Squishy Science Sunday

A new public engagement initiative, Squishy Science Sunday, took place 11 am – 3 pm on the Sunday before the start of the 2024 APS March Meeting. The event was a success: we had about 600 visitors, a third of whom were children, take part in an afternoon of hands-on activities, demonstrations, short talks, and talk-to-a-physicist opportunities. This was made possible by roughly 100 volunteers from APS and from institutions and companies in Minneapolis. The second iteration of this event, on Sunday March 16, 2025, would have just concluded, and we are committed to making this an annual occurrence.

A joint venture supported by seven divisions/topical groups of APS (DSOFT, DBIO, DCOMP, DPOLY, GSNP, FOEP, Fed) and APS Public Engagement, the initiative invites the residents of the host city to the site of the largest meeting organized by the APS, to experience cutting-edge scientific research through hands-on activities and one-on-one interactions with working scientists. We aim to inspire a diverse group of youth to have fun with the science of everyday materials while engaging with scientists of all ages and backgrounds. We hope to encourage all to perceive science as an ongoing and enjoyable process of inquiry and discovery that has a positive impact on their lives. Equally important, this event gives practicing scientists the opportunity to share the excitement and importance of their work with society at large.