Talks & Demonstrations

Appropriate for: Kindergarten and Pre-K, Elementary school age, Middle school age, High school age, 18 years and above

tbd

Learn more about Life Beneath the Naked Eye

Appropriate for: Kindergarten and Pre-K, Elementary school age, Middle school age, High school age, 18 years and above

Not every cherry on a cherry tree makes it to harvest. Some cherries naturally fall to the ground as the growing season progresses. These fruits, if left to rot, may lead to pests and diseases spreading on the orchard floor, increasing the risk of these issues impacting cherries awaiting harvest in the trees. We used trail cameras in 2024 to identify which wild animals use this rotting fruit as a food source and how often. 24/7 cameras showed many different types of animals foraging for food on orchard floors and suggested the potential benefits they may provide to farmers.

Learn more about Birds and Mammals in Cherry Orchards: Are They Helping Farmers?

Appropriate for: Kindergarten and Pre-K, Elementary school age, Middle school age, High school age, 18 years and above

Despite their versatility, plastics are used in a wasteful manner. We take oil and gas from the earth to make plastic products that are often designed to be used only once, and then we throw them away. Millions of tons of plastic, valued at billions of dollars, are burned, dumped in landfills, or leak into the environment every year. Every year, an astounding 8 million tons of debris spill into the ocean, and the amount is growing. By 2050, there will be more plastic in the ocean than fish (by weight) unless we reconsider how we use it. We'll talk about the recycling of plastics and how can we create a circular economy for them.

Learn more about How to Turn the Tide on Plastics Pollution

Appropriate for: Elementary school age, Middle school age, High school age, 18 years and above

Join Dr. Timothy Warren for an exciting (and tasty) chemistry demonstration! 

Learn more about Liquid Nitrogen Ice Cream!

Appropriate for: Kindergarten and Pre-K, Elementary school age, Middle school age, High school age, 18 years and above

Butterflies are well-loved insects that are common in our gardens and roadsides, but few know the secret lives of butterflies that range from strange to deadly. We will learn what a butterfly actually is and where they fit in the tree of life. We'll go over the basic biology of butterflies and learn how to identify a butterfly from a moth. Then we explore each of the groups of butterflies that live here in Michigan. We'll learn how to identify each group, which ecosystems they call home, and what makes them unique in their own strange yet beautiful way.

Learn more about Butterfly Bonanza: The Ecology and Conservation of Michigan's Well-Loved Insects

Appropriate for: Middle school age, High school age, 18 years and above

What is machine learning? This presentation will introduce fundamental concepts of machine learning, a study that has created a "fourth industrial revolution" in the world. Participants will be guided through the main ideas of machine learning and participate in a machine learning activity. The presentation also will include an overview of the strengths/advantages and challenges of machine learning. 

Learn more about AI School: An Introduction to Machine Learning

Appropriate for: Elementary school age, Middle school age, High school age, 18 years and above

Stem cells can self-renew and differentiate into many cell types. In adults, stem cells can only be found in specific organs, while some other organs (e.g., heart and pancreas) do not have stem cells. Doctors can use a process called reprogramming to cure diseases like diabetes or heart failure, even though the diseased organs do not have stem cells. How could this happen? Dr. Wang's research group will tell you stories about the stem cells that can be generated from your skin cells via reprogramming and then changed into all types of adult cells, including cells for the heart and pancreas. They will also discuss other types of reprogramming processes that may be used in regenerative medicine.

Learn more about Regenerative Medicine: Reprogramming Stem Cells to Cure Diseases

Appropriate for: Elementary school age, Middle school age, High school age, 18 years and above

Our presentation highlights the urgent challenges facing endangered migratory species across Asia’s five migratory bird flyways. Featuring critically endangered species like the Yellow-breasted Bunting and Spoon-billed Sandpiper, the presentation explores threats such as overhunting, habitat loss, and climate change in the migratory birds' wintering grounds. With a focus on local actions and global sustainable goals, this presentation aims to raise awareness and inspire collective efforts to protect these avian travelers and preserve biodiversity. 

Learn more about Fading in the Dark: The Silent Decline of Asian Migratory Birds

Appropriate for: Middle school age, High school age, 18 years and above

We invite attendees of the MSU Science Festival to come to our lab to see how we study vocal tract movements in real time using electromagnetic articulography. Using the technology, we can get very precise spatial and temporal information about the movement of the tongue and lips as they are used during human speech production. This allows us to test theories of speech articulations and other theories that people have about their own languages.

Learn more about Studying the Human Vocal Tract in Real Time

Appropriate for: Kindergarten and Pre-K, Elementary school age, Middle school age, High school age, 18 years and above

Make your own edible ice cream aquifer! Learn about aquifers and groundwater and how you can protect water resources. Find out how groundwater in the aquifer can become contaminated by watching what happens when you start adding chocolate syrup, sprinkles, and soda to your ice cream aquifer.

Learn more about Edible Ice Cream Aquifers: What Can You Learn About Groundwater?

Appropriate for: Elementary school age, Middle school age, High school age, 18 years and above

Stars are fascinating to study, but you wouldn’t want to go there and take measurements yourself. MSU’s Facility for Rare Isotope Beams (FRIB) can recreate the stellar environment for more controlled (and safer) research. Discover how our researchers are producing the kinds of nuclei only found in stars and giving them the right energy to duplicate stellar reactions! You'll use several hands-on demonstrations to understand how FRIB smashes nuclei and measures their invisible fragments.

Learn more about Fantastic Nuclei and Where to Find Them

Appropriate for: Kindergarten and Pre-K, Elementary school age, Middle school age, High school age, 18 years and above

The Clapp Family Mastodon is an American mastodon skeleton (~85% complete) that was found in August of 2022, near Kent City, Michigan.  It is named after the landowners, Courtney and Michael Clapp, who generously donated it to the Grand Rapids Public Museum.  This presentation will discuss the discovery, excavation, preservation, and investigation of this unique find and what it can tell us about Michigan’s environment 13,000 years ago during the last Ice Age. 

Learn more about The Clapp Family Mastodon

Appropriate for: Elementary school age, Middle school age, High school age, 18 years and above

Have you ever wondered how much sleep you really need at different ages? In this talk, we’ll explore how sleep patterns change from childhood to adulthood. Whether you’re a busy student, a teenager, or an adult trying to get more zzz's, we’ll uncover how your body and brain need different types of rest at every stage of life. You’ll leave with cool facts, tips, and maybe even a new bedtime routine to help you sleep like a champ!

Learn more about Sleep Through the Ages

Appropriate for: Kindergarten and Pre-K, Elementary school age, Middle school age, High school age, 18 years and above

Have you ever wondered why twins are such an important part of psychological research? The MSU Twin Registry collects important genetic and environmental data on over 30,000 twin pairs and families across Michigan. Dr. Alex Burt’s Genetics and Behavior Lab at Michigan State University uses the twin model and twin participants from the registry to help investigate outcomes for twins through longitudinal studies. In this presentation we will cover the biology behind twinning, how the twin model allows us to pull apart the effects of nature versus nurture, and our research.

Learn more about Seeing Double? The MSU Twin Studies and the Twin Model

Appropriate for: Middle school age, High school age, 18 years and above

Join us at the Woven Art Yarn Shop for a make and take crochet event where you’ll make stuffed animals of science model organisms and learn about their significance in research on campus and across the globe! Crochet patterns will be provided and kits with materials to make the stuffed animal will be available for purchase. Please note, this is not a learn to crochet event and understanding of basic crochet stitches is required. However, we will have knowledgeable crocheters available to help you!

Learn more about Science Crochet-Along

Appropriate for: Middle school age, High school age, 18 years and above

Join us for a special IMAX screening of Secrets of the Universe followed by a Q and A with physicist and film narrator Dr. Manuel Calderón de la Barca Sánchez.

Secrets of the Universe is a sweeping 3D giant-screen adventure that immerses audiences in the greatest mystery of our time—puzzles spanning from the infinitesimal to the infinite—and introduces the brilliant minds seeking to unravel them. Those answers await at the collision points of intellect and imagination, of theory and experiment, of the tiniest particles and most powerful forces in the universe. 

This is an FRIB affiliated event. 

Learn more about Secrets of the Universe IMAX Screening