Accelerator Mass Spectrometry: How AMS Works in Biology and Health Care

Carbon dating is a technology borne out of archeologists' desire to date ancient artifacts but it has also spawned exciting applications in biomedical science. Techniques refined at Lawrence Livermore National Lab’s Center for Accelerator Mass Spectrometry are being used to address research questions as diverse as the age of the DNA in our brains to how long chemicals remain in our bodies. Research Scientist Ken Tutereltaub and high school teacher Bret States highlight the principles of carbon dating and how AMS technology is being used to provide insights into challenging problems in biomedicine. Series: "Lawrence Livermore National Lab Science on Saturday" [Science] [Show ID: 14493]