Madison hosts seventh annual Science on the Square fest – The Badger Herald

In its seventh year of action, Science on the Square invited scientists and organizations to display their work in fun and interactive ways Oct. 17. State Street, Madison’s central hub, was lined with tents and vendors presenting various works of science in ways the broader public could both enjoy and learn from.

From large physics demonstrations near the capitol itself to University of Wisconsin laboratory teams presenting their research right across from State Street Brats — the area was packed with young and old festivalgoers Thursday night. Hands-on science stations lined the street, one belonging to a group working in Song Jin’s Lab at the UW Department of Chemistry.

“Our group does research into nanomaterials, and we’re really interested in the relationship between the crystal structure of materials and the different properties they have,” a representative from the Jin Group said.

The booth had multiple different diagrams and activities to make their research more understandable — such as visualizing crystals that glow in the dark when hit with UV light, plating a copper penny with zinc using only a simple battery, and DIY crystal making instructions using household materials.

Another booth, housed by Judith Simcox’s Lab in the UW Department of Biochemistry, studies lipids. The booth allowed individuals to mix foods like milk with different solvents to try to extract fatty molecules. They were invited to observe how the fats in the milk do not mix with water.

“We’re kind of doing the same extraction being done here, but with biological samples like blood,” a representative from Simcox’s Lab said.

Attendees had the opportunity not only to dive into various exciting science experiments but support local businesses and restaurants in a hands on learning environment. 

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