By Lizette LizardoStaff Writer
Stars, cells and science — that’s what people in the communitysaw Saturday on campus at the seventh annual “Inner Space/OuterSpace,” an open house that helps people better understand how scienceworks.
Steve Barlow, associate director of SDSU’s Electron MicroscopeFacility, said he loves what he does, and wanted to share hisexcitement about science to the general public.
“We want to encourage students to meet real scientists,” he said,”And find out that we’re just like other people despite all thestereotypes they might have seen or heard.”
Barlow encouraged people to get involved in the sciences eventhough they may have no desire to be a scientist.
“Whenever you pick up a newspaper these days, there’s an articleabout some new breakthrough or some new problem that science hascaused or is curing, so that’s what we hope to accomplish here andit’s fun,” he said.
Attendees were invited to view activities showcased in thePhysics-Astronomy, Biology, Engineering and Geology buildings.Activities included an example superconductivity, which levitatesmagnets above the surface using liquid nitrogen, and a hologram thatproduces an image that is a replica of the real object.
“I like most of the exhibits because they were prettyinteresting,” said Michael Torster, 16. “It’s pretty cool. I like thepeople who are at the different stations because they were prettyhelpful.”
Once it got dark, people could peer in several telescopes atop thePhysics-Astronomy building, and observe the moon and other heavenlybodies.
People viewed the evening sky, and witnessed the motions of thesun, moon and other planets in the Planetarium Show, located in thePhysics-Astronomy building. The 20-minute program showed a glimpse ofthe universe, as well as provided information on stars that dominatethe night sky.
At the Physical Sciences basement, people examined cells bypeering in the Scanning Electron Microscope to scrutinize cellsurfaces, and the interior of a cell with a Transmission ElectronMicroscope.
Virtual Tours were held for anyone to see images of galaxies,nebulae and star clusters from Mount Laguna, where San Diego StateUniversity operates an observatory.
In an effort to reach out to many people as possible, the openhouse also had a sign language interpreter available.
“We thought it would be nice to come to the open house because ourson is a sophomore in high school,” said Ken Sarcey from ScrippsRanch. “I thought it would be pleasant for him to come to a collegeenvironment.”
The open house began when SDSU purchased an $180,000scanning-electron microscope.
And with that microscope, Barlow and Ronald Angione, director ofMt. Laguna on-campus observatory, started an “Inner Space/OuterSpace” open house in 1993.
“Inner Space/Outer Space” was started as part of the generaloutreach program to the community.
