I Thought It Would Be Different

This happened this weekend

There were several dozen booths set up with all kinds of hands-on experiments.  One of my favorites (because of its complete lack of planning and total insensitivity to its audience of young children) was the police department's Forensic Science station. It had sample collection kits and all kinds of bones, skulls, and ammunition casings set out on a table with two huge signs reading "Do No Touch!"  Seriously?  Do not touch? Did they not know this would be attended by THE PUBLIC?

I think it was a challenge for the scientists manning the booths to constantly switch their presentation to be appropriate for the audience.  There were really young kids, older kids, plus adults and older adults all milling about.  We stepped up to an booth on energy that had a gizmo to show how much energy it takes to power an incandescent bulb vs. a fluorescent bulb.  This little girl was having a blast with it, and the guy was really comprehensive in explaining what was going happening.  Then, I and my 30-something girlfriends stepped up.  As he started talking to us, I could see him try to shift scripts in his head, but could also hear the change in the pitch and tone of his voice.  (Observing this at each station was a science experiment in itself!)

Walking around with all these scientists trying to promote their technology was exciting and filled me with geek camaraderie.  Still, I thought we scientists would recognize each other some how.  One presenter actually asked me if I know what DNA was.  I just thought that on some intuitive level we would all know each other and give the silent chin thrust of acknowledgement.  

(Booth presenter silently asking) "Yo, you a STEM geek?" 

(Me answering with my eyes) "You know it! Nobody rocks polymerase chain reactions like I do. Word to Kary, bro!"