Can you make ice cream in a blink of an eye? Well, maybe not in the blink of an eye, but it took two minutes, two Scripps Research scientists and a bottle of liquid nitrogen to make it.
“Typically in the chemistry lab we don’t make ice cream," Madison Wagner, PhD Candidate at Scripps Research says.
They may not make desserts in the lab, but the substance is used in a lot of research.
"There are a lot of food chemistry labs out there, all those box cakes mix that you see are often in food science," Wagner says.
They’re using the ice cream experiment to give families and kids a taste of what science can look like when you get to do it.
This Saturday, Scripps Research is opening its campus to the community for its third annual Discovery Day bringing dozens of hands-on experiments.
Scientists like first year graduate student, Meredith Holm, remember what it felt like to be on the other side, when she attended a science fair in high school;
“I think we also made liquid nitrogen ice cream and I was like this is not real, like this is so cool and little moments like these when I was little definitely. Having planted the seed that has blossomed into who I am today as a scientist, so I'm really excited to share that with the younger generation.”
And if liquid nitrogen ice cream doesn’t win you over, how about turning clear liquid into a silver mirror? They'll also be showing families that experiment on Saturday.
“I think what I love about science is the wonder of it," PhD candidate at Scripps Research Aimee Bangerter says.
That sense of wonder is really the point.
Rick Kraus with Scripps Research says Discovery Day is meant to give people a look at the science happening right here and inspire the next generation of researchers.
“Engagements like this are a chance for them to say, 'wow, this is really cool'. Not just 'iquid nitrogen ice cream is great,' but 'I like neuroscience, this might be something that I could study later.'”
So whether you come for the science, the experiments, or just want to satisfy your sweet tooth, Discovery Day may be for you..
