By: Casey Rentz, Associate Communications Director of Informed by Nature
Science Fair Renaissance
Growing up in the 80s and 90s, the science fair was mostly kitsch, not much science. Balloon cars, bean sprouts, and volcanoes–there were basically 5 experiments that everyone did, straight from the black and white handouts. I have fond memories of showing my poster in the school gymnasium, but I don’t really remember the whole process being very challenging or relevant to my life.
It’s unfortunate because in reality, science could not be more relevant and challenging. Human beings are curious by nature. And, getting answers feels good–what physicist Richard Feynman called “The Pleasure of Finding Things Out.” Discovery and the chance to change the world: that’s science! The science fair should teach that, too.
The good news is, in modern technology-driven societies, we’re primed for a science fair renaissance if there ever was one. Kids today don’t have to suffer the indignation of black and white handouts and having to choose from the same 5 pre-tested experiments. Kids today have the Internet, the ultimate encyclopedia and sandbox in one (provided you find the right websites.) Sites like Science Buddies, Try Science, and the new Informed by Nature Online Science Fair (the non-profit where I work) were set up with the intention of giving kids and parents a chance to explore a wide variety of science fair project ideas. There are hundreds of projects to choose from. Most feature online videos where someone is actually performing the experiment. So it’s a social experience—it’s kinda like you’re in the room when someone else is blowing up their volcano—and we know that kids learn better in a social setting.
For the student who wants to test their very own burning curiosity, online research tools like Encyclopedia Smithsonian, Star Net, and Access Science, as well as search engines like Google Scholar help them gain the knowledge necessary to craft their very own experiment. It’s amazing the amount of information you can find on these sites. In fact, access to information is at such an all-time high that people are doing very real and imaginative science at home and sharing it with others all over the world. An amateur science movement called DIY BIO, where lay people do real, university-level laboratory science in their garages, is catching on. DIY BIO has thousands of members in dozens of countries around the world.
And, for the student who doesn’t want to just leave their project to die on a poster in the school gymnasium, there are new ways to let it live on. At Informed by Nature, our Online Science Fair gives students their own webpage to upload videos and pictures of their project and allows them to share their project with friends and family (perhaps even future employers or universities) via email or social media share buttons. The most ambitious science projects can enter 21st century science fair competitions like Google Science Fair, which awards a prize for the most innovative project from any student globally and displays it on their website. This year’s prize is a paid trip to the Galapagos Islands with National Geographic.
Technology, creativity, and social interaction: this is not your mom’s science fair. But from what I can see, it’s infinitely better. Not just is planning and sharing your science project more enjoyable today than it was twenty years ago, but it’s more true to what science really is: the drive to find answers to the most intriguing questions and to incite progress in human societies.
If this is a “science fair renaissance”, it’s here just in time. Science literacy rates in the United States are dismal—students rank 22nd among OECD countries in science performance, behind countries like Canada, Hungary, Taiwan, and Poland. Only 51% of Americans know that simple fact that electrons are smaller than atoms. Most people aren’t’ aware that the GPS on their phones and in their cars is hooked up to a system of 24 satellites that orbit the earth.
It’s pretty cool to think about all those satellites up there just so we can call our mom in North Carolina from the coffee shop in Los Angeles. And, on top of just being cool, science teaches us to think critically, a key tool for making good decisions not only for ourselves in our daily lives but for the future of this planet. Science eradicates diseases, lets us explore other planets, helps us appreciate our home planet, and, frankly, science is fun! The science fair ought to be fun and amazing, too.
Casey Rentz is Associate Communications Director of Informedbynature.org, a non-profit working to advance the public understanding and appreciation of science, from its elegant approach to its awe-inspiring results.