The legacy of Caltech's High Voltage Laboratory goes far beyond the transmission lines that power Los Angeles. In fact, it is the change in goals of High Volts and its partner lab, the Kellogg Lab, that has defined modern Caltech physics research, particularly in nuclear technologies.\u00a0<\/p>\n
LA is powered by hydroelectricity of the Big Creek project. This power goes through Hollywood, Caltech, and the rest of the LA metropolis. The development of stable power lines was initially possible through the work of High Volts. Under Robert Millikan's vision combined with the expertise of C. C. Lauritsen, Caltech transformed this High Voltage Lab into an engineering masterpiece through the million-volt X-ray. But here, the possibilities became endless. X-rays could be used for medical technologies and atomic discovery, which opened a whole new world of exploration. Thus, change in High Volts' goals brought about the modern Caltech physics we know today.<\/p>","credits":"Ram Sivaraman","featured":0,"public":1,"theme":"","theme_options":null,"slug":"high-volts-transition-of-power","added":"2026-03-18 01:01:15","modified":"2026-03-18 01:26:36","owner_id":12,"use_summary_page":0,"cover_image_file_id":null},"item":{"id":54,"item_type_id":6,"collection_id":null,"featured":0,"public":1,"added":"2026-03-18 00:56:54","modified":"2026-03-18 00:56:54","owner_id":12}}