It’s interesting that my journey with STEMComm began with a reflection on the Atlanta Science Festival, and now, as I wrap up my final semester, I find myself doing the same. This time, I’m writing from the perspective of a two-time coordinator of this event. It’s been a full-circle moment: challenging, rewarding, and meaningful.
This semester, our VIP team decided to theme the event around The Amazing Race, a reality show where teams compete in various challenges across the globe. We adapted the concept to create a science-themed race, where participants completed interactive challenges that taught them about various scientific topics such as light, conductors, and encryption. The idea was to make learning fun through friendly competition.
I worked with Christie and Qiaoni on our subteam, Speed of Light, to design a physical and mental activity based on light and color. Our physical challenge, Prism Effect, introduced participants to concepts in optics, specifically refraction and dispersion. Refraction is the bending of light as it moves from one medium to another and dispersion is where different wavelengths bend differently (Biggs, 2024). Using laser pointers and glass prisms, participants had to manipulate the light to create a path hitting a certain number of prisms. Along the way, they learned how white light splits into a spectrum of colors as it bends through different media, and how laser beams, being monochromatic, behave differently.
Our mental challenge focused on the Stroop Effect, a psychological phenomenon that reveals how our brains process conflicting information, referring to a delay in reaction times between congruent and incongruent stimuli (MacLeod, 1991). Participants had to name the color of a word, not the word itself, which became surprisingly difficult when the two didn’t match. For instance, the word “purple” written in green ink, showing an example of incongruent stimuli. On the other hand, congruent stimuli is when the two aspects align, like seeing the word “blue” written in blue ink (Ruhl, 2023). This task demonstrated how cognitive interference affects reaction time, and it opened up conversations about how the brain, like the anterior cingulate cortex, manages conflict.
Like any large event, it came with challenges such as managing multiple teams, and directing participant flow. However, our team adapted quickly and it was cool to see how enthusiastic participants were, especially with the hands-on activity involving prisms. I also learned how to tailor communication styles when interacting with younger children, making the experience both educational and fun for a wide range of ages. Through this event I felt fulfilled watching people engage with our activities. Seeing kids light up as they bent laser beams or raced against the Stroop challenge timer reminded me why we coordinate events. It’s about sparking curiosity, making science engaging, and creating meaningful experiences.
Sources Cited
Davidson, Douglas J., et al. “Stroop Interference, Practice, and Aging.” Neuropsychology, Development, and Cognition. Section B, Aging, Neuropsychology and Cognition, vol. 10, no. 2, June 2003, pp. 85–98. PubMed Central, https://doi.org/10.1076/anec.10.2.85.14463.
Biggs, Kelvin. “Understanding Optical Prism Types, Functions & Uses – UQG.” UQG Optics, 11 Nov. 2024, https://www.uqgoptics.com/understanding-optical-prism-types-functions-and-uses/.
MacLeod, Colin M., and Penny A. MacDonald. “Interdimensional Interference in the Stroop Effect: Uncovering the Cognitive and Neural Anatomy of Attention.” Trends in Cognitive Sciences, vol. 4, no. 10, Oct. 2000, pp. 383–91. ScienceDirect, https://doi.org/10.1016/S1364-6613(00)01530-8.
Okayasu, Moe, et al. “The Stroop Effect Involves an Excitatory–Inhibitory Fronto-Cerebellar Loop.” Nature Communications, vol. 14, no. 1, Jan. 2023, p. 27. www.nature.com, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-022-35397-w.
Prism | Definition, Refraction, Types, & Facts | Britannica. 6 Feb. 2025, https://www.britannica.com/technology/prism-optics.
Stroop Effect Experiment in Psychology. 2 Oct. 2023, https://www.simplypsychology.org/stroop-effect.html.
