Colorado State University Brings 'Little Shop of Physics' to Demystify Science

posted November 26, 2014

Earlier this week, students and professors from Colorado State University joined together with students from Oglala Lakota College in the gym at Red Cloud Indian School with one goal: Demystify science.

"Students often come to science thinking that it's hard," says Brian Jones, Instructor at Colorado State and Director of Little Shop of Physics. "But that's not true, it's a technique that anyone can learn—and it lets us do amazing things. They also usually think you need fancy equipment, but everything here is simple and easy to get. You can get anything you see here at the store in Rapid City."

"Half of the things you see here are because a student at a previous event tried something out and saw results that excited them. And so we try to duplicate that and add it to the Shop."

A dozen tables filled the gym, covered with more than 100 digital gadgets and homemade contraptions. Jones notes that they come up with new ideas every year to help explain scientific concepts through simple, and most importantly fun, experiments. "Science is all about testing out new ideas," says Jones. "It's about wondering what happens if I do this."

During Red Cloud's event, each class took turns visiting throughout the day. Whether listening with supersonic hearing for whispers across the room, learning about lasers and LEDs in the dark room, or manipulating a floating ball with air pressure, students found much more than a lesson in The Little Shop of Physics, they left with a renewed sense of wonder and possibility.

The Little Shop of Physics has been active for nearly 25 years and partners with school all across the Midwest. For more information you can visit their website or learn about Red Cloud's approach to education HERE.