If you’re curious about how far sneezes travel, you aren’t alone. Because sneezing can spread infectious diseases like the flu and common cold, many scientists and doctors are interested in better understanding how far a sneeze can travel. Join Anila Yadavalli from 500 Women Scientists and Ariel Zych from Science Friday for a watch party of the Breakthrough Film Connecting the Drops. After the video, Anila and Ariel will lead viewers through a hands-on demonstration about how mathematicians can model sneezes—no math experience required! Participants can choose to participate in the demo with some common household items, or just watch and ask questions. There will also be time for Q&A with an infectious disease expert! Uché Blackstock (@uche_blackstock) is a Board-certified Emergency Medicine physician caring for patients on the front lines of the COVID-19 crisis, as well as advocating for them in her role as Founder and CEO of Advancing Health Equity, which partners with healthcare and related organizations to address racial health disparities. Dr. Blackstock was formerly an Associate Professor in the Department of Emergency Medicine and the Faculty Director for Recruitment, Retention and Inclusion in the Office of Diversity Affairs at NYU School of Medicine. She left NYU School of Medicine in December 2019 after 10 years on faculty to focus on Advancing Health Equity. Her writing has been featured in the Chicago Tribune, Scientific American, the Washington Post and STAT News for the Boston Globe. Dr. Blackstock received both her undergraduate and medical degrees from Harvard University. If you want to test your sneeze squeeze velocity along with us, grab the following crafty materials: - Any squirter you can use to “sneeze” paint with (A dropper, pipette, spray bottle, turkey baster, clean ketchup or dish detergent bottles) - Water, washable paint, juice, anything wet = your “snot” (Try this paint recipe!) - Newspaper, printer or butcher paper, a drop cloth, tarp, or light-colored sidewalk Bonus things (non-essentials): - A tape measure or ruler - A couple facial tissues - Cornstarch, jello, or mashed potatoes (to make boogers!) - A smartphone that can do high-speed video to film sneezes We will watch our featured Breakthrough video, Connecting the Drops, as part of this event, but attendees can always watch the video in advance of the event. All Breakthrough videos are family friendly!