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• IU Bloomington will host second annual IU Science Fest on Oct. 24

IU Bloomington will host second annual IU Science Fest on Oct. 24

Volunteers, school groups, families invited to daylong celebration of science

• Sept. 21, 2015

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Attendees and volunteers are sought for the second annual IU Science Fest, a free, family-friendly event for all ages that last year drew hundreds of children, families and science fans to the Indiana University Bloomington campus.

This year's event will be from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Oct. 24 on the IU Bloomington campus. It will feature over 100 hands-on activities, lab demonstrations, talks and tours from faculty, staff, researchers and graduate and undergraduate students.

The event is open to the public. Everyone including large groups are encouraged to attend. No registration is required.

Activities at the second annual IU Science Fest include the chance for participants to measure their own brain waves; experiment with luminescent bacteria; learn about the science of food by cooking a meal; explore color-changing chemical reactions; view the sun, sunspots and prominences using a solar telescope; discover computer circuitry; and practice math using games and puzzles, including IU's Slocum Puzzle Collection, part of the largest mechanical puzzle collection in the world.

The event will also feature the second annual “science slam” in which four scientists compete to deliver the most compelling 12-minute science presentation in plain English. A list of speakers and topics will be available online in mid-October.

The IU Bloomington campus began to invite science enthusiasts to campus in the early 1960s with an annual open house in the Department of Physics, later joined by other departments.

As the open house grew in popularity, IU organizers decided to unite under the banner of Science Fest for the first time last year with an event that drew over 1,800 participants from across the state.

IU departments participating in the 2015 Science Fest include astronomy, biology, chemistry, computer science and informatics, environmental science, geography, geological sciences, mathematics, physics, and psychological and brain sciences in the IU Bloomington College of Arts and Sciences.

Visitors can pick up an exploration guide and begin their Science Fest journey in Swain West, Jordan Hall, Lindley Hall, the Chemistry building or Kirkwood Observatory. Sign-ups for activities in the Student Building and the IU Research and Teaching Preserve will be in the Jordan Hall atrium.

Adults interested in volunteering for IU Science Fest should send an email to scihouse@indiana.edu by Thursday, Oct. 1.

Up-to-date information will also be available on the IU Science Fest Facebook page and Twitter at @IUScihouse.

For more information, contact Tina Gilliland, IU science outreach liaison, at scihouse@indiana.edu or 812-855-5397.