Atlanta Science Festival set to entertain, inspire and engage all ages

By Carol Clark Feb. 24, 2025

Atlanta Science Festival returns March 8-22, with more than 100 events throughout the metro area, inviting the public to join fun, interactive and educational experiences. The acclaimed city-wide celebration, one of the largest of its kind in the country, showcases the myriad science, technology engineering and mathematics (STEM) innovations happening in Atlanta, including at Emory.

“Not only does the Atlanta Science Festival spotlight the wonder of science in its various forms, we strive to do so by curating a two-week experience that’s as exciting and intriguing as possible,” says Meisa Salaita, executive co-director of Science ATL, the nonprofit organization that engineers the festival. “We want to open minds, educate, inspire, entertain and spark the interest of the scientists of tomorrow.”

Now in its 12th year, the Atlanta Science Festival was co-founded by Emory, Georgia Tech and the Metro Atlanta Chamber.

Members of the Emory community will help participants experience the wonders of science through spectacles like the chemistry of fireballs, a musical entertainment combined with a biology talk on the surprising abilities of animals to use medicine, a walking tour of campus science landmarks, a behind-the-scenes look at the latest advances in healthcare technology and much more.

Creative events to engage participants with technology include “Data Poetics,” which will combine slam poetry and computer science on Thursday, March 13, at 7 p.m. at the Supermarket event space in Atlanta.

The introductory workshop in how to use software to visualize data and add power to poetic expression will be co-hosted by Emily Wall, Emory assistant professor of computer science, Keke Wu, Emory postdoctoral researcher, and W. J. Lofton, an Atlanta poet. The idea for the event grew out of an Emory class that Wall and Lofton co-taught as part of the Emory Arts and Social Justice Fellows program, which pairs faculty with local artists to explore how creative thinking and artistic expression can inspire change. Their class was so successful that the duo wanted to introduce the concept to the wider public.

Participants will write a data-driven poem about a social issue affecting Atlanta and then amplify their message through information visualizations. “Many people think of computer science as intimidating and too ‘mathy’ to be interesting,” Wall says.

That attitude often changes when people learn simple ways to directly apply computer science to better communicate a human problem, she adds. “We want to give artists another tool, a way to make their art even more compelling.”

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Emory alum Stephanie Espy will moderate a panel of women scientists, including Emory research chemist JaNise Jackson, for the event “STEM Gems: #GiveGirlsRoleModels in STEM” at 10 a.m. on Saturday, March 15. The event is geared for middle school and high school students interested in STEM careers. Espy, who holds degrees from Goizueta Business School, University of California, Berkeley, and Massachusetts Institute of Technology, is executive director of STEM Gems, aimed at promoting STEM role models and visibility.

Lucy Cronin-Golomb, who holds a PhD in psychology from Emory, returns to lead “Discovery Walk: Emory University” at 10 a.m. on Saturday, March 15. The 2.5 mile tour around campus includes 10 intriguing science stops, an illustrated map as a keepsake and free admission to the Carlos Museum.

On Saturday, March 15, at 10 a.m., “Proton Precision” offers a behind-the-scenes tour of the Emory Proton Therapy Center’s cutting-edge technology. Learn the physics behind high-energy proton beams that target cancer with sub-millimeter precision and get a hands-on opportunity to treat the “patient” in your tour group.

“Community Science for Change,” set for Saturday, March 15, at 1 p.m., is a joint event of the Emory HERCULES Exposome Research Center and the Southside Environmental Justice Alliance. Participants will learn how citizen scientists are tackling local environmental health issues and experience the tools and methods used to track contaminants, monitor water quality, test air samples and more.

Science Gallery Atlanta, an outreach component of Emory’s Office of the Senior Vice President for Research, serves as the venue for “Raspberry PI Jam: Discovering Tiny Tech with Buttercup” at 1 p.m. on Saturday, March 15. Geared for children and teens, the event leads participants through a dive into physical computing as they learn to get creative with coding to make projects with lights, motors and sensors.

Carl Zimmer, a New York Times columnist and author of “Airborne”, is featured in “Health Storytelling” at noon on Wednesday, March 19. Maryn McKenna, a fellow at the Emory Center for the Study of Human Health, will lead a discussion with Zimmer about how air teams with biological life and represents an important biological frontier for scientists, especially regarding new threats to global health.

Learn how animals have inspired musicians, healers and scientists for thousands of years during “Celebrating Animals in Music and Medicine” at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, March 20. Emory psychologist Ken Carter will lead a conversation with Emory biologist Jaap de Roode, author of the new book “Doctors by Nature: How Ants, Apes and Other Animals Heal Themselves.” Pianists William Ransom, director of the Emory Chamber Music Center of Atlanta, and Julie Coucheron, from Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, will treat the audience to a rendition of “Carnival of Animals.”

The ChEmory student group of Emory hosts its ever-popular “Chemistry Bonanza Demo Show” at 5 p.m. on Friday, March 21. Through thrilling demonstrations of chemical reactions, visitors will learn about polymers, combustion and cloud formation. The show will be followed by servings of liquid-nitrogen ice cream.

The festival culminates in Piedmont Park with “Exploration Expo” on Saturday, March 22, from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Families can explore more than 100 interactive booths and science demos, including many helmed by Emory students and faculty. Play a game that teaches you about microbes, engage in hands-on citizen science projects, learn how to identify poisonous and medicinal plants, get a sense of how dogs and cats experience the world visually and enjoy this day-long celebration of all things science!

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