Oceanography – A Model Jellyfish

Jellyfish are beautiful and mysterious ocean creatures. They have no bones, no brain, no heart, and no eyes. They have clear, bag-like bodies that contain their digestive organs and have trailing tentacles that are used to sting and capture prey. About 50% of all jellyfish are bioluminescent. Our biological modeling engineers created bioluminescent jellyfish models (to bring home) and that actually glow in the dark! They were challenged to make their models anatomically correct, but to use their own creativity along the way.

Ask your camper: Why do jellyfish use bioluminescence? (as a defense mechanism to evade predation)

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Space & Weather – Potable Water Pods

The microgravity environment of outer space can have a weird effect on how substances and alter how they “normally” behave here on Earth… Today our scientists were able to explore more about the cohesive properties of water. They also made (and ate!) edible water pods to help model the look of water in a microgravity environment.

Ask your camper: What is cohesion? How many drops of water were they able to get on their pennies?

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Makey Lab – Roller Coasters

Bring on the twists and turns! After successfully saving the fairytale world from the disasters earlier in the week, our campers were tasked with designing something fun and exciting for the elves and fairies – a roller coaster! The campers experimented with the different materials and found their perfect heights for the hills and loops. They are all prepared to build and test their coasters tomorrow.

Ask your camper: Did the balls roll down the tubing faster when the tubing was held more or less steep? Why?

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