The Lawrence Hall of Science
The public science center of the University of California, Berkeley.
Open Wednesday-Sunday 10:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. Animal Discovery Zone 11:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m.
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Registration is closed for this program. Please view our Teen Research Programs page for current offerings.
Entering Grades 10-11-12
06/27/2022 - 07/01/2022
9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m
Financial Aid Applications Now Closed
Applications Now Closed
Are you curious about what your friends think about current events? Have you ever been surprised by someone’s reaction to a meme or an online post? In this Teen Research Program, you will learn how to think like a scientist by designing a research study to investigate your own questions. Together we will look at a study on COVID-19 attitudes. Then you will choose a new topic to investigate together, within the broader domain of how the media affect attitudes and our decision making. Using the first study as a template, we will design, run, and analyze our own study together, picking up strategies for interpreting data, making inferences, and sharing ideas along the way. You will learn how to use scientific techniques to investigate how the media influences attitudes, all the while adding new strategies to your sense-making toolkit and gaining valuable experience for your college application or career path.
Dr. Metz is a postdoctoral scholar at UC Berkeley, currently working with the Nobel Laureate Saul Perlmutter on scientific critical-thinking education. She received her B.A. in philosophy and psychology from Swarthmore College, then went on to earn a Ph.D. in psychology from the University of Pennsylvania. There she studied open-mindedness in adults and teenagers. She has taught scientific thinking, social psychology, and cognitive science, as well as animal behavior.
Dr. Metz is a Bay Area native who graduated from Berkeley High School. In her spare time, she paints creatures and writes fiction.
This program is based on a Big Ideas course at UC Berkeley, developed by Nobel Laureate Saul Perlmutter, who will make a guest appearance.