, one of the most talked about experiments in recent years. It is a huge facility, covering 550 hectares crossing the border between France and Switzerland. The project aims to recreate the conditions experienced during the Big Bang. It is the biggest machine on Earth right now.
NOAA Aquarius Reef Base, Florida
This is the deepest underwater lab in the world and it sits 60 feet below the sea surface in the Florida Keys. The lab has been in use for three decades and offers scientists excellent opportunities to study the local coral reef. The facility has living quarters and windows, which must provide a spectacular viewing experience!
The Sandia Laboratory, U.S
This lab is one of the most expensive to run in the world. It cost a whopping $80 million to construct and houses the world’s biggest electrical device. The Z machine runs voltage through tungsten wires to create huge bursts of energy that can be hotter than the sun! It produces 3 times the pressure of the Earth’s core and can send items flying faster than the speed of sound.
The prize for the windiest lab definitely goes to the LENS-X tunnel in New York. It can produce wind speeds of up to Mach 30 in its purpose-built tunnel. This 30m long tunnel only blows its maximum for 2 milliseconds and this is enough to produce airflow of up to 18m. The tunnel has also been used in the testing of spacecraft and missiles!
The Pyramid Lab, The Himalayas
This facility is the highest on Earth, at a whopping 16,500 feet above sea level in the Sagarmatha National Park of Nepal at the bottom of Mount Everest. The lab is shaped like a pyramid over three levels and researchers based here study the climate, geology and the environment.
