Synthetic Scientist

A young scientist experiments with colored liquids using a pipette at the Synthetic Scientist STEMscape event, demonstrating early engagement in scientific exploration.

There’s been a break-in at Jessie’s Jewels. A few clues are left behind: a smudge of fingerprints, a stray fiber, muddy tracks, and a bold note daring anyone to catch the thief.

In Synthetic Scientist, kids work together to piece it all together and figure out who pulled off the heist.

Here’s how it works: teams start by dusting for fingerprints to match the culprit. Then they use microscopes to inspect mystery fibers found on the floor. At the Ink Investigation table, they separate ink to see which pen wrote the note. Finally, they spin samples in a real centrifuge to see what was tracked in from the rain.

It’s hands-on, a little messy, and full of small surprises. We bring Synthetic Scientist to schools, libraries, and community events. Kids join teams with fun detective names like Team Scooby Doo or Team Holmes. Along the way, they see how real science is used in forensics every day.

They learn about prints, fibers, chemical reactions, and how solving a problem takes teamwork and curiosity.

There’s no perfect path to the answer - just clues to test and time to figure it out together.

Ready to solve the mystery?