GREAT FALLS —Great Falls College MSU chemistry instructor Dr. Dan Casmier knows how much fun science can be. In an effort to show students the fun of science and get more students interested in STEM fields, Dr. Casmier came up with an idea – Science Friday.
What is Science Friday? “It’s an attempt to make science fun and approachable,” said Dr. Casmier.
Dr. Casmier presents science experiments in a way that actively engages the audience. Science Friday demonstrations are casual and informal. Often they are hands-on. Students, faculty and staff gather around to watch and ask questions.
On a recent Friday, Dr. Casmier demonstrated the blue bottle experiment, which began with a clear liquid solution. When the clear chemicals in the flask were shaken, a reaction took place turning the solution blue. A couple of minutes later, the blue faded away leaving the solution clear again. Dr. Casmier took the opportunity to teach attendees through casual conversation what caused the reaction.
Other Science Friday activities have included Rubens Tube, which distorts a flame using sound waves generated by music; Crushed Drums, which implodes a steel drum using only the air around it; and Monster Pong, where 2,200 ping pong balls met liquid nitrogen and exploded into the air.
The Science Friday schedule has been set for fall semester 2016. Each experiment takes place on the Great Falls College MSU campus, 2100 16th Avenue South, on the dates listed below, all Fridays.
This Friday, Sept. 23, Dr. Casmier will show students how to cut ice with their bare hands. The demonstration will take place in the Academic Success Center at GFC MSU at 1 p.m.
Based on the experiment, the time and location change. Demonstrations for fall semester will include Battle of the Lasers, Fire Tornado, the Rubber Band Challenge, Ferrofluid, and Sun Power. Details on each experiment will be posted on the college’s website and Facebook page each week and can be found by visiting, www.gfcmsu.edu, and www.facebook.com/gfcmsu/. Science Friday is free and open to the public.
“At the end of the day, I just want to expose people to science and show them how fun it can be,” said Dr. Casmier.
To learn more about Science Friday, contact:
Lewis Card, Executive Director—Development, Communications & Marketing
Phone: 406.771.4412, or [email protected]
Erin Granger, Marketing Specialist
Phone: 406.771.4314, or [email protected]
