On February 28, 2026, I took part in the Central Ohio STEM Expo in Columbus, Ohio. The goal was simple: show kids what can happen to soil during an earthquake. 

I used a small liquefaction demo setup with sand, water, clear container and a tiny house. When I shook it, the soil quickly lost its strength and started behaving more like a liquid. It’s something we deal with in geotechnical engineering, but seeing it physically makes a big difference. 

The reactions were the best part. At first, most of them didn’t expect anything to happen. Then the soil suddenly “collapsed,” and it clicked. Some kids connected it to buildings and earthquakes right away, others just wanted to try it themselves. A few of them even asked why this doesn’t happen everywhere, which was nice to hear 🙂.

Overall, it was a fun experience. Nice change from research work, and a good reminder that even a basic demo can explain a lot.