11/2017

In November 2017, children and adults of all ages congregated in AT and T Park for the 7th Annual Bay Area Science Festival. As in previous years, the Center for Selective C-H Functionalization was represented by graduate and postdoc volunteers from the Sarpong and Du Bois groups. The ballpark was packed and the area around us was no exception as we drew over a thousand participants to our booth--a dramatically larger turn-out than expected!

While the California snow demo (in which the ability of sodium polyacrylate to absorb water is explored) was as popular as last year, it was the reintroduction of a hands-on slime making station that drew in crowds of children, who enjoyed the opportunity to go from observer to experimentalist. Although neither of these activities related directly to CCHF research, they facilitated discussion of polymers and of chemical synthesis in general, concepts made more accessible by their relation to familiar items (fake snow, glue, and borax) and the macroscopic changes observed during the two activities. Participants were also given flyers with more information about exploring the demos at home and about the CCHF itself.

Overall the event was a huge success, in terms of both number of visitors and quality of the interactions. It was certainly a learning experience for everyone involved. After all, how often are we asked whether our science is gluten-free, immediately followed by a request to explain what the C and H of C-H functionalization are?

Author: Nicolle Doering