Are you curious about atomic glowing slime, astronomy, rocket launches, weather, malolactic fermentation, stem cell science? Explore these topics and so much more at this year’s Nebraska Science Festival, which kicks off April 24 and runs through April 27.
The Nebraska Science Festival includes hands-on activities, science talks, tours, nature experiences, exhibits, performances and other events. Presented by the University of Nebraska Medical Center, the Festival is designed to make science accessible, interactive, relevant and fun for kids and adults alike.
To see the full list of Festival events (or download a day-by-day schedule), visit the Festival’s website at www.NeSciFest.com, “like” the Festival on Facebook and follow the Festival on Twitter.
This year’s highlights include keynote speaker Jeff Corwin, who will share his passion for environmental conservation on April 25 during a sold-out presentation at Joslyn Museum’s Witherspoon Hall.
Another popular event is the free Science Expo on April 26 at The Durham Museum, which will feature hands-on experiments, as well as presentations by The Dancing Scientist (yes, chemistry experiments are set to music and involve dancing) and shows by the Omaha Children’s Museum that include Alka Seltzer rockets, flying toilet paper and atomic glowing slime.
Science Festival activities can be found at more than 20 participating sites in communities that include Omaha, Lincoln, Kearney, Wayne, Ashland and Jansen. Activities include rocket launches, printing press tours, hands-on science experiments, an electric car display, planetarium shows, a film screening on the arts and sciences and educational sessions on stem cell science, as well as the science of bacon, ice cream, wine and beer. Visit www.nescifest.com for the full listing of participating sites and activities. Note: Space is limited for some events and may require online registration and/or a fee to participate.
Science fans – or not – don’t miss two items specifically made for the festival. All month, eCreamery will sell the molecular malt ball masterpiece, a cake mix ice cream infused with blue and green malt ball matter (it’s delicious). Also, Nebraska Brewing Company will have a batch of SciFest beer for sale. The beer, titled Pink Elements, is a Belgian Hibiscus Beer and yes, it will be pink. To try it, register online to attend their special event on April 24 (registration includes a science of beer presentation and brewery tour).
About the Nebraska Science Festival
The Nebraska Science Festival is a four-day series of events designed to make science accessible, interactive, relevant and fun for kids and adults alike. Presented by the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC), the Nebraska Science Festival is a collaboration of organizations and individuals interested in the advancement of science literacy. Now in its second year, organizers intend for festival programming to eventually stretch across the state.
In addition to UNMC, other sponsors include The Nebraska Coalition for Lifesaving Cures and media sponsors KETV and the Omaha World-Herald.