January 20, 2005

BSU Engineering Students Volunteer For Strange Matter Exhibit At Discovery Center Of Idaho

Engineering students in Boise State University’s materials science program will conduct a variety of demonstrations at the Discovery Center of Idaho, 131 Myrtle St., as part of the center’s Strange Matter exhibit that opens Saturday and runs through May 1.   The Strange Matter exhibit features dozens of hands-on experiences that show off the remarkable properties of both ordinary and exotic materials, ranging from crystals and ceramics to memory metals and ice. The exhibit is presented by the Materials Research Society. Local support is provided by the Micron Foundation and the newly created Materials Science and Engineering Department in BSU’s College of Engineering.   The Boise State students will conduct the demonstrations from 10 a.m.-noon and 1-2 p.m. on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays beginning Feb. 1 and continuing through April. Among the demonstrations planned is one involving ice and newspaper that illustrates how composite materials combine the strength of both materials. Other displays include using sodium acetate to grow crystals in front of visitors, exploring the properties of memory metals and smashing a rubber hose using liquid nitrogen.   In addition to the student-led demonstrations, Boise State faculty in engineering, physics and chemistry will give presentations in their respective fields from noon-4 p.m. on Jan. 29, Feb. 12, Feb. 26, March 19, April 2 and April 16.   The Strange Matter exhibit should provide visitors with an understanding of how improvements and innovations in materials have driven technological change, said professor Amy Moll, chair of BSU’s Materials Science and Engineering Department, which enrolled its first students in fall 2004. “After all, everything is made of something,” Moll said. In fact, there are more than 300,000 different materials – metals, ceramics, semiconductors, polymers, composites, biomaterials and many others, she added.   Materials scientists and engineers are constantly inventing and improving the substances of which things are made, according to Moll. Portable electronic devices, efficient turbine blades, exotic bicycle frames and useful prosthetics are all results of developments in the field of materials science – a field that blends physics, chemistry and engineering.   More information about the Discovery Center of Idaho and the exhibit, including admission and hours of operation, is available at www.scidaho.org or by calling  (208) 343-9895. Information about the exhibit is also available at www.StrangeMatterExhibit.com.   Contact:  Amy Moll, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, (208) 426-5719, amoll@boisestate.edu   Media Contacts:  Margaret Scott, College of Engineering, (208) 426-5789, margaretscott@boisestate.edu, Janelle Brown, News Services, (208) 426-1790, jbrown2@boisestate.edu