Thousands of scientists attended American Association for Advancement of Science sessions on topics ranging from autism to quantum cryptography. Downstairs, schoolchildren came in droves for the popular . The National Science Foundations booth featured members of the , a national center based at the UW, who showed young visitors how catalysts can speed up chemical reactions. Watch the to get a taste of what the young conference-goers saw.
The presenters included UW chemistry professor , chemistry postdoctoral researcher , chemistry graduate student Tristan Tronic and staff member , the centers director of diversity, education and outreach. And for once, you can try this at home. Find the elephant toothpaste recipe .
Nearby, UW members of the national showed how a battery can store solar energy and use it to drive a toy car. They also had kids toss blue, red and yellow beanbags against a solar panel to learn how different wavelengths of light convert to electricity.
