On April 11th, I was excited to attend a lecture at Caltech’s Beckman auditorium. However, what I experienced was far beyond my expectations. The speaker for the day was graduate student Hannah Dion-Kirschner, who delivered an engaging talk on “How Soil Microbes Help Us Fight Climate Change.”
The audience consisted of fourth and fifth-grade students from four local schools, which was quite different from the usual crowd at Caltech lectures. As Dion-Kirschner took the students on a journey from microscopic microbes in soil to the outer limits of the atmosphere, they were fully engaged in learning.
Dion-Kirschner drew parallels between her scientific research and playing the piano, emphasizing the importance of practice, hypothesis testing, and the scientific method. She explained how microbes play a crucial role in combating climate change and even treated the audience to a piano performance.
Throughout the lecture, the students actively participated in the learning process, asking insightful questions that Dion-Kirschner gladly answered. It was evident that they were fully engaged and absorbed in the topic at hand.
In the last 15 minutes of her talk, I was impressed by Dion-Kirschner’s ability to explain complex concepts in a clear and accessible manner. Her intelligent and probing questions left a lasting impression on both her audience and myself. Overall, I was pleasantly surprised by the caliber of her lecture and her enthusiasm for sharing knowledge with young minds.
Caltech’s commitment to engaging with its local community and inspiring future scientists is truly commendable. This experience has left me with a newfound appreciation for science education and its potential impact on our society’s future leaders.
