‘Elemental’-themed Science Potpourri event promises family fun
April 3, 2019
See explosions, real lava and more at the 26th annual Science Potpourri, sponsored by the University of Alaska Fairbanks College of Natural Science and Mathematics.
Designed to spark children’s curiosity about the sciences, the free, family-friendly expo will take place from noon to 3 p.m. Saturday, April 13, at the Reichardt Building on the Fairbanks campus.
This year’s theme is “Elemental,” in honor of the 150th anniversary of the establishment of the periodic table of chemical elements.
The Science Potpourri seeks “to open up the doors and let the public see real scientists doing science,” said event coordinator Jacy Pietsch, a laboratory manager for the Chemistry Department.
“We get scientists from all over the university, even a couple of outside groups," she said. "Their enthusiasm from sharing what they love is not something people get to see on an everyday basis. That’s what makes it so special.”
This year’s event will feature three different live science shows and multiple kid-friendly, science-based activities. These include making liquid nitrogen ice cream, digging for fossils, viewing stars in a portable planetarium, seeing real lava and joining a scavenger hunt.
The Geology Department will demonstrate a volcanic eruption, complete with crowd-pleasing explosions and exciting visual displays.
Families can enjoy a physics carnival with interactive demonstrations and exhibits on the Reichardt Building's ground floor.
They also can get up close and personal with the faces of insects and other fascinating objects using a scanning electron microscope in the Alaska Instrumentation Laboratory, on the Reichardt Building's bottom floor.
“We always have a mix of tried and true, and new and fun," Pietsch said. "And people come from previous years, because there is so much that they miss stuff."
Science Potpourri brings out the scientist in everyone. And who knows how far that can go?
“If a 10-year-old child sees a show and sparks an interest, maybe that’s the seed that carries them forward into a career in science,” Pietsch said.
Parking for the event will be in the lot behind the Reichardt Building, located at 1930 Yukon Drive on the West Ridge of the Fairbanks campus. Activities are available for children of all ages, including toddlers. Adults should accompany all children. Please drive safely and be mindful of activity. To learn more, visit http://cnsm.uaf.edu/science-potpourri/ or call 907-474-6287.