CSULB opens doors, minds at Science LIVE!

Science LIVE! turned CSULB's Hall of Science into an open house last weekend, welcoming families, alumni and future Beach scientists for four hours of hands-on discovery. Departments across the College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics(CNSM) opened labs and classrooms so visitors could see science up close - astronomy on the plaza, creature encounters below ground and everything in between.

"Seeing the next generation discover and get excited about science is incredibly gratifying," said Curtis Bennett, the Richard D. Green dean of CNSM.

More than 600 guests moved through a mix of stations: safe solar telescope viewing, an augmented-reality sandbox that "moved mountains," chemistry demos, math puzzles and a fossil dig with real tools. In the shark and marine labs, visitors met live animals and heard how researchers study and protect local waters. The Science Learning Centerkept K-8 scientists busy with simple experiments that made big ideas click.

More broadly, faculty, students and community members traded questions and swapped "aha" moments, showing that science here is open to every age and background.

"In CNSM, we really aim to be scientific leaders in the community and help create the scientists of tomorrow," Bennett said. "Events like these expose the community to science in a way that is accessible, memorable and ultimately fun."