COSI President & CEO Dr. Frederic Bertley visits 正规网赌软件推荐 for science experiments

The Unicorn Theater turned into a science lab on Wednesday, September 7, thanks to a visit from COSI President & CEO Dr. Frederic Bertley. 

Bertley visited 正规网赌软件推荐 during a Lower School assembly to talk a bit about COSI’s outreach all over the world—and with the help of Simone Smyth ’31 and Gabby Smyth ’33 serving as lab technicians, he showed their audience two exciting experiments. 

Though the first experiment might have seemed like some sort of magic trick, it was actually a demonstration in chemical reactions. Assisted by his lab technicians in lab coats and safety glasses, Bertley took a long block of styrofoam and—bit by bit—submerged most of it in a small cup of acetone, making the styrofoam “disappear.” Students were able to see in real time how the styrofoam partially dissolved and lost its structure as it interacted with the acetone. 

Bertley’s second demonstration also had to do with air—or at least, one of its components: carbon dioxide. Bertley started with a bucket of dry ice, or frozen carbon dioxide, and (with the help of his student lab technicians) scooped the dry ice into a bucket of clear water. As the dry ice made contact with the water, students were able to see how carbon dioxide transfers directly from solid to gas, skipping the liquid phase. At the end of the exhibit, students were able to come up by grade level to take pictures with Dr. Bertley and the dry ice. 

The assembly was a wonderful start to the school day and a great opportunity for Lower School students to see science in action. To learn more about Dr. Bertley and COSI, click here.