Running across liquid, making ice cream in seconds, and bendable glass may sound like special effects from a movie, but these “tricks” can be attributed to the very real field of materials science and engineering. The general public has the opportunity to try these and more at the annual Philly Materials Science and Engineering Day (Philly Materials Day), to be hosted at Drexel University.
Free and open to the public, the event will take place on Saturday, February 7, 2015 from 10 am to 4 pm in the Bossone Research Enterprise Center at 31st and Market Streets.
Philly Materials Day raises public awareness of the importance of materials science and engineering. Nearly everything in the world around us is made of something—stuff. Materials science and engineering is the study of that stuff—materials—and how we use the stuff to create useful things for everyday life. The event allows people of all ages a chance to explore some of the stuff the world is made of and to learn about how materials impact us every day. Now entering its fifth year, the 2015 Philly Materials Day will organize activities around five key themes: communication, earth, energy, health, and sports.
The day includes faculty and student-led hands-on demonstrations and features a special performance mixing hip-hop and materials science with scientist performer Grand Hank.
Drexel University’s Department of Materials Science and Engineering will host the annual free event, partnering with the University of Pennsylvania, the Franklin Institute, the Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University, the Chemical Heritage Foundation, and other organizations.
For more information on the event, please visit www.phillymaterials.org. Philly Materials Science and Engineering Day is on Facebook and Twitter. The hashtag is #PhillyMaterialsDay.