Spartan Science
Festival Blog Post contributed by Lakisha Witzel.
The Michigan State University Science Festival http://sciencefestival.msu.edu/ April 1-6, 2014 East Lansing, MI Michigan State University hosted it’s 2nd annual science festival this year in East Lansing, MI. Having been a part of the Bay Area Science Festival for the past three years, I jumped at the opportunity to see and experience another city’s science festival. Aside from my hesitations related to frozen ground related situations, I was excited to pack a giant piece of luggage full of jackets, gloves, scarves and rain boots, and head east. My visit began with an architectural tour of the Eli and Edythe Broad Art Museum, designed by architect Zaha Hadid. This docent lead tour was incredibly informative and interesting, and while architecture has never been a great interest of mine, I found myself captivated by this building as it revealed itself as its own piece of art. The structural challenges involved in making Zaha Hadid’s design come to life were the key to this tour’s focus on science and engineering. Fun facts: there are no right angles in this building, every line is straight and every surface smooth, and there is not a front door; instead there are two entrances that are equally accessible by communities of the town and the university
On another day I had the pleasure of visiting the MSU Museum for both a tour and a fantastic graduate student led talk about evolution. The behind-the-scenes tour highlighted the museum’s large collection of specimens that are not typically available for public viewing including whole, preserved animals, animals bones, and animal skins. Our small group of adults and kids were impressed by the variety in the collection. We were shown entire cabinets of humming bird eggs, different species of bats, the giant shells of tortoises, and a closet-like cabinet full of animal furs. Some of the specimens are used for education at MSU but are also accessible to researchers, both at MSU and abroad.
Friday night’s big event featured a talk by Robert Krulwich- Talking Science to Non-Scientists: Saddham Hussein’s Secret Octopus and Other Stories. I know Robert Krulwich as co-host of Radiolab, a sensory stimulating radio show famously known to NPR listeners across the US that brings sounds, science, and stories to the masses. Mr.Krulwich is a journalist with stories to tell, and tell them he did. I was not aware of his extensive career in journalism but having seen the live Radiolab show twice, I was curious about Robert Krulwich as a solo performer. The crowd was completely engaged the moment he stepped up to the podium. Using audio and video recordings to bring his stories to life, he regaled us with hilarious memories and anecdotes of the challenges and wonders of making science accessible to the public. The weekend days of MSU’s science festival provided an amazing array of family friendly opportunities to explore science. Two expo tents invited kids and adults to tinker, engineer, question, play, and learn. The energy inside was infectious- some youngsters dashed from table to table and others were entirely focused on the task at hand. Exhibitors showed equal amounts of enthusiasm as they helped participants build, make messes, and tear apart old electronics.
Across town, MSU’s Archery Team coach led a discussion about the history and science of archery. According to him, archery has become a “sexy sport” over the course of the past few years. Having been drawn to this event just to explore my inner Katniss Everdeen, I knew exactly what he meant. After an introduction to the sport and a video of a match where competitors shoot for a target the size of a half dollar from 70 yards away (!), our audience was treated to a demonstration by a member of MSU’s archery team. Many of us, kids and adults alike, were also able to try shooting a few arrows at targets using a simple recurve bow. I learned many new things about archery but one thing really stuck: should a Hunger Games-like situation arise, I’m a goner. Archery is much harder than it looks.
The last event I attended was Science in the City, a city stroll showcasing the science involved in the work and products of nine businesses in downtown East Lansing. This family friendly event seemed to offer a unique behind-the-scenes experience, and a great way for businesses and the community to interact with one another. My favorite was the Grove Gallery where artist Barbara Hranilovoch created a space for guests to learn about paint and pigment, and to play around with the relationship between art mediums and surfaces. Other small groups explored 3D printing at the East Lansing Technology Innovation Center, how to make your home or office more energy efficient at Michigan Energy Options, and the science behind skating and surfing at Modern Skate and Surf. A few things I loved about MSU’s Science Festival: 1) everything was free. Everything! From archery lessons to Robert Krulwich. 2) Almost everything takes place on campus. This made it tremendously easy for a visitor to attend events at a breakneck speed. The campus is big though. Huge actually. I would recommend a bicycle. 3) The community of people involved in the organization of the events. I walked away from every event feeling like each science person/educator/student presenter loved what they did, and were passionate about engaging the public in their work. What could be better?!
