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DIBS Discovery Day Draws Record Crowd of 565

Learners of all ages enjoyed the Brain Lab & other activities

More than 565 learners of all ages participated in the 2019 Duke Institute for Brain Sciences Discovery Day on Sunday, March 24,  in the DIBS "Cube."

This year, the free event offered a sensory-friendly visiting time, from noon to 1 p.m. Nearly 70 children and adults who needed a quieter, less-crowded environment attended during that time. The Duke A+ Study, NIH Autism Center of Excellence, at the Duke Center for Autism and Brain Development, again co-sponsored the event. They also provided items for the designated "Quiet Room," where parents and children could take a few minutes away from the day's events. As they did last year, they provided general information and interactive computer equipment that helped attendees understand more about autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and communications challenges experienced by many diagnosed with ASD. Similar

Youngsters, their parents, and grandparents crowded around tables featuring preserved brains and brain slices, eager to touch an actual human brain (see picture, above, right). The event fosters the DIBS education mission, as well as community outreach. Graduate students helped people learn how the brain accommodates changes in vision, using special goggles and bean bags to throw at targets. Bass Connections Brain & Society teams, including students and faculty, exhibited their findings for the year.