• MAP OF VENUES

Science Carnival

Saturday, April 26, 12:00-4:00pm
Cambridge City Hall

Kick-off the Cambridge Science Festival 2008 at the festival’s opening day Science Carnival!  More than 40 fun, free activities are designed to have you laughing and learning at the same time.  Catch the Carnival on Saturday, April 26th in and around Cambridge City Hall.  Curious about the activities?  Here they are:

Alexandria Real Estate Equities, Inc. is collaborating with Summerbridge Cambridge, A Breakthrough Program (SBC) to bring you a presentation from the Environmental Health Detectives Unit, led by Wendy Huang, Teacher Education Program Manager at MIT.  For 2 years the students in the SBC After School Program have been tasked with solving a MIT-developed computer simulation of a mysterious rash of illnesses that hits the MIT campus. Using hand-held computers the students were trained in forensic skills, lab techniques, and patient interview analysis to determine the source of the virtual illness. SBC students will be on hand to help people try the hand-held computers and to explain how they moved around this virtual world to solve the puzzle!

Analog Devices Micromachines Products Division
Analog Devices, Inc. (ADI) engages in the design, manufacture, and marketing of analog, mixed-signal, and digital signal processing integrated circuits used in industrial, communication, computer, and consumer applications.  At the Cambridge Massachusetts division we design and manufacture Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS) devices for automotive and consumer applications. These devices are used from airbag sensors to video game controllers, among other uses.  There will be various demo applications of ADI's MEMS devices. There will be working mockups including several sensors that can show  acceleration measurements in real time, and a remote car controlled by a video game controller.

Animal Interviews
Cambridge College Staff will be presenting live animals from the Burlington Science Center.  Visitors will be allowed to interact (touch) selected animals from our Science Education Center.

Annosphere
Have you ever wondered why summer days are long, and winter days are short? Have you noticed that the sun shines into different windows of your house at different times of the year? With the annosphere, you can see how the sun at the poles shines for six months, and then drops into darkness. You can see why, throughout summer and winter, there are 12 hours of sunlight at the equator. In between these extremes, the annosphere shows the length and the time of day for anywhere on earth.

Biogen Idec
Find out what colors make up a brown M&M!  Come by the Biogen Idec Community Lab table and you'll be able to load your own M&M samples into a gel to find the answer. You'll get to use the same tools that scientists use every day to discover new medicines by studying DNA and proteins.
 
CDM - Water Cycles
Where does your water come from? And where does it go once it is flushed down the drain? Engineers and scientists from CDM will be on-hand to explain where drinking water comes from and how it is delivered to your home, with hands-on demonstrations using a 3-D EnviroScape model. Families can trace the path of water from reservoirs to the water treatment plant, from the treatment plant to houses and city buildings, and can trace the path of used water to the wastewater treatment plant and back to the environment.

Camp Kaleidoscope
We dare you to build the best car, glider, and boat ever to sail across your backyard!  Build your own vehicle, take apart an engine, and have a blast with MIT alums and Camp Kaleidoscope!!

Cancer Drug Development at Millennium
Millennium Pharmaceuticals markets VELCADE® (bortezomib) for Injection, a leading oncology product for the treatment of relapsed multiple myeloma and mantle cell lymphoma.  At this interactive exhibit, scientists will use a microscope, stained tissue/cell slides, and gel electophoresis images to compare healthy cells with cancerous cells.  Stop by for a closer look into the molecular world of cancer and cancer treatment!

MIT Center for Materials Science and Engineering
The Center sponsors cutting-edge research in polymer materials, microphotonic materials, semiconductor and magnetic structures, new materials for batteries and power sources, biomaterials, and nanomaterials.  Hands-on activities will be included.  The objective is to inform the public about the field of materials science and engineering and how new materials are developed to address societal needs.

City of Cambridge/Cambridge Recycling Program
Come learn about composting and recycling while having fun.

Environmentally Friendly Containers -- In Our Schools, In Our Lives
A Cambridge Roots & Shoots group explores -- and demonstrates -- ways to rescue our planet by reducing, reusing and recycling a lot of things we use every day in our meals,  classrooms, and homes. As part of this display, the Roots & Shoots members will show parents and children how they can reduce the amount of trash that goes into landfills by packing waste-free lunches -- and explain why it is important to do this.

Experimentations Gone Wild
Students engage in interactive and creative experiments derived from varied scientific disciplines, including physical, earth, environmental, life and computer sciences.  Students will learn skilled procedures including data collection, documentation, and how to form hypotheses.

FIRST Robotics:
Have you ever wanted to meet a robot? Come on over, play with remote controlled robots, and and show off your skills in a small robotics game.

Flying High
Test your knowledge of flying and let your imagination soar with hands-on kite-and copter- building activities inspiried by WGBH's television shows Curious George and Fetch! with Ruff Ruffman.  And be sure to stop by and say hello to Ruff Ruffman, who will be at the carnival to meet his fans all day long.

Genzyme
How well do you know your cells?  Get a closer look at how different cell types form organs and tissues in the human body. See if you can match up cell types with organs and tissues. Learn how individual skin cells can be grown into skin grafts to provide permanent coverage for burn patients. Try on Cleanroom clothes and hear what it is like to work in a cell therapy facility.

Gizmos & Gadgets 
An entertaining way to understand physics and the law of motion.  Hands on activities will show students how simple machines are structured and operated.  Some examples of potential and previous projects are pulleys, levers, and water powered boats.

Green Chemistry: Moving Beyond Benign
Green chemistry is a revolutionary science that seeks to merge sustainability with invention and design in order to create safe products for a safe future. Come and learn about green chemistry from the staff of Beyond Benign, a local non-profit dedicated to green chemistry education and outreach. Beyond Benign will feature green chemistry information and hands-on demonstrations of green chemistry technologies.

Harvard Museum of Natural History
The world famous Glass Flowers, dinosaurs, minerals, meteorites and hundreds of animals make the Harvard Museum of Natural History a favorite for families and adults alike. Visit the museum's Carnival table to participate in hands-on activities and learn about minerals in everyday life, fossils, and nest and egg diversity.  Reach into a touch-box and try to determine what’s inside.  At the museum, explore 12,000 specimens drawn from Harvard’s vast research collections, hear public lectures, or join classes & special programs for all ages.  The museum is on the Harvard campus, just a short walk through historic Harvard Yard from the Harvard Square T. Open daily, 9 am – 5 pm, 361 days/year.

Insects and Bugs
The Museum of Comparative Zoology at Harvard University and the Boston Harbor Islands Partnership are collaborating to conduct an inventory of the "microwilderness" in Boston Harbor Islands national park area.  Come discover the amazing diversity of insects and other "bugs" we have found on the islands.  Match 3-D images of  insect heads with the real thing; play bug sudoku; decide if insect biodiversity is beautiful or just creepy on our colorful posters; try out our new card game "PredatOR Prey" and discover cool facts about local insects. You'll be surprised at the biodiversity that exists in your own back yard!

Investigating the Amazon Rainforest   
Join "e" inc. -- the environment science learning and action center -- on this family rainforest event.  We will provide children and adults with a hands-on 'trip' to the rainforest where everyone can learn about why the rainforest's trees are so high, the climate so warm, and the animals so unique.  With "e" inc. you will create replicas of its many wonderful inhabitants and resources, and also help to preserve it for the future.

Let Your Imagination Fly
You've probably seen paper airlanes fly but have you really thought about what is involved? Can the design of a paper airplane affect its flight pattern? Come fly with us!
Presenter: Henry Friedlander and Friends, Grade Two, The Park School, Brookline, MA

Merck
GAK / Ooblek  "Is it a solid? Is it a liquid?  It has properties of both!!  Make GAK by mixing together white glue and borax to create this fun-to-play-with polymer.  Ooblek has similar properties in a gooey, slimy non-polymer version of a non-Newtonian fluid by mixing cornstarch and water."

MIT Museum
Three middle school teams of 4-6 students each have invented and built zany, complicated, Rube Goldberg-style machines to accomplish the simple task of blowing bubbles. Each machine is approximately 3x3x6 feet and is made out of things like mousetraps, plywood, marbles, bicycle pumps, etc. The machines were built for an invitational Rube Goldberg Machine Design Contest, held by the MIT Museum and the Fay School of Southborough, MA, that occurred on April 12, 2008. The students will be on hand to talk about, operate, and tweak their machines throughout the Carnival day.

Motion & Design
Fundamentals of physics with a thrill of design.  Students use K'nex kits to construct various objects such as cars, bikes, and airplaines.  Motion and design challenges students to focus on function and encourages them to use teamwork in all their problem solving.

Muscles, Lungs, Blood and Guts
How strong are your muscles? How long can you hold your lungs? How long are your intestines? How much air do you breathe? How can you answer these questions?
Students of all ages will learn to answer questions like these through hands-on, creative investigations that allow them to learn both the answers and about their own bodies as they engage in activities from the United Way's Muscles, Lungs, Blood and Guts program, developed by TERC.

Novartis
This table was generously donated by Novartis for the Science Club for Girls.   Come learn more about mirrors and reflection!  How many images can you create with just two pieces of mirror?  Try your hand at making a kaleidoscope that you can take home.

Pfizer Inc
pHunny drinks
Would you drink acid?  You might already be doing it!  Stop by and measure the pH (acidity) of some popular beverages, and see how some medicines can help make them more “stomach-friendly.”  Also: come see the amazing magic money-cleaner!

Postmark:  Cambridge Science Festival
The US US Postal Service shows off its extensive collection of stamps honoring pioneering work in science and technology and showcasing the beauty of the nateral world.  We'll have postcards on hand so that you can get the special one-day-only Cambridge Science Festival cancellation.

Robot Explorations
Learn about recent work being done at Draper Laboratory in the field of robotic systems--really big to very small, Draper's robots are designed for travel over land, sea and air. Also on hand will be staff and students from the Rindge School of Technical Arts to talk about robotics projects in the school's pre-engineering program. The opportunity to see real robots and a hands-on challenge make this a stop worth exploring!

Schering Plough
Schering-Plough Research Institute will feature a display on the drug discovery and development process, focusing on the early steps in  basic drug discovery, which is the kind of work done at the company's facility in Cambridge.  A multi-media display will highlight how the company's leading products improve human health.

Science Comes Alive!
Geared toward middle school children: Experience the magic of Science in a series of demos including an amorphous monster, ghosts and goblins, an oozing flask, liquified air and more. This is one show you won't want to miss! Seating is limited with show-times at 12:30, 1:30 and 2:30.

Sunflower
Students will participate in hands-on activites involving water.  Some projects include experiments with the origin of water, water filters, water pressure, how water travels, and the water cycle.

Super-Cool Science: When Temperature Goes Extreme!
Watch as staff of the Museum of Science, Boston, demonstrate how everyday materials can react radically to heating up or chilling out.

The MathWorks  will provide information about our company and the MATLAB and Simulink family of products. Visit www.mathworks.com for more information.

Tornado!
Ever wondered how tornadoes form? Ever dreamed of seeing one - live? Our 2m-tall indoor Tornado Machine will provide intuitive, hands-on knowledge on this weather phenomenon. Guaranteed fun for children and adults alike.

TTT Mentor Program
Showcase of student projects and demonstrations.

Vertex Pharmaceuticals
Vertex Pharmaceuticals invites you to take a journey into the world of Drug Discovery. Learn how medicine is developed from concept and design through the selection of potential drug candidates.  This exciting and hands on demonstration will use computer aided modelling to show how drugs interact with the human body and provide insight into the drug design and selection process in today's pharmaceutical industry.

What's Your Schmoo Size?
Build a shoebox habitat with the help of Kindergarteners from the Park School in Brookline. We'll supply the materials; you bring your imagination and take your mammal habitat home when you're finished!
Presented by: Alexandra Friedlander and Friends, Park School Brookline, Kindergarten

When it Rains it Pours. . . Pollution!
Come meet Stormy and explore what happens to the rain after it pours from the sky.  Join the Cambridge DPW and the Massachusetts Bays Estuary Association in interactive displays on watersheds, stormwater pollution and solutions.

Windows on Earth
Explore the beauty and wonder of Earth by flying over the planet. Windows on Earth, a museum exhibit developed by TERC, presents a view of Earth as it is seen by astronauts. In this interactive exhibit, you have the freedom to explore the planet from above. Fly anywhere on Earth. Zoom in over your favorite places. Explore different sites through clouds and night vision. Learn about and experience Earth as it is seen from above, as you have fun flying. The Windows on Earth display will be available for playing, flying and learning for students of all ages.

Wyeth is one of the world's largest pharmaceutical and biotech companies. Our Discovery Research organization is working to discover novel therapies for a number of devastating diseases. Visit our booth and learn more about some of the diseases for which we are trying to find a cure - from Alzheimer's disease, to asthma, cancer, diabetes and osteoporosis. You will be able to see microscopic images of organs affected by these diseases and how we are able to measure the effectiveness of some of our novel therapies.

Also look for:
  • Cambridge Public Schools
  • Cubist/Citizen Schools
  • Shire
  • Urban Ecology Institute
  • Untravel Media
MIT