From Science to Music: Vandal Science Days and the Lional Hampton Jazz Festival

The University of Idaho’s College of Science will host Vandal Science Days on April 19th and 20th. This event, which is open to the public, will feature a variety of science-based activities that are perfect for people of all ages. From Friday to Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., attendees can socialize with professors and students while engaging in hands-on activities, workshops, and presentations at the Integrated Research and Innovation Center.

Vandal Science Days will coincide with the Lional Hampton Music Festival happening throughout the week. Attendees can expect food, prizes, and unique experiences like fossil digging and comet making. Some of the topics that will be covered include arsenic usage in beauty products and archaeochemistry.

On Friday, presentations will be held throughout the day at the Integrated Research and Innovation Center. The schedule includes a showcase of “Virtual Reality Demos” by students at 11 a.m., a presentation on “Arsenic For Health and Beauty and other dubious practices” by Claire Qualls at 1 p.m., and a “Geology Top Model” fashion show by geology undergrads at 2 p.m.

Saturday’s presentation will begin at 11 a.m., with John Anderson presenting “Virtual Realities for Sustainable Future: XR Application in Planetwalking Science.” This will be followed by a presentation at 1 p.m., by Melia LaFleur on “From Yellow Powder to Black Power and Archaeochemical Journey.”

The Lional Hampton Jazz Festival will also offer workshops that explore the connections between science and music during Vandal Science Days. Some of these workshops include discussions on the mathematics behind music scales, how instruments create musical tones through standing waves, an exploration of gravitational waves.

Overall, Vandal Science Days promises to be an exciting event for people interested in science-based activities!