A molten lava pouring demonstration by the Geology Department done in the Reichardt Building on Saturday Apr. 12.

A group of children of all ages, from “five to a hundred and five”, being shown igneous rocks, which are rocks which were formed from lava, during the Science Potpourri last weekend
In the hallways of the science building Father Nowell Grothe helps his son Jonah make a pet rock of his very own.They are hard at work at a table organized by the UAF science departments at the fifteenth annual potpurri.
Photos by Ashley Anklowitz

On Saturday, departments of science at UAF hosted the annual Science Potpourri. This event operates not only as an educational day for children, but also, according to event planner Marlys Schneider as “an open house for the science departments.”

This event, which has been happening annually for 15 years, features all of the great practicum experiments that intrigue children and adults alike, such as this year’s “three ways to crush a can,” which made use of an electro-magnetic can-crusher.

The Science Potpourri started as an “outgrowth of a KUAC fundraiser in which the theme was science” said Schneider. He said the event then took on a life of it’s own and became the Science Potpourri.

The Geology department’s Rainer Newberry, who was involved in a pouring molten lava at temperatures of over 1100 degrees to the bewildered audience, shed some light on how the event came to the form we see today, saying “when we started we were trying to focus on middle school and high school students, but we began to realize we had a much younger audience.”

Newberry also added that many of the presentations from the Geology department are also seen in their 101 courses, but was playfully skeptical of offering elementary school students three credits for attending the event.

This year’s showing also included something new: A presentation from the Department of Energy showing atmospheric radiation data. Science Potpourri also offers educational materials for teachers who attend the presentations, with the hope that these projects will make their way into the classroom.