Photo opportunities: Local children engage in hands-on science activities

WASHINGTON, March 12, 2018 — Hands-on experiments for kids and insights about the impact of oil spills in the Gulf of Mexico are just two of the events and presentations that will take place when thousands of chemists from all over the world descend on New Orleans later this month for the 255th ACS National Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical Society (ACS).

Hosted by the world’s largest scientific society, the meeting will officially kick off Sunday, March 18, and will run through Thursday, March 22. During this time, scientists will give more than 13,000 presentations on a wide range of science topics at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center and nearby hotels. The meeting will also offer outreach events, which will begin on Saturday, March 17.

Featured presentations associated with the meeting include:

ACS Kids Zone science event

Kids and families are invited to learn about the fascinating world of chemistry through hands-on activities. ACS and the New Orleans Recreation Development Commission, along with community partners, will distribute free giveaways and issues of ACS children’s publications and will also conduct hands-on activities, such as:

• Iron for Breakfast: Is your cereal magnetic? Let’s see! Using strong magnets, kids will pull iron, an essential nutrient, from breakfast cereals. Kids and parents alike will be amazed at the amount of this element that can be found in delicious food!
• Magic Nuudles: Using biodegradable building blocks made from cornstarch, kids will create fun shapes and learn about polymers.
• Producing Oxygen Gas: In this chemistry activity, which creates oxygen gas from simple household materials, children will witness and feel a chemical reaction in their hands.

When: Saturday, March 17, 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Central Daylight Time (CDT)

Where: Lyons Recreation Center, 624 Louisiana Ave., New Orleans

ACS Kids Zone Social Media: Event hash tags - #ACSKidsZone and #CelebratingChemistry; Twitter handle - @AmerChemSociety; Instagram handle - @AmerChemSociety

Web: www.acs.org/kidszone

Chemotherapy with nanoGUMBOS

Louisiana State University researchers will discuss their studies on nanoGUMBOS, a Group of Uniform Materials Based on Organic Salts. These materials could someday be used to fight cancer.

When: Wednesday, March 21, 10:50-11:10 a.m. CDT

Where: Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, Room 230                                                              

Petroleum in coastal environments in the northern Gulf of Mexico after the Deepwater Horizon oil spill

The researcher will report on a study analyzing the dynamic impacts of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill on northern Gulf of Mexico environments. The study looked at many types of samples, including sediments and oil slicks.

When: Tuesday, March 20, 8:55-9:20 a.m. CDT

Where: Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, Room 218

Symposium: Science of sexual harassment

Sexual harassment is as pervasive in chemistry as it is in other fields. This symposium will examine sexual harassment and what communities are doing to stop it — in chemistry and beyond.

When: Monday, March 19, 9-11:30 a.m. and 1-3:30 p.m. CDT

Where: Hilton New Orleans Riverside, Grand Salon C, Sec 13

Details about the scientific meeting presentations can be viewed by downloading the ACS meeting app.

ACS National Meeting Social Media: Event hash tag - #ACSNOLA; Twitter handle - @AmerChemSociety; Instagram handle - @AmerChemSociety

Web: www.acs.org/nationalmeeting

The American Chemical Society is a not-for-profit organization chartered by the U.S. Congress. ACS is a global leader in providing access to chemistry-related information and research through its multiple databases, peer-reviewed journals and scientific conferences. ACS does not conduct research, but publishes and publicizes peer-reviewed scientific studies. Its main offices are in Washington, D.C., and Columbus, Ohio.