PhysCon Tours

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Full PhysCon registrants will have the opportunity to go on one of the following tours on November 3, 2016.  The tours have strict entry requirements, as outlined below, which will be enforced, especially those related to citizenship and ID requirements. Failure to comply with the requirements could mean forfeiting the tour opportunity.

Only those who have paid the full PhysCon registration fee can go on the tours.  Attendees may not be able to get their first choice of tour as space is limited.  All tours are approximately 5 hours in length including travel time.

Roundtrip shuttle service is provided to transport attendees from the Hyatt Hotel to the tour sites.  

IMPORTANT:

Due to circumstances beyond our control, there have been some last-minute changes to the tour schedules. Please verify your tour meeting time when you check in at the PhysCon registration desk.

MEET IN THE STAGING AREA (GRAND PENINSULA FOYER) AT THE LISTED TIMES.
You must bring your ticket, and go on the tour location and time that you selected during registration.

SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory 

There are four scheduled tours to SLAC. Each tour can accommodate 100 participants. The departure schedule is: 6:30 a.m., 8:45 a.m., 10:45 a.m., and 12:45 p.m.  This tour is full.

Description:  The SLAC Tour will include an overall orientation to the Accelerator Laboratory and tours of the Klystron Gallery (2-mile-long accelerator), the Viz Lab (3D visualization laboratory testing theories on dark matter), the Linac Coherent Light Source (revolutionary x-ray laser), and the Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Light source.  Not all tours will be exactly the same and the components of each tour will vary.

Entrance Requirements

  1. Must be Over 18 years of age
  2. You must sign up for this tour not later than October 14, 2016.
  3. You must provide to PhysCon 2016 your full name, country of citizenship, and if not a US citizen, your country of birth.
  4. All participants must have a US government issued ID to enter (Driver’s License or other U.S. government picture ID).
  5. All Students will need to wear closed toe shoes (absolute requirement).

For more information on SLAC: 

CANCELED: NASA Ames Research Center Tour

Due to circumstances beyond our controll, the tours at NASA Ames Research Center on Thursday, November 3rd, have been cancelled.

The Sigma Pi Sigma national office is exploring other tour options, and will contact all registrants who had selected the NASA-Ames tour to provide an update as soon as possible. We apologize for the inconvenience.

Google [X] Tour

There will be one tour to Google X. Participants will meet in the Grand Peninsula Foyer at 11:15 a.m.  This tour is full.

The Google X lab is where Google explores new technology such as a self-driving car, internet enabled contact lenses, a space elevator and a hoverboard. We will visit the Google [X] headquarters in Mountain View, California. There will be educational talks about Project Loon and other projects.

Entrance Requirements

  1. You must be over 18 years of age.
  2. You must sign up for this tour not later than October 14, 2016.
  3. Participants must always be with an escort
  4. You may not enter into unauthorized areas
  5. There is absolutely no photography, videotaping or recording allowed 

For more information about Google X: 

California Academy of Sciences Tour

There will be one tour to the California Academy of Sciences to accommodate those that have have not already been confirmed on a tour. The tour can accommodate a maximum of 200 students. Participants will meet in the Grand Peninsula Foyer at 12:30 p.m. 

The California Academy of Sciences is a renowned scientific and educational institution dedicated to exploring, explaining, and sustaining life on Earth. Based in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park, it is home to a world-class aquarium, planetarium, and natural history museum—all under one living roof. This self-guided tour will consist of some of the following highlights:  the newly redone Morrison Planetarium, Kimball Natural History Museum, Osher Rainforest, and Steinhart Aquarium.

Entrance Requirements

  1. All students will need a student ID to enter.
  2. You must sign up for this tour not later than October 14, 2016.

There is only one pick up and drop off time. Do not miss the provided transportation or you must get yourself back to the conference hotel.

For more information about the California Academy of Sciences:

Computer History Museum

There will be two tours to the Computer History Museum. Each self-guided tour can accommodate a maximum of 100 students. Participants will meet in the Grand Peninsula Foyer at 9:15 a.m. and 11:15 a.m.

From their website: Spend a day at the Computer History Museum. Find out why computer history is 2000 years old. Learn about computer history's game-changers in our multimedia exhibitions. Play a game of Pong or Spacewar! Listen to computer pioneers tell their story from their own perspective. Discover the roots of today's Internet and mobile devices. See over 1,100 historic artifacts, including some of the very first computers from the 1940s and 1950s.

Entrance Requirements

  1. All students will need an ID to enter.
  2. Plan for two hours at the event.
  3. This tour includes a 10% discount at the gift shop.

 There is only one pick up and drop off time. Do not miss the provided transportation or you must get yourself back to the conference hotel.

 For more information on the Computer History Museum: