Science Summer: Three Curated Activities for Teens

by Aimee Benson

Welcome to the final installment of our Science Summer blog series! Today we’ve curated three science projects perfect for teens.

Some of the biggest science news this summer has been the release of images from the Webb Space Telescope. The technology behind the images is almost as stunning as the images themselves–you can check them out in all their glory here. 

Imaging is a huge part of how we engage with various scientific disciplines, from medicine to engineering. But the science of imaging started out decidedly less technical–in fact, you can build a basic pinhole camera with just household supplies. This project for a personal pinhole theater takes the camera to a slightly larger scale–one you can slip inside of–and even use your phone to digitally manipulate the images you make. Find the whole project here.

Gastronomy is the science of food, and molecular gastronomy involves changing food on the molecular level. With this spherification project, you can turn drinks into semi-solid spheres–like the bubbles in your boba tea.  Learn how to do this project from Science Buddies. 

If you play sports or do other outdoor activities, especially in summer, you’re definitely familiar with the need to stay hydrated and keep your electrolytes in balance. But are fancy sports drinks the best way to do that? Or will regular juice do the same thing? Find out for yourself with this chemistry-focused electrolyte challenge from Science Buddies. 

Don’t forget to take all safety precautions! Thank you for joining us for our Science Summer blog series! Did you try one of the activities we curated? Please tell us all about it in the comments!