Have a blast at science department open house

Check out fossils, chemical reactions and biological specimens during an open house at the Livingston Science and Mathematics Building at Spokane Community College.

“We thought it’d be a fun way to get kids exposed to science,” earth science instructor Andy Buddington said of the first-time event.

He said the idea came from students’ requests to bring their children to the labs.

“We have a lot of older students and they have kids, and they often ask if they can bring their kids in to see the lab and see what they do at school,” he said.

Faculty and students from the department will be on hand to lead activities and answer questions.

In the geology department, visitors will see displays of minerals, fossils and rocks, plus one on making an earthquake.

In the biology lab, visitors “will get to look through microscopes and see different aspects of the human body,” Buddington said.

In the chemistry lab, there will be some “atomic excitation”: People will be invited to hold a sample of an element in a flame and watch it change the color of the flame. Different elements produce different colors, part of the science behind both the northern lights and fireworks, said Jaye Hopkins, a member of the chemistry faculty and chairwoman of the science department.

Also in the chemistry lab, more adventurous visitors will be able mix hydrogen and oxygen gases – the same types used in hydrogen fuel cells and space shuttles – with explosive results, Hopkins said.

“It is so much fun to watch someone’s eyes light up when they see the fun side of chemistry,” Hopkins wrote in an email.

“Kids are natural explorers of the world around them, and showing them a great explosion or mind-bending reaction is a great way to keep them motivated to continue learning,” Hopkins said.

But watching adults’ reactions can be even better, she said.

“It brings us all back to the joy of discovery and learning that one should never lose, at any age.”

Kimberly Lusk

What: SCC Science Department Open House

When: 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday

Where: SCC, Building 27, 1810 N. Greene St.

Cost: Free