2005 Student Workshop Descriptions:

1. Looking at Atoms:
Did you know that scientists are able to take pictures of atoms? Ever wonder how they do it? Come learn about a special kind of microscope called an Atomic Force Microscope, or AFM, which is used by many physicists and engineers to take pictures of really tiny stuff. You will use a model AFM to learn how these microscopes work and what their limitations are. Then we will use a real AFM is used to look at a carbon nanotube, which is a cylinder with a diameter about a ten-thousandth of that of a human hair. (Physics) Shown is participants of last year's Looking at Atom's workshop

2. A Bird's Eye View:
Birds are among the most fantastically diverse animals in the world! Can we tell where birds live and what they do, by how they look? Together, we will catch local wild birds and examine museum specimens from all over the world. You will discover how scientists measure traits that give us clues about how these animals make a living in the wild. After all, a bird in the hand makes two in the bush! Come prepared to spend some time outdoors. (Ecology and Evolutionary Biology) Warning: off-campus (lab of ornithology), outdoors (rain gear needed), feather allergies On left is a picture taken in the 2004 Bird's Eye View workshop

3. Holey Cow!
Why can a cow eat hay but we can't? She has a rumen. Come explore a preserved rumen, a real rumen, and learn what a balanced diet for a cow looks like. Don't miss the hands-on (and hands-in) introduction to ruminant nutrition as well as discussions about the role biotechnology plays in animal science today. Find out what current ruminant nutritionists and physiologists are studying in dairy cows. (Animal Science) Hay, fur, and latex will be involved. Lab coats and exam gloves will be provided. Students should wear clothes that they don't mind getting dirty. Close toed shoes are also recommended for safety around large animals. Above: one of our Conference Chairs tries out the holey cow.

4. Smart Bubbles:
Suppose a blizzard hit your town. You and your friends want to dig paths between each others homes so you can enjoy your time off from school. But shoveling snow is a lot of work! How can we connect all of the houses with a minimal amount of work? We will try to a nswer this question, and then we'll test our predictions using the amazing power of soap bubbles.

5. Let's Go:
Originating in China four thousand years ago, Go is the world's oldest and most often played board game. A visually striking game of strategy, Go has been referred to as a martial art for the mind. With only a few basic rules, you can start playing within minutes. But don't let this simplicity fool you: Although computers excel at chess, they are still baffled by the subtleties of Go. We'll dive right into the excitement of the game, developing intuition and strategy by playing progressively more challenging variants of Go.

6. Fabulous Fossils:
Did you know that the land that is now Ithaca used to be smack dab in the middle of a warm tropical sea? It might be hard to imagine, but the place where you live used to be home to a variety of astonishing reef creatures. In this workshop we'll learn about the geological history of the Ithaca area, and how it went from the tropical paradise it once was to the "gorges" region we know today. We'll also go on a fossil hunting expedition into Fall Creek gorge to see if we can dig up a few of Ithaca's former invertebrate residents. With a good eye and a little patience you can find your very own fossils to take home with you! (Ecology and Evolutionary Biology) Warning: outdoors, bring sturdy footwear and clothes you don't mind getting a bit dirty

7. Plants can breathe?
You bet! We will take a look at how plants "breathe" using three very different pieces of equipment. The first, a thirty thousand dollar machine that looks like a Ghostbusters pack, will help us measure and calculate photosynthesis. The second, a high-tech digital camera and microscope combination will let us see how gases move into and out of the leaves of plants. The third device we use to help image leaf surfaces you may already have with you... but you'll have to join us to find out what it is! In addition to finding out plants breathe you will be able to pot and take home your own plant. (Plant Biology)

8. Make Your Own Perfume:
Come, dive into the world of Chemical Engineering and make your own perfume! People have used perfume, oils, and unguents on their bodies for thousands of years. In this workshop, we will describe the steps used to extract and purify scents. You'll have a chance to make your own and then see some of the chemical engineering tools that companies use to make products such as these for millions of people. (Chemical Engineering)

9. Particles from Space:
Ever wonder what type of matter is found beyond our own solar system? Did you know that tiny particles from distant galaxies travel through space at nearly the speed of light and bombard the Earth at all times? Some of these particles travel through our atmosphere where they initiate the creation of new particles that hit the surface of our planet. How many of these particles would you guess go through your body every minute without you noticing? Because these particles are too small to see with the human eye, scientists had to build special detectors to observe their behavior. These detectors come in all shapes and sizes: some are small enough to fit on your desk and some are as big as a small house. Come see different types of detectors at our laboratory and learn about how we study the microscopic components of the universe. You'll get to build your own small detector and collect evidence of these particles for yourself! (Physics) Shown above are some of the detectors that were built in 2003

10. Shake, Rattle, and... CRASH!!!
Have you ever been in an earthquake? Do you wonder why the local convenience store is in ruins after a quake, but a downtown high rise is undamaged? Ever wonder how engineers predict and plan for earthquake damage? Come out to the geology department and learn all about what happens when the ground shakes and rattles. Learn how what seismology is, how a seismograph works, how engineers and city planners plan for earthquakes, and try your hand at building an earthquake-resistant structure! (Geology) Shown is a structure made in last year's workshop

11. The Wonderful World of Science: Take Home the Fun!
Think chemistry is only done by scientists in labs wearing white coats? Wrong! Chemistry isn't just for labs, it can also be done around the house. In fact, you've probably done a reaction and not even known! If you'd like to learn about creative science you can do at home and you want to keep your results to show off, join the fun...and make gooey gak, design stationary and participate in the synthesis of a mystery cosmetic. Curious? Sign up and find out!

12. Artificial Intelligence:
Artificial Intelligence is a field that tries to uncover how people think and use that to make computers behave like people. One of the greatest challenges is to understand how we go through our everyday lives: how do we watch movies, how do we brush our teeth, how do we play lacrosse, and how do we talk to our friends? How can a computer be made to do all those things? This workshop will take you through several relevant fields, including Psychology, Neuroscience, Computer Science and Robotics. We will see how eye movements reveal what a person is thinking. We will also see some real brains, how a computer can give movies a thumbs up or thumbs down. Come check out our workshop and leave with a sense that our own minds and everyday lives are a scientific frontier that is incredibly fun to explore.

13. Cold as Ice? Even Colder!
When water freezes, it becomes ice. But can air freeze? What would frozen air look like? Play with really cold liquids and solids as we use 'frozen air' to blow up balloons, make a soapy ooze and freeze vegetables. We'll even make ice cream---with no freezer!

14. Antlions, Tiger Beetles and Woolybears, OH MY!!!
Follow the "Big Red"- brick road and learn about some 6-legged and 8-legged munchkins along the way. Learn to love insects by seeing and building your own. Join us and explor e how bugs live, eat and move by conducting your own experiments. At the end of the road you can win prizes at our insect Olympics.

15. The Case of the Stolen Serum:
Today, crime investigators were called to a crime scene in the Immuv end Lab. During the night, someone broke in to the lab attempting to steal two beakers containing a serum that stimulates kids' brain cells enough to make homework obsolete! In the darkness, the thief apparently stumbled and broke one of the beakers, leaving the broken beaker and a bloody glove behind. Come see how forensic science, and blood typing, can be used to identify potential suspects in this criminal investigation!

8. Choose Your Gene and Decode It's Sequence:
DNA is the genetic key to life! This fascinating molecule is the reason why you are so much like your parents and yet so uniquely different. Come and participate in your own mini genome project! You get to choose your own gene sequence and learn how it is decoded and read. Explore evolutionary connections by looking for closely related genes. At the end of it all, you get to take home your very own DNA bracelet! Also get acquainted with other exciting experimental techniques that are used in modern molecular biology labs. (Molecular Medicine) Illustration of DNA strand taken from PBS 'Create a DNA Fingerprint'

17. Hot Air Balloons and More
What makes a hot air balloon go up? Hot air! But, what exactly is heat? Why does it change the behavior of a gas? Come explore temperature, pressure, and gases. Weather permitting, we'll build and launch model hot air balloons, too! Warning: Partly outdoors

18. Photolithography: Making Itty Bitty Pictures:
How could you possibly draw a picture that is smaller than the width of your hair? It sounds impossible, but scientists and engineers at the Nanobiotechnology Center do this every day. Create a computer-aided drawing and transfer it onto photosensitive paper using our special technology to shrink the image. Then learn about the processes of photolithography that scientists use everyday by making nanosmores!(Nanobiotechnology Center)

19. This IS Rocket Science!
Have you ever wondered how the Space Shuttle rockets work? Have you ever wanted a chance to build and launch your own rocket? Then come explore the exciting world of rocketry! In this workshop, we'll investigate how both big and small rockets work, build a model rocket from a kit to take home, and if weather permits everyone will have a chance to launch their rocket. (Astronomy) Warning: off-campus, outdoors, loud noises. One of last year's successful launches

20.Galaxies Galore:
Almost everything in the Universe lives in one galaxy or another: from the brightest stars, to the most exotic planets, to the biggest black holes. Come join us, and learn more about these distant giants as well as about our own home in the Universe! In this workshop, you will explore different kinds of galaxies, "observe" a few for yourself, orchestrate a catastrophic galaxy collision, and learn about the tools we astronomers use. (Astronomy) Shown on right is the Grand Design Spiral Galaxy M100. Image taken from Astronomy Picture of the Day

21. Crazy Cascadilla Creek
What crazy creatures live in Cascadilla Creek? Explore the stream to catch and meet the fish and invertebrates that call Cascadilla home. We'll have the D-nets, dip nets, seines, viewing boxes, sieves, and electroshockers - you bring your rubber boots and sense of adventure. (Natural Resources) Warning: off campus, outdoors.

Shown are some participants and leaders of this workshop during the 2003 Conference

22. Oceans In Your Backyard:
Ever wonder abou t those fossils you find in your back yard? Did you know that 350 million years ago there was a sea in your back yard? Find out what life was like when your house was under water! Come investigate some specimens of ancient sea life and examine live sea creatures in our tanks.

23.Creative Color Chemistry
Have you ever wondered how your computer printer can make hundreds of colors from just cyan, magenta, yellow, and black? Come learn about this and more! Help solve a crime using chromatography to separate colors from a mixture and use this technique to make your own "tie-dyed"t-shirt to take home! (Chemistry) One of last year's participants makes her T-shirt

24. Potato Smash:
Ever wondered how your food is digested or why does fruit turn brown when it's bruised? It's because of enzymes. Enzymes are proteins that work to speed up chemical reactions. There are several thousand different enzymes found in the human body. We will isolate an enzyme from potatoes (that causes bruised fruit to brown), watch the enzyme work and then see what happens to the enzyme when we heat it up or change the pH.

25. The Incredible Edible Foam:
Did you know that there is a science to making ice cream? Join us in the Food Science Pilot Plant to make your own ice cream! We will try variations of the traditional recipe for this popular foam (yes, ice cream is a foam!) and try to imitate our favorite brands. We'll see and taste how changes in ingredients such as fat and air (yes, air!) can change the look, mouthfeel and flavor of the final product. Look forward to trying variations of the traditional recipe for this popular foam (yes, ice cream is a foam!) and discovering other mysteries of Food Science.(Food Science)

26. Math, Medicine and the Menstrual Cycle:
Come and learn about how researchers are using mathematical models and computer simulations in science and medicine! In this workshop, we will work with a computer model of the menstrual cycle and explore how researchers might use models of this system to understand how menstrual problems can arise and how those problems may be fixed.

27. Fishy Business!
With 30,000 different species on the planet, fish live almost everywhere where there is water. What do all fish hold in common to help them live their aquatic lifestyle, and what unique traits help different fish life in different places? We'll look at museum samples of the amazing diversity of fishes from rivers, ponds, lakes and oceans to help us understand these questions. Then we'll dissect fish to examine their insides for clues about what helps them live their fishy lives. We'll even be able to tell what they ate for their last meal! Finally, we'll use our fish to make colorful prints to take home. Join us for a fish-filled workshop!

28. Musical Science
Have you ever wondered how the sound of your favorite CD travels from your speakers to your ears? Are you curious about how musical instruments work? In this workshop, you will learn about sound waves and how they determine what we hear. You will have the chance to build your own musical instrument and use equipment to "see" the sound waves produced by this instrument or by your own voice. The workshop will conclude with a tour and demonstration of Cornell's historic Sage Chapel organ, where you will see these principles at work in a very large musical instrument!

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