Stevenson’s School of the Sciences Offers Interactive Demonstrations, Exhibits at First “Spring Spectacular”
Stevenson University’s School of the Sciences hosted an afternoon full of math- and science-inspired interactive demonstrations, exhibits, and games Thursday afternoon on the Greenspring Campus front lawn.
The event, which was open to all students, spanned the gamut of chemistry, physics, math, astronomy, and psychology. Major demonstrations included shooting Ping-Pong balls out of a PVC pipe at 200 MPH to showcase the force of atmospheric pressure and using thermite to produce a lava-like substance capable of burning through an old washing machine. Throughout the afternoon science students made ice cream using liquid nitrogen. Because it is colorless, odorless, and tasteless, at -320 degrees Fahrenheit, liquid nitrogen is perfectly suited for instantly freezing ice cream to a creamy consistency.
Some of the smaller exhibits featured a telescope with a solar lens to look at the sun, a giant Tower of Hanoi mathematical puzzle, the Chaos Game fractal generator, a station to create minimal surfaces with soap bubbles, a Prisoner’s Dilemma simulation, and the Monty Hall Problem probability game.
“Bringing these concepts to life is one of the best ways to both educate and show our students that there is more to math and science than what they see in the classroom,” said Benjamin Wilson, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Mathematics, and one of the event’s faculty organizers. “It gives students the opportunity to see the enthusiasm we all have for our fields of study. We’re also able to build a stronger bond with our students, which carries through to the classroom and independent research.”
Learn more about Stevenson’s School of the Sciences at stevenson.edu.
Stevenson University, known for its distinctive career focus, is the third-largest independent university in Maryland with more than 4,200 students pursuing bachelor’s, master’s, and adult bachelor’s programs at locations in Stevenson and Owings Mills.