STEAM Expo Days

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

Complete tasks while wearing vision-altering goggles and learn more about sight.

Learn more about Goofy Goggles

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

We use water for many conveniences, like laundry machines, dishwashers, showers, and faucets, without ever stopping to think about where all that water comes from. All of the water in the tri-county area of Clinton, Eaton, and Ingham counties is subsurface. We all depend heavily on groundwater, whether it comes from a public utility or a private well. Join us as we construct the Saginaw Aquifer in a cup and discover everything there is to know about groundwater!

Learn more about Greater Lansing’s Saginaw Aquifer in a Cup

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

Plants, unable to move, adapt to challenges by altering their internal environment. They create plastoglobules, clusters of waxy molecules, using a protein called fibrillin to rearrange lipids. Our computer simulations explore this process. In this demo, you'll gain insights into simulation techniques and even guide one yourself!

Learn more about Help Unleash the Hidden Power of Plants

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

The average American uses more than 2,000 gallons of water per day, and only about 100 of those gallons end up in the drain. What about the remaining 1,900? We use about 95% of our water for "hidden water," or the water needed to make the goods and services we use daily, like our electricity, clothes, and even coffee in the morning. Discover the water footprint of commonplace items and how "hidden water" is vital to all facets of our existence.

Learn more about Hidden Water

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

Look at real human brains with neuroscientists from MSU!

Learn more about Human Brains!

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

Our health is impacted by gene-environment interactions in several ways. We must comprehend how this process operates so that we can make wise decisions about our health. People can better understand how genes and environment can impact health by playing the computer game Sand Rat. To plan and conduct an investigation to determine how sand rats can develop diabetes when fed sugary lab food, participants use the online sand-rat simulation.

Learn more about Investigate How Sugary Foods Affect Our Health

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

Visit the Water and Life Interface Institute booth to explore the fascinating world of life without water! Enjoy astronaut ice cream samples, create a seed necklace, examine rare resurrection plants, observe water bears under a microscope, and understand the science behind studying organisms that endure extreme dehydration, including plants, animals, and fungi. (Nondairy astronaut foods will also be provided.)

Learn more about Life Without Water

Appropriate for: Kindergarten and Pre-K, Elementary school age, Middle school age

Robots have so many uses. We will explore some of these applications. We will then learn the basics of programming robots by using the VEXcode VR (vr.vex/com). We will program a virtual robot to make basic moves. We will end with a chance to drive VEX IQ Robots,

Learn more about Introduction to Robots and Programming

Appropriate for: Elementary school age, Middle school age

The fundamentals of machine learning, its operation, and its potential for failure are covered in this interactive program. Participants will face off against a machine learning program to execute simple decision-making tasks. Participants will go head-to-head with the machine learning program to group objects and identify written numbers. We will answer the age-old question: Are you smarter than a computer?

Learn more about Kids Verses Machine Learning

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

Per and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are man-made chemicals that have been used for more than five decades. They are in our food packages, clothes, water, cars (even new electric vehicles), food, cleaning products, and so much more. It is nearly impossible to not be exposed to PFAS, which lasts a long time in the environment and in our bodies. And, unfortunately, humans and animals can face health problems like cancer from PFAS. We are going to show how science can be used to remove PFAS from humans and the environment.

Learn more about How Science Tackles 'Zombie' Molecules