Biology

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UCSD Biomedical Engineering Society

Students will learn the structure and function of neurons and the role of electric signals in the brain/central nervous system. A visual board explaining synapse firing, neuron anatomy, and resulting brain function (muscle movement, visual processing, etc) will sit at our table. A plasma ball will sit in the middle of the poster, acting as an easy and stimulating demonstration of how electricity plays a key role in the brain. Students can touch the plasma ball and simulate electrical signaling.

UCSD Bioengineering Graduate Society

In the first demo, students will act as a stem cell and interact with different materials to stimulate cell differentiation. Afterwards, we will showcase engineering design principles by building a biomaterial scaffold for neural stem cells. The second demo will allow students to experience the impact of atherosclerosis on blood flow throughout the body. Students will “pump” blood through healthy vessels and diseased vessels using a handheld pump and tubes representing the cardiovascular system.

Thermo Fisher Scientific

Thermo Fisher Scientific's mission is to enable our customers to make the world healthier, cleaner and safer. Our employee volunteers will offer a range of activities for the whole family! We create an interactive and educational environment through hands-on STEM opportunities: DNA extraction, centrifuge activities, and more! Additionally, in the College and Career Pavilion, we allow students to engage with representatives who can outline and assist with post-high school options.

Lilly

Lilly will offer a series of hands-on, interactive or observational learning opportunities for a diverse audience, primarily (not exclusively) targeting pre-K, grad and middle school. Attendees will walk through different learning stations revolving around the concepts of molecule structure and function, and the effect of their modifications in biological models. Temporary tattoos, other giveaways will be available.

The Brain Observatory

The star activity is a neurocognitive experiment that exemplifies procedural memory. We give the "subject" a task that they have never done before (tracing a star by only looking at the mirrored image) and see how many errors they produce. We have them try this multiple times to show how their muscle memory is being used as they improve on this task.

Cuyamaca College

Our booth activity aims to engage participants with Kumeyaay Science, fostering a connection between modern scientific principles and traditional knowledge. The booth will feature two engaging activities, each offering a hands-on experience that brings to life the intersection of indigenous wisdom and contemporary science. In essence, our booth activity offers a glimpse into the wisdom of the Kumeyaay people and demonstrates the relevance of their scientific practices in today's world.

Southwest HS

Mind over Muscle In this experiment, festival participants will use a hand dyanomter to measure your maximum grip strength and relate this to the electrical activity of the muscle. The strength of contraction of a whole muscle is dependent on the total number of muscle fibers involved and can be correlated with an EKG sensor. Participants will test their abilities by using maximum effort to test their grip over time and determine the mean force generated over the time period.

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