Sunday, November 1, 2026 · 2 - 8 PM
Simons Center for Geometry and Physics, Stony Brook University
The event is free, but registration is required.
2026 SCREEM Halloween Event in Stony Brook
Sunday, November 1, 2026 · 2 - 8 PM
Summer is over, but there are more Sigma adventures ahead!
Join us on Sunday, November 1, at the Simons Center for Geometry and Physics, Stony Brook University:
2–4 PM: Sixth Annual Halloween SCREEM
4–5 PM: Lecture on Artificial Intelligence by Dr. Lupercio
5–8 PM: Friends of Sigma Halloween Science and Math Party
Come for the whole day or join us for any part of the program!
Enjoy engineering challenges, surprising experiments, math puzzles, and time with friends - with prizes, food, and refreshments! Bring your family and invite friends, even if they have never been to Sigma before. Halloween costumes are welcome!
2 - 4 PM | Sixth Annual Sigma Campers’ REcreational Engineering Marathon (SCREEM)
A team engineering competition for ages 8 and up - including parents! Families are encouraged to compete together, or children can team up with friends.
Teams tackle three challenges, with 30 minutes for each task, using a limited set of everyday materials to design, build, and test their inventions. Tasks are revealed at the event, so bring your curiosity and creativity!
No engineering experience or previous SigmaCamp attendance is needed. Materials are provided, and winning teams receive prizes!
4 - 5 PM | Lecture on Artificial Intelligence by Dr. Lupercio
The Machine That Found a Clock
How artificial intelligence learns, finds patterns, and acts
by Ernesto Lupercio, CINVESTAV, Mexico City
A simple rule, an intricate geometry.
The identity element of the abelian sandpile group, computed in Python.
Starting with a simple clock puzzle, we will look inside a neural network and discover how circles help it calculate. The journey leads to larger AI systems, machines that use tools, and patterns from mathematical research. What has a machine learned when it can answer a question it has never seen? And how can we tell whether its answer is right?
For middle- and high-school students, families, and curious listeners. The lecture includes visual demonstrations and audience participation. No programming or calculus is assumed.
Ernesto Lupercio is a mathematician at CINVESTAV in Mexico City. His research spans geometry and topology, including sandpile models and mathematical structures in complex systems.
5 - 8 PM | Friends of Sigma Halloween Science and Math Party
Have you ever met a “zombie plant” that moves when you touch it—or made music just by touching another person?
Spend the evening exploring hands-on science stations, live demonstrations, math puzzles, and games for all ages. Meet our surprising “zombie plant,” investigate fossils and geodes, make music through touch, explore magnetic fields, and build molecular models. There’s plenty to try, discover, and talk about together!
Share food and refreshments, catch up with old friends, and meet new ones. Bring your curiosity—and friends who would enjoy a little Sigma in their lives. We would love to see you!