We're baaaaack! That's right day two of 4-H Biotech Day Camp found us back in Raleigh today. Our first stop did not exist when we did this five years ago, Hunt Library on North Carolina State University's Campus. Although our group was not so sure about going to a library, the first thing they saw when they got there changed their minds about libraries in general. The book bot is a robot that fetches books from rows of stainless steal drawers. Each drawer holds more than 100 books, cataloged with bar codes. When a student or other library user orders a book from their smart phone (yes, the library has an app) the robot pulls the book, hands it off to a human library worker who labels it and places it on the check out shelf. It takes two minutes from the time to choose a book to when it is available for pickup. The book bot has access to over two million books. Now parents if you are wondering if the Dewey decimal system still exists, well it does with about a thousand books on the shelves in the library.
The other thing we learned about this research library is that books are just one of the many features. Did you know that the library has more than 100 different types of chairs, in more than 80 colors? If that doesn't impress you maybe the technology room will. This is a room where you can come and see the different technology that is available for you to check out, everything from laptops, to iPads, and even gaming systems. Wait there is more. They have a technology room that shows each time someone, anyone in the world makes a change to Wikipedia, and will also show newspapers from around the room. We had to admit that was really cool but the next room was so cool it made UNC die hearts change their future school of choice to NCSU. The gaming room can allow users to play and design games. Classes are held in this special room that has special glass walls. With a tap of her smart phone the librarian turned the glass white so you can not see in or out. All the gaming gadgets in this room had our young gamers ready to submit their college applications today.
After that technology buffet it was time go think about a food buffet. We loaded up in the vans and headed to Fountain Dining Hall for a lunch of many choices. We ate just like, and along with, college students. Burgers, pizza, hot dogs, chicken, and other selections we on the menu. The highlight was probably the NCSU soft serve ice cream, made fresh across the street. Such good stuff.
After digesting it was time to head to Pullen park to meet with a mad scientist. Truly a mad day of experiments that centered around dry ice. Our mad scientist, with Mad Science, made George Washington shiver as he crossed the Delaware or at least while she had a quarter sitting on the dry ice. Ice bubbles, shampoo bubbles, gasses, sublimation, and all sorts of new science terms and fun. When our and scientist was done we each got cups to take home with us. Our cups change color when there is something really cold in them, you know like dry ice.
After a great day of fun it was time to head home and start thinking about our adventures tomorrow....I wonder if we will need safety gear tomorrow for experiments???
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