Princeton scientists explain 'Strange Matter'

Princeton University scientists have been capturing the imaginations of schoolchildren this spring with a series of hands-on demonstrations at New Jersey's Liberty Science Center.

More than 20 scientists associated with the Princeton Center for Complex Materials have taken turns traveling to the Jersey City museum to freeze balloons, crush golf balls and concoct unusual substances as part of an exhibit called "Strange Matter," which teaches children about the science behind ordinary and high-tech materials.

"The response has been tremendous," said Daniel Steinberg, director of outreach for the Princeton Center for Complex Materials, which is funded by a grant from the National Science Foundation. "The audiences have been packed, and the kids really have been wide-eyed with interest. Thousands of children and their families have gone home with a better understanding of materials science."

The level of interest and commitment among faculty members, students and staff at Princeton has been strong as well, said Steinberg. Princeton scientists have put on demonstrations every weekend since the exhibit opened Jan. 31. "Strange Matter," a traveling exhibit developed by the Materials Research Society, will be at the Liberty Science Center through Sunday, May 2.

"We have been very impressed with the commitment and dedication of the Princeton scientists," said Elizabeth Romanaux, vice president for marketing at Liberty Science Center. "People who come to the science center often have never met a real scientist, so now they could see scientists are not just old guys in white lab coats. That's very important."

In addition to Steinberg, Princeton faculty and staff members participating have included Craig Arnold, Jay Benziger, Bob Cava, Paul Chaikin, Zahid Hasan, Thanos Panagiotopoulos, Rick Register, Dudley Saville, Dave Srolovitz, Doug Adamson and Andrew Hollingsworth. Many graduate students and postdoctoral researchers also have participated, including physics graduate students Mingshaw Wu and Kumar Raman, who led their own demonstrations.

"Everyone who participated has come back and was really excited and happy that they participated in the program," said Steinberg.