CSE at the Minnesota State Fair

A variety of College of Science and Engineering exhibits will showcase the relevance of science, engineering, and mathematics to people’s everyday lives at the 2019 Minnesota State Fair. The University of Minnesota exhibit on Dan Patch Avenue and Underwood Street will feature students and faculty in a wide range of fields. College of Science and Engineering faculty and students will also be featured during STEM Day at the Fair in Dan Patch Park, the Eco Experience Building, and the U of M's Driven to Discover research building.

• Minnesota Geological Survey/Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences
  9 a.m.–9 p.m.
  U of M Crossroads Exhibit Building—Dan Patch Avenue and Underwood Street
  
  At this educational exhibit, you can learn how geology not only explains why Minnesota has so many lakes, but also controls our drinking water supply and shapes our landscape as a whole. University of Minnesota Professor and State Geologist Harvey Thorleifson will be on hand at selected times throughout the day to answer questions and help people understand the geology in their back yard, as well as statewide.
   
• University of Minnesota Energy Club
  9 a.m.–9 p.m.
  U of M Crossroads Exhibit Building—Dan Patch Avenue and Underwood Street
  
  Learn about energy efficiency by creating your own electricity using the Energy Club's Power Bike and see how many light bulbs you can power. The group will also be showcasing a solar powered miniature city!
   
• Innovative Engineers
  3 p.m.-9 p.m.
  U of M Crossroads Exhibit Building—Dan Patch Avenue and Underwood Street
  
  Learn how to design effective wind turbine blades by building them hands on! Test different forms and shapes to see which blades will spin the fastest and produce the most energy. Learn how wind, a renewable energy source, can be generated into electricity that powers anything from a toaster in your home, to charging electric vehicles.

• STEM Day at the Fair
  8 a.m.–5 p.m.
  Dan Patch Park—next to the Grandstand
  
  Fair guests get an up-close look at intriguing, interactive adventures through 35 science, technology, engineering, and math education providers and business supporters brought to the Fair by SciMathMN, Minnesota’s STEM education advocacy organization. Several University of Minnesota science and engineering faculty, staff, and students are involved in STEM Day at the Fair. You can program robots, design features for a State Fair building, explore bioremediation, track wild animals, learn about the physics of flight, play with air pressure and rocketry, challenge your math skills with hands-on activities, and more! The stage entertainment includes performances by the U of M Physics Force and Raptor Center along with The Bakken Museum, and others.
   
• "CoRobotic Printing: Can you outperform a surgeon?"
  9 a.m.–2 p.m.
  Driven to Discover Building—Cooper and Cosgrove Streets
  
  This project seeks to understand how humans interact with autonomous handheld robots at high speeds and precision.

• Center for Sustainable Polymers 
  9 a.m.–9 p.m.
  Eco Experience Building—Randall Avenue and Cosgrove Street
  
  Learn about bioplastics at this interactive exhibit. Plastic products are a major part of everyday life but are plagued with problems including their petroleum-based origins and end-of-life pollution. This new exhibit at the Eco Experience building showcases the work of the Center for Sustainable Polymers by illustrating the differences between traditional plastics and bio-based plastics. The multi-faceted exhibit includes displays highlighting the latest research and hands-on activities for fair visitors.