Michigan Science Teachers Association Conference 2018 (MSTA)

Cyborgs! Human Mind Control! Sounds like Sci Fi? Think again!  It’s actual science being done in research labs around the world, and now you can do it in your classroom.  Come explore the body’s hidden electrical network that lives just below our skin and skulls: our nervous system.  This workshop will be a hands-on demonstration of open-source neuroscience tools which are appropriate for amateurs and for use in middle/high school educational programs.  We will focus on experiments that explore the neuroscience field of “electrophysiology” and will provide some background on neurons and brain function. We will highlight how to think using first principles and will highlight basic "DIY" tools to explore neurophysiology, functional electrical stimulation, micro-stimulation effect on animal behavior, neuropharmacology, even neuroprosthesis and optogenetics! Don’t worry… all these will be explained in easy-to-follow experiments.