'Microbes Rock' May 19 at Morrill Hall

            Few things in life are certain: Death, taxes, and… microbes?

            Microbes are everywhere. These tiny, invisible microorganisms are the oldest form of life on Earth. Millions of them are in the food we eat, the air we breathe and countless other places. They may even be on other planets. The next Sunday with a Scientist program for children and families at the University of Nebraska State Museum of Natural History will focus on microbes in soil and water.

            "Microbes Rock” will be from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. May 19 at Morrill Hall, one block south of 14th and Vine streets on the University of Nebraska-Lincoln City Campus.

            Activities and displays, organized by assistant professor Karrie A. Weber in the UNL School of Biological Sciences and Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, will help visitors discover the amazing things microbes do in the environment, what they tell us about Earth's past, and why this matters.

            For example, microbes can eat or "breathe" contaminants in our groundwater such as nitrates and uranium, leading to better quality drinking water. Scientists can also collect rock specimens and search for fossil organisms in them to determine what role they may have played on Earth millions of years ago. Microbes may also be a key factor in the search for life on Mars.

            Children will enjoy molding microbes out of Play-Doh and playing a game to test their knowledge of environmental bacteria. "Microbes Rock" coloring books will also be available.

            In addition to Weber, presenters will include Jason Nolan, UNL Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, and Abigail Heithoff, NU State Museum.

For more information on Weber's research on microbes, visit https://sites.google.com/site/microbialbiogeochemistry.

            Sunday with a Scientist is a series of monthly presentations that highlight the work of State Museum scientists and those from other UNL departments and institutions, while educating children and families on a variety of topics related to science and natural history. Presenters will share scientific information in a fun, informal way through demonstrations, activities, or by conducting their science on site.

            Upcoming Sunday with a Scientist topics, all 1:30-4:30 p.m.: June 16 -- chemistry; July 21 -- plants; Sept. 22 -- Agate Fossil Beds; Oct. 20 -- bats; Nov. 17 -- solar energy; Dec. 15 -- gene silencing in plants. There will not be an event in August. For more information, visit http://www.museum.unl.edu.

            The University of Nebraska State Museum of Natural History in Morrill Hall is open 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday-Wednesday and Friday-Saturday, 9:30 a.m.-8 p.m. Thursdays, and 1:30-4:30 p.m. Sundays. Regular admission is $6 for adults (19 and over), $3 for children (5-18 years, 4 and under are free), and $13 for families (up to two adults and children). UNL staff, faculty, and students are admitted free with NU ID. Friends of the Museum are also free. There is an additional charge for planetarium shows. Parking is free in front of the museum.

Writer: Dana Ludvik