Dazzling Demos and Talks
Dazzling demonstrations and inspiring talks from experts all across the STEAM disciplines
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Taking the Fast Out of Food: A Conversation on the Environmental Consequences of the Food We Eat at MSU
Thursday, April 4, 7:00 - 8:30 PM at MSU Museum
Pre-register at https://113145.blackbaudhosting.com/113145/Taking-the-Fast-Out-of-Food
Requires pre-registration
Appropriate for: High school age, 18 years and above
Our relationship to food here at MSU is changing. Look around and you will see long lines for “grab and go” or Combo-X-Change meals while the dining halls have far fewer patrons. The plastic waste generated by this trend is staggering. Meanwhile, whole, freshly harvested, organic food from the MSU Student Organic Farm is more and more seen as less desirable because it takes longer to prepare. We invite you to join the conversation about this national trend on college campuses to unpack the consequences of our food, and to look at alternatives to re-envision the role of student farms.
This program is presented as part of the Food Fight! exhibition by the MSU Museum CoLab Studio.
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Life Beneath the Naked Eye
Saturday, April 13, 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM at STEM Teaching and Learning Facility Room 2004
Appropriate for: Elementary school age, Middle school age, High school age, 18 years and above
Explore materials science and engineering with hands-on demonstrations and using high-power electron microscopes.
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Spring Skies Over Michigan
Saturday, April 13, 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM at Abrams Planetarium
Appropriate for: Kindergarten and Pre-K, Elementary school age, Middle school age, High school age, 18 years and above
Join Abrams Planetarium to explore the Michigan night sky with short sky talks throughout the day. Shows will run every 30 minutes from 10am - 4pm.
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What Is Machine Learning?
Saturday, April 13, 10:00 - 10:30 AM at STEM Teaching and Learning Facility Room 2201
Appropriate for: Kindergarten and Pre-K, Elementary school age, Middle school age, High school age, 18 years and above
Join us for an introduction to machine learning, a study that has created a "fourth industrial revolution" in the world. We will guide you through the main ideas of machine learning and participate in a machine learning activity that will help you understand the fundamental concepts.
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Rocket Science 101: Inside a Rocket Engine
Saturday, April 13, 1:00 - 1:45 PM at STEM Teaching and Learning Facility Room 1130
Appropriate for: Middle school age, High school age, 18 years and above
How are a rocket engine and birthday candle related? We'll go above and beyond to understand the science that links the physics of candles to what makes rocket engines go, while demonstrating why fire looks and behaves the way that it does. Take a look into the science and engineering of rocket engine design to explain how simple flames are used to generate huge thrust forces to launch mankind into space.
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Media Breakdown: Tales of Deterioration on Audiovisual Collections and Their Historical Comebacks
Saturday, April 13, 2:00 - 4:00 PM at STEM Teaching and Learning Facility Workshop Stage
Appropriate for: Kindergarten and Pre-K, Elementary school age, Middle school age, High school age, 18 years and above
The Media Preservation Unit at MSU Libraries will show examples of deterioration on various audiovisual formats and discuss methods of dealing with deterioration in order to provide greater access to the recorded content for the Spartan community and the public. Legacy audiovisual formats, such as motion picture film, magnetic tape, and optical media, contain audio and moving image recordings of important events. Over time, the materials on which these instances are stored experience chemical breakdowns like mold, "vinegar syndrome," and "sticky shed syndrome," which is caused by acetate decay.
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Rare Connections: The Making of a Science Documentary at MSU
Saturday, April 13, 2:00 - 2:30 PM at STEM Teaching and Learning Facility Room 1201
Appropriate for: All Ages
The Facility for Rare Isotope Beams (FRIB), the state-of-the-art U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science User Facility, became operational in 2022 at Michigan State University. Rare Connections is a feature-length independent documentary film centered around this world-class facility, the cutting-edge nuclear science conducted here, and its profound impact on society. Through deeply human, personal stories of scientists at different stages of their career, who hail from the Lansing area, Michigan, as well as from vastly different corners of the country and the globe, the film unveils the unique paths that led them to FRIB. Through the transformative power of storytelling, this documentary fosters the remarkable and relatable connections between a highly diverse group of scientists, staff, technology, the arts, and the wider community.
Be prepared to get wowed, inspired, informed, and even emotional as the filmmaker nuclear physicists Dr. Ágnes Mócsy, visiting professor at MSU, will present the making of Rare Connections. She will discuss the creative process behind the film, the impact of viewing science through the lens of the arts, and how this interdisciplinary approach can engage and inspire varied audiences to connect with scientific endeavors in profound and meaningful ways, even inspiring some towards STEM careers.Learn more about Rare Connections: The Making of a Science Documentary at MSU
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Particle Journeys: From Deep Space to Deep Underground
Presented at the following times:
Sunday, April 14, 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM at STEM Teaching and Learning Facility, Room 3202
Wednesday, April 17, 7:00 - 7:45 PM at Abrams Planetarium
Saturday, April 20, 4:00 - 4:45 PM at Abrams Planetarium
Appropriate for: Kindergarten and Pre-K, Elementary school age, Middle school age, High school age, 18 years and above
Subatomic particles come in many shapes and sizes. Some of them travel billions of years from deep space to reach our instruments on Earth. Through a number of hands-on activities and demos, we will introduce the audience to the fundamental particles that make up matter. We will also introduce the special telescopes we use to capture such particles coming from outer space. We are a group of particle physicists and astrophysicists who've joined hands to study some of the most elusive objects in the universe.
Learn more about Particle Journeys: From Deep Space to Deep Underground
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The Wonderful World of Plants
Presented at the following times:
Sunday, April 14, 10:00 - 10:30 AM at STEM Teaching and Learning Facility 3201
Sunday, April 14, 11:00 - 11:30 AM at STEM Teaching and Learning Facility 3201
Sunday, April 14, 12:00 - 12:30 PM at STEM Teaching and Learning Facility 3201
Sunday, April 14, 1:00 - 1:30 PM at STEM Teaching and Learning Facility 3201
Sunday, April 14, 2:00 - 2:30 PM at STEM Teaching and Learning Facility 3201
Sunday, April 14, 3:00 - 3:30 PM at STEM Teaching and Learning Facility 3201
Appropriate for: Kindergarten and Pre-K, Elementary school age, Middle school age, High school age, 18 years and above
Discover the wonders of plants at the “Wonderful World of Plants” booth hosted by MSU's Plant Research Laboratory and Molecular Plant Science labs! Engage in hands-on activities answering questions like “What’s happening in a plant cell?”, “Why do some plants look different?”, and “How does light and temperature affect photosynthesis?”. Explore the intriguing scents of plants, understand their defense mechanisms, and learn about the role of plant biologists. Join us to delve into the fascinating world of plants!
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Tracing with Radioactive Isotopes
Sunday, April 14, 11:30 AM - 12:15 PM at STEM Teaching and Learning Facility Room 1130
Appropriate for: High school age, 18 years and above
More than a century ago, George de Hevesy realized that radioactive isotopes can be used as tracers‒substances that can be used to trace the behavior of the collective mass. Not only could he use radiotracers to unveil that his boarding house cafeteria reused leftovers to prepare the next day’s meal, but de Hevesy also was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for his discovery. Nowadays, many science fields routinely use radioactive tracers. At the Facility for Rare Isotope Beams (FRIB), a program is dedicated to the production of unique radioisotopes, one study focused on the radioisotope Zn-62, an important radio-tracer to follow zinc in plants and in nuclear medicine.
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Michigan Bugs and Spiders
Sunday, April 14, 1:00 - 1:45 PM at STEM Teaching and Learning Facility Room 1130
Appropriate for: Kindergarten and Pre-K, Elementary school age, Middle school age, High school age, 18 years and above
Discover the diversity of insects and spiders in Michigan! Come learn about flying spiders, the latest findings in invasive species research, and how you can get involved.
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What Really Happens to Plastic We Recycle?
Sunday, April 14, 2:00 - 2:30 PM at STEM Teaching and Learning Facility Workshop Stage
Appropriate for: Kindergarten and Pre-K, Elementary school age, Middle school age, High school age, 18 years and above
The recyclability of plastics does not only depend on whether there is a recycling code on it or not. If also depends on the facilities in each state and people’s access to those drop of locations. I’d like to help students have a better understand of which packages can be recycled and how they can make sure the recyclable packages have the best chance to be recycled.
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Machine Learning for Science!
Sunday, April 14, 2:30 - 3:15 PM at STEM Teaching and Learning Facility Room 1130
Appropriate for: Kindergarten and Pre-K, Elementary school age, Middle school age, High school age, 18 years and above
During this panel with FRIB scientists, we will explore how they are using machine learning and artificial intelligence to propel their research and tasks. The scientists will briefly introduce themselves and their work before we switch our focus to broad discussion. We expect to explore a wide range of topics including machine learning applications to practice and pedagogy, the discovery of more efficient and descriptive numerical models, the acquisition of business intelligence for future research funding, and monitoring our faculty's contributions to the Sustainable Development Goals.
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Regenerative Medicine: Science or Fiction?
Sunday, April 14, 3:00 - 3:45 PM at STEM Teaching and Learning Facility Workshop Stage
Appropriate for: Middle school age, High school age, 18 years and above
Stem cells are cells that can self-renew and differentiate into many cell types. In adults, stem cells can only be found in specific organs, such as hematopoietic stem cells in the bone marrow that replenish your white and red blood cells following a designated developmental program. However, many organs (e.g., heart and pancreas) do not have stem cells. But your doctor may be able to use a process called reprogramming to cure diseases like diabetes or heart failure in the future. How could this happen? Dr. Wang will tell you stories about the induced pluripotent stem cells that can be generated from your skin cells via reprogramming and then coaxed into all types of adult cells, including cardiac muscles in the heart and beta-cells in the pancreas. She will also discuss other types of reprogramming processes that may be used in regenerative medicine.