October 22, 1998
Contact: Timothy McKernan, (619) 594-2588
Inner Space/Outer Space: SDSU scientists show you the world
Visitors to San Diego State University will explore worlds invisible to the naked eye on Saturday, November 14, 1997, from 4-8 p.m., when the College of Sciences hosts its annual "Inner Space/Outer Space" Exhibition and Open House. Amateur scientists, families, and the general public are welcome at no charge.
Scientists and students of the College of Sciences will display and demonstrate powerful microscopes, telescopes, computers, and other laboratory equipment that offer views of the universe ranging from microscopic parts of a cell to satellite images of earth and worlds beyond our own planet.
Inner Space. Visitors to the Electron Microscope Facility in the lower level of the Physical Sciences Building can see intricate details of the surface and internal structures of plant and animal life magnified up to 50,000 times on transmission and scanning electron microscopes. SDSU students and faculty will explain the operation of the microscopes and demonstrate the preparation techniques used at area hospitals to prepare tissue samples from biopsies. Remote access from local classrooms to the scanning electron microscope via the Internet also will be demonstrated.
Outer Space. On the rooftop of the adjacent Physics-Astronomy Building, several refracting and reflecting telescopes will be focused on the moon, planets, and other celestial bodies. In addition, a planetarium show will feature San Diego’s night sky as an astronomer identifies the heavenly bodies visible from your own back yard. There also will be a laserdisc show of images from the Voyager space probe as it passed by Saturn and Jupiter with members of the astronomy department providing commentary.
Earth. Members of the geological sciences and biology departments will exhibit satellite images of the earth and discuss how remote sensing is used to monitor environmental conditions and mankind’s impact on the earth’s ecosystems. The geologists will discuss how satellite imaging helps us to understand distant worlds as well as our own. The geologists will demonstrate a handheld Global Positioning System similar to the units used in the Gulf War to find your position anywhere on earth to within a few feet.
And More. Three-dimensional laser holograms, magnetic levitation by superconductors, and the effect ofsupercooling on gases and solids are among the exhibits to be presented by the physics department. Students will show how light beams can be manipulated using sound waves. They will also demonstrate the dramatic differences between helium-filled balloons and oxygen-filled balloons when each is cooled to minus 328 degrees Fahrenheit.
Information. For more information or directions, call Marylou Montross at (619) 594-6182, or visit the website at 1. The event will take place rain or shine, with signs directing visitors to the open house sites. Light refreshments and tee shirts will be on sale to raise money for undergraduate student scientist activities.