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November 7, 2017miSci to Host Annual Science Festival of the Capital Region November 7-12, 2017
More than 3,000 visitors will walk into a world of virtual reality, learn all about coding and videogames, take part in a space flight simulation, observe organisms from the micro to the macro, and explore chemistry and astronomy with hands-on activities and demos from more than 50 community STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and math) organizations during miSci’s Science Festival of the Capital Region. miSci, the museum of innovation and science, and the region’s premier science center, is hosting its annual Science Festival of the Capital Region from Tuesday, November 7 through Sunday, November 12, 2017 – featuring four full days of interactive science and live stage shows.
The Science Festival begins with a sci-fi film showing and panel discussion on Tuesday night, followed by a STEM Summit for educators on Wednesday night, and officially kicks off at an Opening Ceremony on Thursday morning at 10 AM, featuring EK Theater’s The Story of Niobe stage show. The weekend will include performances by the high-tech comedy duo AudioBody, additional video game puppetry appearances by EK Theater, live reptile and animal shows by Uncharted Wild and Whispering Willow Wild Care, plus Science Around the House with Steve “The Dirtmeister” Tomecek.
On Friday and Saturday evenings, the museum will stay open late for two events hosted by Dudley Observatory at miSci – a live stream of 2017 Nobel Prize in Physics Laureate Rainer Weiss about LIGO and his discovery of gravitational waves, and a Star Party on Saturday evening. New in 2017, a Hot Topics in STEM Forum for adults will be presented on Sunday afternoon during a GE Kids in Free day, when children age 12 and under will receive free general admission when accompanied by a paying adult.
Throughout Science Festival weekend, more than 50 community partners will be presenting demos and hands-on activities in miSci’s galleries and Festival tent. The Suits-Bueche Planetarium at miSci will present multiple shows each day, and the Challenger Learning Center at miSci will run daily Challenger Adventures Friday through Sunday. For a full schedule of daily partner activities, events and stage shows, visit: www.miSci.org/events/science-festival.
“miSci is thrilled to host the Science Festival of the Capital Region each year – it is such an exciting showcase of the variety of scientists, engineers, researchers and innovators in our area,” says Dr. William Sudduth, President of miSci. “Science Festival brings them all together in one place to celebrate and explore science, technology, engineering, and math in an engaging and fun way, while hopefully inspiring the next generation of STEM leaders.”
Science Festival of the Capital Region Events
On Tuesday night, It Came From Schenectady at Proctors and Science on Tap of the Capital Region are partnering with miSci to present the Science Festival’s first offsite event – featuring science activities, a screening of the movie District 9, and a panel discussion. The event will be held in the GE Theater at Proctors at 6 PM and costs $9 for Adults and $6 for Students with valid ID.
Wednesday evening’s STEM Summit for Educators is a professional development event featuring workshops by Fox Vision Development Center, the Challenger Learning Center and Dudley Observatory at miSci, EVERFI, Tech Valley Game Space, and Cornell Cooperative Extension’s Schenectady County Recycles program. The event is free to attend, and educators may register online at http://bit.ly/STEMSum17.
Thursday’s Science Festival activities are tailored toward students and groups who will tour the Science Festival Partner Expo in miSci’s Main Galleries and view planetarium shows. Students from several Schenectady City Schools will experience the day as guests of miSci, thanks in part to sponsorship by OneGroup/Schenectady Insuring and funding from the Office of Children and Family Services through the Schenectady County Youth Bureau.
Thursday through Sunday, the stage in the Festival Tent will come alive with dynamic stage shows by EK Theater, The Dirtmeister, AudioBody, Uncharted Wild and Whispering Willow Wild Care.
National performer EK Theater brings classic literature to modern audiences using video games. Eddie Kim, a theater artist and Street Fighter 2 aficionado, started the company in 2007 with the mission to keep the classics alive using performers who create video game characters as digital puppets. For miSci’s Science Festival, EK Theater will present The Story of Niobe, excerpted and inspired by Ovid’s Metamophoses. EK Theater will perform at Wednesday evening’s STEM Summit for Educators and at the Opening Ceremony on Thursday morning.
Steve “The Dirtmeister” Tomacek fuses science and fun to present Science Around the House – a wild and wacky look at some of the science that takes place in and around the home. Using materials such as coffee cans, soda bottles, mixing bowls and even a toilet plunger, this show will explore the science behind gravity, air pressure, and sound. The Dirtmeister will take the stage on Friday and Saturday at 10 AM, Saturday at 1 PM, and Sunday at 12:30 PM.
AudioBody stage shows are the synthesis of music, comedy, and award-winning technology, featuring an explosive mix of circus arts, relentless comedy, full-body contortion, juggling, LED light shows, and live, up-beat, electronic music played on a custom 15-foot wide drum set built and played by the performers. AudioBody will perform on Friday and Saturday at 3 PM and Sunday at 3:30 PM.
Uncharted Wild will present a live reptile show, featuring exotic lizards, turtles and more at 1 PM on Friday, 4:30 PM on Saturday and 2 PM on Sunday, and Whispering Willow Wild Care will present live bird demonstrations on Friday and Saturday at 11:30 AM.
The new Hot Topics in STEM Forum on Sunday will feature three one-hour panels on timely issues currently impacting the scientific community and general public: “Technology: Going Where No One Has Gone Before” at 12:30 PM, “According to Who?!: Ethics in Science” at 2 PM, and “What on Earth?: Extreme Weather, Wasted Food, and the Renewable Revolution” at 3:30 PM. Each panel will feature three experts and a moderator and will involve discussions and audience Q&A.
Science Festival of the Capital Region General Information
The Science Festival of the Capital Region is sponsored by: GE; Pioneer Bank, Key Bank; Regeneron; WMHT; Brookfield Renewable; Courtyard by Marriott Mohawk Harbor; Fenimore Asset Management; National Gird; Nigro Companies; Price Chopper / Market32; Schenectady County; the Times Union; CHA; BMPC – Bechtel Marine Propulsion Corporation; Green Mountain Energy; M. Lucille Vrooman Memorial Fund of the Greater Capital Region; New York Independent System Operator; OneGroup Schenectady Insuring Agency; and STS Steel. The Science Festival of the Capital Region at miSci is a member of the Science Festival Alliance.
miSci hours during the Science Festival of the Capital Region are 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM on Thursday, November 9; 9 AM – 8:30 PM on Friday, November 10; 9 AM – 8 PM on Saturday, November 11; and 12:00 to 5:00 PM Sunday, November 12.
General Admission to miSci includes access to all onsite Science Festival activities and stage shows, and is $10.50 for Adults (13+), $9.00 for Seniors (65+) and $7.50 for Children (age 3-12). Planetarium tickets are $5 per show, and Challenger Adventure tickets are $8 for Adults and Children and $7 for Seniors. General Admission tickets to the Science Festival are also available through Price Chopper’s Tickets to Go! at any open register at all Price Chopper stores. miSci is located at 15 Nott Terrace Heights in Schenectady, and parking will be available in both the miSci main and upper lots, as well as in the Zion Lutheran Church and Bechtel Marine Propulsion Corporation lots on Saturday and Sunday.
