Steven’s Lab inspires the imaginations of future innovators through engaging hands-on experiences with real scientific tools. Its mission is to empower young minds to harness the power of science as a catalyst for positive change in the world.
Monday-Friday: 10am-2pm
Saturday-Sunday and stat holidays: 10am-3pm
Days we are open until 6pm: 10am-5pm
Born in Calgary in 1988, Steven was an MIT graduate, brilliant mechanical engineer and passionate advocate for patient access to health data. He lived his life with unwavering curiosity, resilience and a commitment to innovation. In his honour, the Keating Family has generously supported the creation of Steven’s Lab. Inspire the next generation of innovators and support the future of Steven's Lab:
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Mix, pour and set! Create your very own cast of a fossil and take your million-year-old friend home.
Ages 6 and up.
Sign up at Steven’s Lab to reserve your spot.
10 AM – 3 PM (until 5 PM on days we are open until 6 PM)
Watch as imagination becomes reality. Follow the weekly theme, and take home a 3D printed model!
Transform an ordinary solution into a colourful spectacle using the classic chemical traffic light redox reaction.
Transform an ordinary solution into a colourful spectacle using the classic iodine clock reaction.
Ever wondered how a giant metal ship stays afloat? Or how your body seems to feel lighter in the water?
Dare to dissect? Step into the world of earthworm anatomy, explore internal organs up close, and learn how these wiggly creatures function from the inside out.
Why waste food when you can transform it? Learn how small changes at home can make an impact in reducing, reusing, and upcycling food waste in creative ways.
Discover the science of polymerisation by making your own biodegradable plastic using just two ingredients. Learn how cheese is made and explore the role of ruminants in sustainable food science.
Use household items to explore the complex world of acids and bases! Discover how pH is important for helping our food to rise and to taste good!
Step into Steven’s Lab and indulge in the guilty pleasures of animation! Explore thaumatropes, zoetropes, and mesmerizing optical illusions that bring movement to life in the most unexpectedly satisfying ways.
Chemistry has never been hotter and you can hold it all in the palm of your hand by making your own handwarmers! Use those lab skills and discover the power of exothermic reactions.
Put on your detective hat and solve the missing beaker mystery using real blood analysis techniques. Analyze samples from four suspects, match the A, B, AB, or O blood type left behind, and catch the culprit.
The AI Playground is back and better than ever, with an array of new tools to tickle your neurons. Participants utilized new image-generating tools, created their own chatbots, and much more. They gained insights into AI’s potential pitfalls, from misinformation to scams.
Inspired by the pioneering work of Jane Goodall, participants tested their research skills through video observations of real primate subjects in Costa Rica. Participants compared the feeding rates of Black-Handed Spider Monkeys (Ateles geoffroyi) and White-Faced Capuchins (Cebus imitator), while learning how Primatologists use primates to gain insight into human behaviour.
Guests explored the connection between art, science, and nature and turned bioelectric signals into plant-powered melodies. Participants discovered the Indigenous connections to plant communication and reciprocity while learning more about the biology of these amazing living organisms.
In this playful experiment, guests witnessed the mesmerizing shift of gallium gingerbread figurines as they melted before their eyes, leaving only shimmering liquid metal in hand. But, for the science didn't end there! The gallium was recast back into adorable gingerbread shapes, ready to be enjoyed all over again.
As long as participants didn’t have skelephobia, they had a hoot digging into real regurgitated owl pellets to find the skeletal remains of their dinner! Plus, they learned about owl biology along the way - don’t worry, no owlgebra was required.
Guests played with some of the newest AI generating tools on the market and create your own work of AI art. Plus, they learned how to create their own AI personalities to use at home, trained a new AI program, used generative AI video to create something incredible for TikTok, and much more.
Kenny is an engineer and programmer with a passion for building robots and developing innovative technologies. He is currently focused on create a healthcare companion AI named Eevee, designed to enhance patient care and save lives. With extensive experience collaborating with healthcare professionals, Kenny leverages his technical skills to bridge the gap between technology and healthcare. In addition to his development work, he regularly live streams to share his expertise and experiences with his online audience of over 250,000 followers.
Janice has a vast knowledge of primates due to her 22- career working in various zoological institutions. From great apes to monkeys to prosimians, she has husbandry experience with over 35 different species of primates. On top of that, Janice is a previous student of Anthropology at the University of Calgary and has worked in Ghana as a research assistant studying mother and infant behaviour in Black and White Colobus monkeys.
Megan is a master's student studying primatology in the Department of Anthropology and Archaeology at the University of Calgary. Her current research explores impacts of aging on the behaviour of white-faced capuchin monkeys in Costa Rica. In addition to capuchins, Megan has worked with howler monkeys in Belize, spider monkeys in Costa Rica, as well as red-fronted lemurs and Milne-Edwards's sifakas in Madagascar.
Dr. Tatenda Mambo is a postdoctoral scholar in the University of Calgary’s Sustainability Studies program in the School of Architecture, Planning and Landscape. He also manages the experimental Simon Farm. Tatenda brings his vast knowledge of fungi and plants to Steven’s Lab for the Plant Music program.
Steven’s Lab is looking for visiting scientists and collaborators for future programming.
Please email [email protected] and tell Spark about yourself, your area of scientific interest and how you’d like to work together!