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The National MagLab is funded by the National Science Foundation and the State of Florida.

Dream Date with History

Cocktails with the founder of modern physics, a frolic with the father of microbiology, and other ideas for quality time with bygone science celebs.

High magnetic field science attracts researchers from different disciplines and locations and with diverse opinions and experiences. We asked scientists from across this broad community, along with some science fans, to answer a simple, fun question in 140 characters: Who would you most like to meet from science history and what activity would you do together? Here are some of our favorite answers. Add your voice to the spectrum by tweeting us your answer @NationalMagLab.

To meet an intellect of profound influence whose work is lost to us, I’d take a trireme ride from Athens to Syracuse with Eudoxus of Cnidus.

— Paul Cadden-Zimansky, Assistant Professor of Physics, Bard College

I'd like to hang out with Ben Franklin and help him as he pioneered American meteorology in colonial times. #WeatherNerd

Mike McCall, meteorologist, @WCTVMike

I would love to have a dance with Antonie van Leeuwenhoek and then count bacteria with him using the microscope in my lab.

Huan Chen, Visiting Research Faculty, National MagLab

I'd like to meet Kamerlingh Onnes and show him how much helium we use today.

— Jun Sum Kim, Pohang University of Science and Technology

Ettore Majorana — I would ask him about his profound contributions to physics and the reason behind his mysterious disappearance in 1938.

Adewale Abiodun Akinfaderin, Graduate Research Assistant, National MagLab

I would like to meet Albert Einstein and spend an evening listening to his favorite music.

Bill Christy, System Programmer, Florida Department of Revenue

I would want to meet Edwin Hubble and show him all the images captured with his namesake telescope.

— Westin Kosater, Biochemistry student, Florida State University

Work on a magneto-optics experiment with Michael Faraday.

Madalina Furis, Associate Professor of Physics and Materials Science Program Director, The University of Vermont

I'd like to meet Bernd T. Matthias and see how he set up his experiments.

Diego Zocco, Vienna University of Technology

I would like to have a drink with James Clerk Maxwell.

Kâmil Uğurbil, Director of the Center for Magnetic Resonance Research, University of Minnesota

Illustration of Solve a murder mystery

Solve a murder mystery with Ada Lovelace!

— Jette Henderson, Ph.D. student in Computational Sciences, Engineering, and Mathematics, The University of Texas at Austin