Superheroes and scientists have taken over the Comic-Con Museum in Balboa Park for the weekend.
There is a science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics (STEAM) fair now underway for younger comics fans.
The event provides “hands-on” learning opportunities for students.
A group of female scientists, engineers and artists from around the United States are leading experiments and project-based lessons. They are members of the IF/THEN Ambassador program
“There is a lot of art in the sciences and vice versa. So Comic-Con is all about the popular arts. But we wouldn’t have those popular arts without the science, technology and engineering behind it," said Samantha Wynns, conservation biologist and science educator with Cabrillo National Monument.
Children can participate in experiments such as powering technology with fruit, mini-excavations, searching for wildlife with radio signals, coding robots and learning about earthquake magnitude using spaghetti.
"Science can be complicated, and we want to show kids that it can be really fun," Wynns said. "We let them get their hands dirty, ask questions and invent things on their own."
The STEAM Fair continues at the Comic-Con Museum Saturday and Sunday from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. It is free and open to any school-age children and their families. No Comic-Con badge is required.
