'ENGaging' young minds with mechanics of the brain!
- kshitizu
- Apr 2
- 2 min read
In the competitive world of scientific research and academia, it's easy to forget the childlike curiosity that first drew many of us to science and engineering. The LSU ENGage program gave us an opportunity to revisit that wonder—through the eyes of curious high school students visiting our labs and asking, “What does an engineer do?”
For the program, the Soft Materials Mechanics Lab hosted an interactive demonstration on the fascinating topics of brain trauma and the mechanics of brain tissue.
Complex ideas like deformation and elasticity were connected to everyday experiences—stretching a rubber band, snapping a chalk. These concepts came alive during a live gelatin brain impact demonstration, filmed using a high-speed camera. Students saw how serious injuries could result from impacts—and how safety gear like helmets plays a crucial role in protection.
This was a vivid example of how engineers contribute to making the world safer, and how complex phenomena can be made understandable through the lens of engineering. As students explored experimental setups and advanced simulations, they didn’t just learn what engineers do—but also how and why they do it.
The best moment? Watching students realize that mechanical engineers aren't only the ones designing helmets—they can also be the ones studying the brain those helmets are meant to protect!
The event was a great success, sparking curiosity and inspiring the next generation of scientists and engineers through hands-on learning and real-world applications. It also challenged us to test our own understanding. As Einstein wisely said:
“If you can’t explain it simply, you don’t understand it well enough.”
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