CARNIVAL – Cambridge Science Festival

science + carnival

October 9, 2022

Noon-4PM

The final day of the festival is a full-on, family-friendly Great American Carnival – with Main Stage, Midway, Side Shows, Walk-abouts and more.

All events

Science of the Seasons: Book Reading & Chemistry Games

12:00 PM

Kendall/MIT Open Space, Main Street, Cambridge, MA

Come listen to a reading of our book "Science of the Seasons" and play a number of chemistry-themed, kid-friendly activities.

The Science Tooth Fairy

12:00 PM

Kendall/MIT Open Space, Main Street, Cambridge, MA

Dr. Erin Dunn is a researcher at Massachusetts General Hospital and is affectionately known as the Science Tooth Fairy because of her work researching baby teeth. Come grab a free copy of our children’s book, look at sections of teeth under a microscope, and meet the Science Tooth Fairy herself!

Doll-Sized Science

12:00 PM

Kendall/MIT Open Space, Main Street, Cambridge, MA

Come use paper microscopes to explore science on the small scale along with a variety of dolls and biographies of women scientist role models.

Language and Reading in the Brain

12:00 PM

Kendall/MIT Open Space, Main Street, Cambridge, MA

Join us to learn more about your brain with child-friendly, hands-on activities like building a brain hat, exploring the human and animal brain, and playing tongue-twisting, mind-bending word games to learn just how your brain reads and uses language!

Sampling Earthwatch

12:00 PM

Kendall/MIT Open Space, Main Street, Cambridge, MA

Come experience what it’s like to contribute to scientific field research with Earthwatch scientists on one of our many programs!

First Tech Challenge

12:00 PM

Kendall/MIT Open Space, Main Street, Cambridge, MA

First Tech Challenge high school robot teams will compete on a 12’ field for visitors with four robots at a time trying to do tasks.

Protecting Biodiversity with Next-Generation Natural History and Participatory Science

12:00 PM

Kendall/MIT Open Space, Main Street, Cambridge, MA

Collaborative Biodiversity and Climate Participatory Science: No One Left Behind – Educate, Empower, and ACT. Tackling biodiversity and climate issues together while providing critical data to local, national, and global projects. Come visit us and learn how Earthwise Aware empowers communities, making nature science accessible to all.

Tasting Light: 10 Science Fiction Stories to Rewire Your Perceptions

01:30 PM

Kendall/MIT Open Space, Main Street, Cambridge, MA

Editor Wade Roush will take the main stage at the Cambridge Science Festival’s Science Carnival to present Tasting Light: Ten Science Fiction Stories to Rewire Your Perceptions, and introduce three award-winning young adult authors, Elizabeth Bear, K. Ancrum, and William Alexander, to read selections from their contributions.

Let’s Code with Kids!

12:00 PM

Kendall/MIT Open Space, Main Street, Cambridge, MA

Come find out what all the buzz is about with BEEBOT robots. Have some hands on fun completing a variety of challenges. Learn how to code your robot to go bowling, create some art, and so much more.

pH is cool! Super cool!

12:00 PM

Kendall/MIT Open Space, Main Street, Cambridge, MA

Come learn about pH using dry ice and color-changing solutions!

Control a Robot Using Your Brain!

12:00 PM

Kendall/MIT Open Space, Main Street, Cambridge, MA

Pre-register for your chance to control a robot with just your mind!

Robot Battles!

12:00 PM

Kendall/MIT Open Space, Main Street, Cambridge, MA

Grab and ‘bot and battle it out with your fellow robotics fans!

FEATURED EVENT

The James Webb Space Telescope – From Concept to Commissioning

02:00 PM

MIT Museum, Gambrill Center, 314 Main St, Cambridge, MA 02142

F. Richard Myers is NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope Ground Segment and Operations Lead for Northrop Grumman. In this talk, Richard shares his experiences working on the most powerful space telescope ever built, from concept design, to development, to testing, and finally to the execution of the mission itself.

Fun with Micropipettes!

12:00 PM

Kendall/MIT Open Space, Main Street, Cambridge, MA

Recreate famous experiments at home using micropipettes! Micropipettes are a commonly used tool in biotech labs, and in this event, you’ll get to use them, too. Come join us regardless of prior experience.

Sun Observing with MIT Astrogazers

12:00 PM

Kendall/MIT Open Space, Main Street, Cambridge, MA

Come look at the sun through our solar telescopes and ask us questions you have about outer space or being an astronomer.