Mercer University and Mercer Health Sciences Center are sponsors of the annual Atlanta Science Festival (ASF) — the city’s ultimate celebration of all things science and one of the largest of its kind in the country. The ASF culminates in Exploration Expo, a giant science bash on March 21 at Piedmont Park from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. 

The two-week Atlanta Science Festival is a celebration of science and technology that launched in 2014. From March 7-21, ASF events take place at venues throughout metro Atlanta. Exploration Expo serves as the Festival’s grand finale, featuring hands-on interactive booths, live demonstrations and shows.  

At the Expo, the College of Nursing, College of Pharmacy, College of Health Professions and School of Engineering will offer demonstrations around this year’s theme, “Science for the People.” 

College of Nursing (10–11:30 a.m.)
“SAM”
In this interactive demonstration, “SAM” – the College of Nursing’s Simulated Auscultation Manikin – will demonstrate a variety of lung and heart sounds. SAM is an innovative teaching tool to assist in learning about normal and abnormal sounds such as wheezing and heart murmurs. In addition, participants will learn how to count their pulse, feel a carotid pulse and use a stethoscope.

College of Pharmacy (11:30 a.m.–1 p.m.)
“Protect Your ‘Bear’ Skin!”
Participants can get their hands dirty while protecting them from the sun! In this interactive compounding exercise, College of Pharmacy students will help participants mix compounds to create their very own sunscreen.

College of Health Professions (1–2:30 p.m.)
“Athletic Injury Support Station”
This interactive demonstration introduces attendees to the techniques athletic trainers use to protect and support injuries. Participants will work hands-on with splints, braces and taping methods to learn how to stabilize arms, legs and joints to prevent further injury. Participants will also put their new skills to the test through mini “what would you do?” challenges that simulate real-life scenarios.

School of Engineering (2:30–4 p.m.)
Mercer Robotics Lab/HARP Demonstration
The School of Engineering will showcase payloads from the University’s High-Altitude Research Platform (HARP) — a ballooning research project that carries student-built payloads to the edge of space to measure data, including radiation and cosmic rays. Visitors will view real footage from launches and learn how data collection affects our understanding of our world and experience technology from the Mercer Robotics Lab, including 3D-printed toys, JetBots (small autonomous robots that use cameras to navigate their surroundings) and hands-on drone-simulation games. Faculty and students will also demonstrate MerBot, the humanoid robot that understands speech, learns from its environment and performs tasks on command.

Exploration Expo is free and open to the public. While it is not required, organizers are asking people to pre-register for the Expo to ensure that the day of celebrating science goes smoothly for everyone.