Upcoming Events
This is the Washburn CHAOS Lab mission tracker: fieldwork, conferences, outreach, public events, cave trips, scientific briefings, and the occasional descent into the underworld. If the lab is out doing feral science somewhere, chances are it ends up here. Want more information? Reach out at director@washburnchaoslab.com, follow @WashburnCHAOSLab on social media, or send us a message through the form here.
June 2026
6.2. Conference: Kentucky Geological Survey Annual Seminar
Lexington, KY
The Kentucky Geological Survey Annual Seminar is back this year under the theme “Powering Kentucky’s Future,” bringing together geologists, researchers, and industry scientists to talk energy systems, emerging technology, subsurface resources, monitoring, and what happens when humanity starts aggressively interrogating the crust for new fuel sources. The geological hydrogen workshop will include core samples, borehole logs, exploration concepts, and a room full of rock people trying to determine whether Earth has been hiding hydrogen in the basement this whole time.
6.10. Meeting: Louisville Grotto
Louisville, KY
Monthly meeting of the Louisville Grotto - our partners in chaos for cave studies! For more information, visit their website.
6.6 - 6.11. Conference: American Association of State Geologists
Harrisonburg, West Virginia
The American Association of State Geologists meeting brings together state geological surveys and geoscientists from across the country to talk rocks, resources, hazards, mapping, subsurface systems, and the increasingly complicated ways the planet likes to behave. Dr. Alex Washburn, CONAN Research Division Head at the Washburn CHAOS Lab, will be attending to participate in the geological chaos and professionally interrogate Earth systems with other rock gremlins.
6.12 - 6.14. Karst-O-Rama
Great Saltpeter Preserve, ky
Karst-O-Rama returns for another weekend of caves, geology, muddy boots, questionable underground decision-making, and people who voluntarily disappear into holes in the ground for fun. Hosted by the National Speleological Society, the event brings together cavers, geologists, cave scientists, and underground enthusiasts for cave trips, field activities, education, and community built around the beautifully unstable world beneath our feet. Check out their website for more info! We will be attending on Saturday, June 13th. If you're interested in meeting up or talking feral science, fill out the form here.
6.15. Fieldwork: Cave Sampling
Horse Cave, KY
The Washburn CHAOS Lab will be descending back into the underworld at Hidden River Cave for another round of feral systems science. This trip will revisit previously sampled recovery zones while also pushing back into sections of the cave still heavily impacted by historical contamination, giving the lab a chance to compare how biology, chemistry, atmosphere, and microbial communities behave across systems recovering at very different stages. Expect mud, helmets, sample bags, questionable cave air, and scientists asking increasingly concerning questions underground.
July 2026
7.04. Holiday: Independence Day
USA, Various locations
The United States turns 250. Today we celebrate a quarter millennium of exploration, innovation, stubborn problem-solving, and occasionally setting things on fire to see what happens. Happy Independence Day from the Washburn CHAOS Lab.
7.09. Holiday: Cancerversary
No where or various locations
An annual celebration of the event that helped set the Washburn CHAOS Lab in motion. Dr. Washburn's thyroid chose violence. She chose biomedical science. Science is feral. Sometimes so are thyroids. And seriously, get your neck checked. Early detection matters.
7.08. Meeting: Louisville Grotto Meeting
Louisville, KY
Monthly meeting of the Louisville Grotto - our partners in chaos for cave studies! For more information, visit their website.
7.11. Convention: G-FEST
Chicago, IL
We're heading to G-FEST with a small contingent of the Avengers of Academia. Find us if you're attending! We may have free stickers, questionable amounts of enthusiasm for giant monsters, and very strong opinions about the science of kaiju (and yes, Godzilla still wins). For more information about G-FEST, check out the event website. If you'd like to meet up, say hello, or know we'll be there, fill out the form here.
7.15. Concert: AC/DC Power-Up Tour with The Pretty Reckless
Columbus, OH
We're heading to the AC/DC Power Up Tour with The Pretty Reckless. Metal has been fueling fieldwork, data analysis, road trips, and questionable amounts of caffeine for years, so we're paying our respects to one of the greats. Science is metal.
7.17-7.18. Concert: Inkcarceration Music & Metal Festival
Mansfield, OH
We're heading to Inkcarceration, the annual music and tattoo festival held at the Ohio State Reformatory (yes, the one from The Shawshank Redemption). Inkcarceration has some of the biggest names in rock and metal, hundreds of tattoo artists, and access to one of the most famous allegedly haunted locations in the country. So basically, this event gives you metal, tattoos, and ghosts into a single weekend. In other words, this is pretty much the Washburn CHAOS Lab brand in festival form. If you're gonna be at Inkcarceration and think science is metal, let us know using the form here.
7.26-7.30. Conference: American Society of Pharmacognosy Annual Meeting
Denver, CO
Dr. Rachel Washburn is heading to ASP to present our work on what happens when natural products chemistry, microbiology, and geology are locked in a room together and forced to figure it out. ASP is one of the major natural products conferences, which means several days of science, new ideas, and conversations with people who also spend an alarming amount of time thinking about the chemistry produced by living systems. If you're going to be there, or you're in the area and want to meet up, let us know using the form here.
Connect with Us
at an Event
The Washburn CHAOS Lab Calendar includes a mix of lab activities, public events, conferences, conventions, partner organizations, and other opportunities we think our community may find interesting. Not every event is organized or operated by the lab.
This form is intended for event-related questions and information requests. Submitting it lets us know you're interested in an event and would like additional information. It does not register you for an event, reserve a spot, guarantee participation, schedule a meetup, or create an operational commitment on either side.
Looking for something more involved? If you're interested in inviting the lab to speak, participate in a panel, or visit, check out the Invite a Scientist page here. If you are interested in organizing a Citizen Science Experience, click here. If you are interested in participating in the Expedition Partner Program or discussing a formal partnership, click here.
director@washburnchaoslab.com
Washburn CHAOS Lab
Science is metal. Science is feral. Science is CHAOS.
director@washburnchaoslab.com
#washburnchaoslab
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complex host and abiotic systems
@washburnchaoslab
Feral scientists exploring hostile systems, unstable environments, and the chemistry shaping what survives there.