Gooey, goopy materials and a lecture about the wonders of snot are the stars of a family-friendly, hands-on evening of science on the Duke University campus  from 5–8 p.m. on Tuesday, April 17.

oobleck

A quivering mass of cornstarch "oobleck." Image by Collin Mel Cunningham via Flickr

The event will be in the Fitzpatrick CIEMAS building on Duke’s West Campus. Public parking is available in the Bryan Center structure on Research Drive, near the Duke Chapel.

Faculty and students will share experiences with oobleck cornstarch polymers, origami that folds itself magically, and  ‘soft matter,’ which is a polite term for other kinds of goopy stuff.

The evening also features tours of facilities including the DiVE virtual reality simulator, and a guest lecture, “The Science of Snot,” by Dr. Richard Superfine of UNC-Chapel Hill’s physics department.

All this edutaining fun is sponsored by The Materials Research Science and Engineering Center of the Research Triangle, a collaborative effort of Triangle universities funded by the National Science Foundation.  It’s also a part of the state wide North Carolina Science Festival being held April 13-29.

For more information on this event and the NC Science Festival, go to: http://www.ncsciencefestival.org/event/duke-goo/