Complete the scavenger hunt, available throughout CSF week at mitpressbookstore.mit.edu, then pick up your prize at the MIT Press Bookstore and enter a drawing for a chance to win a $50 bookstore gift card!

Scan this QR code to get started!

Be a planetary explorer! Take a self-guided tour of our Solar System from the Sun to Pluto, precisely scaled to the length of MIT’s Infinite Corridor, created by ​MIT’s Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences (EAPS).

Step into the world of cutting-edge biomedical research and innovation at the Broad Discovery Center, right in the heart of Kendall Square! Explore engaging exhibits, learn about the mysteries of human diseases, and witness first-hand how scientists from around the globe are joining forces to tackle psychiatric conditions, cancer, infectious diseases, and more. Admission is free and no registration is required.

Join The Orchestra on the Hill’s Thomas Palance and Chris Florio as they offer compositions they have written based on the vibrations of amino acids.

The practice, using exact and approximate measured vibrations of amino acids as equated to the equal tempered musical scale, results in interesting possibilities in musical composition not yet explored.

The demonstration will be followed by an open discussion about the many possibilities for the use of this technique in new music and STEAM education.

Audience participation will be welcomed!

Explore and experiment with mechanical motion as you create your own moving art. Along the way, discover how simple mechanisms like cams, linkages, and levers work to generate different types of movement.

Think you have what it takes to build an unsinkable ship? Join us for some stories, and then we will build boats out of tin foil. If your boat floats we’ll add pennies to see how much weight they hold! For children ages 5 and up and their caregivers.

Weather permitting, we will meet outside the front of the Museum of Science and walk approximately 4.6km, learning 4.6 billion years of Earth’s history along the way. This is a nearly three-mile walk along Cambridge Street to Cambridge Common. Wear comfortable shoes and prepare to be outdoors for a few hours.

Event organizer Nancy Lowe is an artist interested in the rich ecotone — the boundary territory — between art and science. She makes art with science themes, teaches art-science workshops, curates art-science exhibits and performances, guides art-science residency programs, and leads citizen science projects and other activities for creative science engagement. She worked for over a decade as a technician in labs focusing on pollination biology, insect-plant interactions, and large-scale ecology.

Complete the scavenger hunt, available throughout CSF week at mitpressbookstore.mit.edu, then pick up your prize at the MIT Press Bookstore and enter a drawing for a chance to win a $50 bookstore gift card!

Scan this QR code to get started!

Be a planetary explorer! Take a self-guided tour of our Solar System from the Sun to Pluto, precisely scaled to the length of MIT’s Infinite Corridor, created by ​MIT’s Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences (EAPS).

Step into the world of cutting-edge biomedical research and innovation at the Broad Discovery Center, right in the heart of Kendall Square! Explore engaging exhibits, learn about the mysteries of human diseases, and witness first-hand how scientists from around the globe are joining forces to tackle psychiatric conditions, cancer, infectious diseases, and more. Admission is free and no registration is required.

Meet neuroscientists from MIT’s McGovern Institute to talk about their latest discoveries in brain science, including new tools built from viruses and bacteria to repair the brain and listen to what neurons are saying to each other. Have fun interacting with brain-machine interfaces and artificial intelligence, and see real brains.

MIT Sea Grant Marine Biology and Robotics Labs will be hosting tours of our facilities and hands-on activities, including driving a Sea Perch ROV as well as microscopes with local marine life and a touch tank with live animals to interact with!

There are so many fun ways to trick your eyes and brain! Create your own optical illusion and explore how we take in and process visual information.

The recent discovery of a marbled salamander larva by EwA volunteers in the Middlesex Fells illustrates the importance of participatory science to conservation research. In addition to collecting critical data, these science programs can foster a robust research community of scientists, field leaders, and local experts.

We invite you to attend EwA’s dynamic presentation and experience the power of conservation-action communities. Let us capture your attention and make you realize that you can help protect urban natural systems effectively.

Complete the scavenger hunt, available throughout CSF week at mitpressbookstore.mit.edu, then pick up your prize at the MIT Press Bookstore and enter a drawing for a chance to win a $50 bookstore gift card!

Scan this QR code to get started!

Be a planetary explorer! Take a self-guided tour of our Solar System from the Sun to Pluto, precisely scaled to the length of MIT’s Infinite Corridor, created by ​MIT’s Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences (EAPS).

Can biomaterials build a more sustainable future? Decide for yourself in this hands-on workshop as you create colorful string from seaweed-derived polymers. Work together with your family, experiment with different formulas and extrusion methods, and put your creative skills to the test!

Supported by the Biogen Foundation.

Join the local mycologist Lawrence Millman for an educational walking tour of Fresh Pond Reservation. Millman is the author of Fascinating Fungi of New England, the first guidebook dedicated to understanding New England mushrooms. Together we will learn about existing species, the history of different species, and their role in our ecosystem.

Registration is mandatory.

Have you ever eaten a Milky Way candy bar? Have you noticed how many everyday products are named after astronomy terms? Ever wonder about the science behind these popular consumer brand names?

For example, the candy bar “Milky Way” was named after our home galaxy — one of the many countless galaxies in the universe! POP! Astronomy is an educational video series and online science communications campaign featuring scientific presentations made by undergraduate students at MIT.

Join MIT Professor Anna Frebel for an interactive presentation or participate online by creating your own Pop! Astronomy graphic. Produced in collaboration with STEM on Stage.

www.popastronomy.com

Bring yourself, plant clippings (if you have them), and lots of excitement to the new home of Sasaki & the Sasaki Foundation in downtown Boston. Meet some new friends, learn about the science of propagation, have a drink, and celebrate Cambridge Science Festival. Never propagated plants before? No worries. Here is a useful guide for propagating common houseplants in water. Don’t have any houseplants? That’s okay, too! You can still participate, hang out, and go home with a new plant.

To ensure we have enough soil, planters, and snacks, please RSVP if you plan on attending.

Find out how the City of Cambridge is preparing to enter a new era of sustainable development! Come learn about our methods and strategies, and what our ambitious goal of fossil-fuel free construction means for our city’s residents.

We invite children and their caregivers to join us for a special evening story time event: learning fun things about the lives of famous scientists like Jane Goodall and George Washington Carver. This program will be held indoors at the O’Connell Branch Library and will run 20-25 minutes. Please call 617-349-4019 for more information.

Test your knowledge of the life sciences and the scientists behind these discoveries at a Trivia Night hosted by the MIT Graduate Womxn in Biology. There will be prizes for the winners!

Please note that Lamplighter’s taproom is 21+ after 5 pm and all guests must show a valid, government-issued photo ID. All space is first come first serve – make sure you reserve a spot for your team and come early to get a good seat.

Complete the scavenger hunt, available throughout CSF week at mitpressbookstore.mit.edu, then pick up your prize at the MIT Press Bookstore and enter a drawing for a chance to win a $50 bookstore gift card!

Scan this QR code to get started!

Be a planetary explorer! Take a self-guided tour of our Solar System from the Sun to Pluto, precisely scaled to the length of MIT’s Infinite Corridor, created by ​MIT’s Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences (EAPS).

Join us for a relaxing walk of Fresh Pond with Park Ranger Tim Puopolo! No two weeks are the same in nature, and Tim will share his insights about what’s growing, changing, and blooming in the neighborhood.

We will meet in the courtyard of the Collins Branch Library (64 Aberdeen Ave.) and leave together towards the pond. Registration is required. To register, call 617-349-4021.

Step into the world of cutting-edge biomedical research and innovation at the Broad Discovery Center, right in the heart of Kendall Square! Explore engaging exhibits, learn about the mysteries of human diseases, and witness first-hand how scientists from around the globe are joining forces to tackle psychiatric conditions, cancer, infectious diseases, and more. Admission is free and no registration is required.

This is a quick introduction to offshore wind covering the fundamentals of wind energy, main components of the offshore wind farm, how it works, and an overview of the US offshore wind development.

The Charles River Floating Wetland was installed in 2020 to enable important research on artificial wetland technology. The pilot project met both climate resilience goals and created connections to the Charles River. Learn about the success of this pilot from the Charles River Conservancy and help design a look into the future by creating a vision for additional wetlands in the Charles.

Explore and experiment with mechanical motion as you create your own moving art. Along the way, discover how simple mechanisms like cams, linkages, and levers work to generate different types of movement.

We invite children and their grown-ups to join us for 20-25 minutes of stories and songs about science, with a craft to take and make at home, while supplies last.

The Harvard Plate Stacks is presenting a special exhibition, Her Luminous Distance: The Legacies of Women Astronomical Computers at Harvard, in the rotunda and dome of the Great Refractor at the Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian. Free and open to the public, the exhibition celebrates the legacy of the Women Astronomical Computers and will illuminate to audiences the various disciplines and fields of study that have been inspired by these women and the astronomical photographs that they studied.

Get ready to be part of an exclusive behind-the-scenes reveal of iFp Emerging Innovators’ latest project: “Transforming AI: Equity, Justice, and You.”

Our Innovators, all aged 14 and up, are excited about the potential of AI tools. However, they are also deeply concerned about the rising mistakes and harms that come with the technology. Join us for a special open house event where you’ll get an insider’s look into our early research.

Your feedback will play a pivotal role in shaping the final version of “Transforming AI” which will run throughout the school year for students in grades 7-12.

We’re wrapping up the event with a fireside chat, moderated by iFp Innovators themselves. If you’re passionate about making AI more equitable and just for all, we can’t wait to welcome you!

This program is appropriate for adults and teens.

Join us for a free arts + science night at the Harvard Museum of Natural History and the Peabody Museum of Archaeology & Ethnology! This month we are partnering with Harvard’s Brain Science Initiative to explore our senses—from understanding our ability to perceive and process visual, smell, touch, sound, and taste stimuli to exploring how our brain “knows” when we feel hungry, thirsty, or excited. How does it all work? Meet Harvard scientists and students who are figuring it all out!

Come with a date, come with friends, or make new friends while learning about the brain and strolling through the galleries. Participate in activities, enter raffles to win museum gifts and memberships.

Handcrafted cocktails and mocktails by CraftHouse Bartending will be available for purchase. Valid government ID is required to consume alcoholic beverages.

Free and open to the public. Visit the event website for details.

Photo Courtesy of the Harvard Brain Science Initiative.

ArtsThursdays is a university-wide initiative supported by Harvard University Committee on the Arts (HUCA).

Get ready for a night of discovery, celebration, and scientific wonders at the inaugural ‘Discovery After Dark’ event, hosted by the Broad Discovery Center! Embrace the night with an atmosphere of excitement and curiosity as you explore the museum’s galleries and engage with interactive displays that spark the imagination. You’ll have the opportunity to network with museum staff and Broad scientists, who are eager to share insights and stories about the museum’s journey and the work in their labs.

Enjoy music by DJ Backspin, science-themed mocktails, heavy hors d’oeuvres, cotton candy dessert cart, and a fun photo booth.

Space is limited. Pre-registration is required.

Further information at broad.io/AfterDark

MIT List Visual Arts Center will host the book launch for designer and editor Mindy Seu’s Cyberfeminism Index. The event will feature a performative reading by Seu and conversation with Kendra Albert.

In Cyberfeminism Index, hackers, scholars, artists, and activists of all regions, races and sexual orientations consider how humans might reconstruct themselves by way of technology. When learning about internet history, we are taught to focus on engineering, the military-industrial complex, and the grandfathers who created the architecture and protocol, but the internet is not only a network of cables, servers, and computers. It is an environment that shapes and is shaped by its inhabitants and their use.

Edited by designer, professor, and researcher Mindy Seu, it includes more than 700 short entries of radical techno-critical activism in a variety of media, including excerpts from academic articles and scholarly texts; descriptions of hackerspaces, digital rights activist groups, and bio-hacktivism; and depictions of feminist net art and new media art. Both a vital introduction for laypeople and a robust resource guide for educators, Cyberfeminism Index—an anti-canon, of sorts—celebrates the multiplicity of practices that fall under this imperfect categorization and makes visible cyberfeminism’s long-ignored origins and its expansive legacy.

Explore the NeuraFutures installation at Cambridge Public Library with a captivating 30-minute tour, offering a glimpse into the future of brain-computer interfacing.

Building on Braini‘s 15 years of experience in designing and creating the most cutting edge interaction – fusion between the brain and computer – this guided installation tour will touch upon the following questions: is it possible to implant memories? Read your dreams while you sleep? Communicate a thought between two different people on different continents?

Complete the scavenger hunt, available throughout CSF week at mitpressbookstore.mit.edu, then pick up your prize at the MIT Press Bookstore and enter a drawing for a chance to win a $50 bookstore gift card!

Scan this QR code to get started!

Be a planetary explorer! Take a self-guided tour of our Solar System from the Sun to Pluto, precisely scaled to the length of MIT’s Infinite Corridor, created by ​MIT’s Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences (EAPS).

Step into the world of cutting-edge biomedical research and innovation at the Broad Discovery Center, right in the heart of Kendall Square! Explore engaging exhibits, learn about the mysteries of human diseases, and witness first-hand how scientists from around the globe are joining forces to tackle psychiatric conditions, cancer, infectious diseases, and more. Admission is free and no registration is required.

The Harvard Plate Stacks is presenting a special exhibition, Her Luminous Distance: The Legacies of Women Astronomical Computers at Harvard, in the rotunda and dome of the Great Refractor at the Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian. Free and open to the public, the exhibition celebrates the legacy of the Women Astronomical Computers and will illuminate to audiences the various disciplines and fields of study that have been inspired by these women and the astronomical photographs that they studied.

Explore and experiment with mechanical motion as you create your own moving art. Along the way, discover how simple mechanisms like cams, linkages, and levers work to generate different types of movement.

Complete the scavenger hunt, available throughout CSF week at mitpressbookstore.mit.edu, then pick up your prize at the MIT Press Bookstore and enter a drawing for a chance to win a $50 bookstore gift card!

Scan this QR code to get started!

Explore the NeuraFutures installation at Cambridge Public Library with a captivating 30-minute tour, offering a glimpse into the future of brain-computer interfacing.

Building on Braini‘s 15 years of experience in designing and creating the most cutting edge interaction – fusion between the brain and computer – this guided installation tour will touch upon the following questions: is it possible to implant memories? Read your dreams while you sleep? Communicate a thought between two different people on different continents?

The Thorlabs mobile photonics lab brings the science of light to you. We will demonstrate measuring light at different colors to identify materials (spectroscopy), image inside the body with light (biomedical optics), transfer electrical signals through the air with laser beams (optical communications), and show what the inside of optical fiber looks like and how it works. Come inside to be introduced to the world of photonics!

Be a planetary explorer! Take a self-guided tour of our Solar System from the Sun to Pluto, precisely scaled to the length of MIT’s Infinite Corridor, created by ​MIT’s Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences (EAPS).

Brain-Computer Interfaces (BCIs) allow interactions with a computer system by means of one’s brain activity. The most common type of BCIs measure the electrical activity of the brain through non-invasive electrodes. To build a BCI, a person is instructed to perform one or more mental actions (e.g. imagine you are moving your hand), after which an alogrith is trained to recognize the activity and then a computer system ties an assocaited physical action with a mental one. This system can be a wheelchair, a microwave or …a robot! Come and try it out!

Explore and experiment with mechanical motion as you create your own moving art. Along the way, discover how simple mechanisms like cams, linkages, and levers work to generate different types of movement.

Come try out a new family-centric creative play and coding app on the phone, brought to you by the developers of Scratch.

Weather permitting, we will meet outside the front of the Museum of Science and walk approximately 4.6km, learning 4.6 billion years of Earth’s history along the way. This is a nearly three-mile walk along Cambridge Street to Cambridge Common. Wear comfortable shoes and prepare to be outdoors for a few hours.

Event organizer Nancy Lowe is an artist interested in the rich ecotone — the boundary territory — between art and science. She makes art with science themes, teaches art-science workshops, curates art-science exhibits and performances, guides art-science residency programs, and leads citizen science projects and other activities for creative science engagement. She worked for over a decade as a technician in labs focusing on pollination biology, insect-plant interactions, and large-scale ecology.

Learn to mend your clothing and fix broken electronics, appliances, computers, toys, sewing machines, bicycles, etc. at the Fixit Clinic. Fixit Coaches will share their time, tools and expertise to consult with you on the disassembly, troubleshooting, and repair of your item. Gain the confidence and knowledge to make repairs and teach others to do the same. This event takes place at The Foundry, located at 101 Rogers St, Cambridge.

Open to all ages, registration is required.

This event is brought to you by The Foundry, The Cambridge Department of Public Works, and Fixit Clinic.

Whether you are a seasoned forager or a curious nature lover, this Mushroom Foray is an event not to be missed. Explore the fascinating world of fungi while we traverse the Middlesex Fells Reservation collecting mushrooms. Then, we will regroup to immerse ourselves in the art of mushroom identification.

Food and refreshments will be served.

Join us to celebrate Isabel and the Invisible World, the second book from renowned physicist and New York Times best selling author Alan Lightman, with colorful, hands-on activities and a reading of the book. This event is presented in collaboration with MIT Kids Press, an imprint of Candlewick Press, the MIT Press Bookstore.

Young readers rejoice! Free copies of Isabel and the Invisible World will be distributed at the event, while supplies last. Please choose “Free Ticket + Book” to reserve your copy, limited to one per household.

All ages are welcome but activities are geared towards ages 3-10. All minors must be accompanied by a responsible adult. Responsible adults, please keep a close eye on your kids.

Become an astronomer for a day! Come visit us on Observatory Hill, and see what the Center for Astrophysics has been up to. Enjoy exploration stations that include hands-on activities, telescope tours, and solar observing. There’s even an opportunity to ask our scientists all of your burning space questions at our “Ask an Astronomer” tables.

Find out the latest discoveries about the sun, exoplanets, and black holes and take your own telescope images using our robotic telescopes, or go on a virtual tour of space using the World Wide Telescope visualization lab- It’s out of this world!

A conductor’s jacket able to measure the physiology and movements of musicians was created by Teresa Nakra during her doctoral research at the MIT Media Lab with Professors Tod Machover and Rosalind Picard. Conductor Keith Lockhart wore the jacket during Tech Night at the Boston Pops in 1998, with animated sensor data projected above the orchestra. It is now part of the Museum’s collection.

In this presentation, explore the ideas embedded in the jacket design and watch a demonstration of the signals generated by a professional classical musician.

Some people might think of scientific research to be something only related to textbook facts. While that is true to some extent, the great passion that you bring to the research can be even more powerful. My research in India about microplastics helped me bridge the gap between my research and cultural background. Through cultural identity or even interactions in daily life, scientific research can be something that brings out your true identity and passion.

In this interactive art project, participants create light paintings, viewable in real time, using a variety of light sources such as fiber optics and smart LEDs. At the end, a flash is triggered, illuminating participants in their painting.

Discover the history of the Charles River from the cockpit of a kayak and learn how to get involved with local restoration efforts. Observe wildlife living along the riverbank and explore your city with a new perspective. No paddling experience required.

Three tours available:

• • 1pm-2:30pm
  • 2:45pm-4:15pm
  • 4:30pm-6:00pm

Registration required. Participants will receive additional information including waivers that will need to be filled out electronically prior to the program.

Program meets at the Cartop Launch at Magazine Beach Park.

Children under the age of 16 must be accompanied by an adult.

Parking is available but please avoid driving if possible.

Did you know that pollutants move across the globe in complex and even chaotic patterns? Utilizing a large-scale interactive globe, join MIT Professor Glenn Flierl to explore how the jet stream and the weather systems affect these movements in both ocean and the atmosphere.

Are you interested in neuroscience, or want to learn more about how your brain operates? Do you want to pursue a career in STEM, or neurology? Do you enjoy watching magic tricks? If so, join Sabrina Welch in the magic of neuroscience as she shares the fascinating world of the brain using magic tricks to illustrate neuroscience concepts! This program is great for kids, students, and families to come and watch an exciting magic show, and to learn about the brain in a fun, memorable, and engaging way! So bring your friends and family members, and come to immerse yourself in the magic of neuroscience!

The Harvard Plate Stacks is presenting a special exhibition, Her Luminous Distance: The Legacies of Women Astronomical Computers at Harvard, in the rotunda and dome of the Great Refractor at the Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian. Free and open to the public, the exhibition celebrates the legacy of the Women Astronomical Computers and will illuminate to audiences the various disciplines and fields of study that have been inspired by these women and the astronomical photographs that they studied.

With climate change increasing wildfire frequency and our wildland-urban interface (WUI) expanding, wildfire fuel management is more important than ever. Learn about the science and reality of wildfires and fuel reduction methods from Georgia Scarr – a young wildland firefighter, environmental non-profit co-founder, and wildfire researcher at the Stanford Bill Lane Center for the American West. This workshop includes hands-on demonstrations modeling wildfire behavior, first-hand accounts of fuel reduction case studies, and a chainsaw maintenance lesson.

Interactive experiments showing States of Matter, Ideal Gas Law, Density, Pressure, Wavelength then the final experiment, making ice cream with liquid nitrogen right before your eyes!

How do you inspire a new generation of entomologists and scientists? With hands-on fun, of course! Stop by and see some of the amazing arthropods featured in educational kids’ enrichment programs from Professor Bugman Entomology Adventures!

Science educators of all levels, bring a portable demo or instrument to share how your students are learning about science phenomena. Tabletop wind turbines, cell-phone-based electrophoresis kit, fossil collections, chaotic pendulums, your best paper airplane design, home titration kit, whatevs. EnergyTeachers.org will bring doppler radar, a handheld oscilloscope, a solar cooker, and more from our lending library for teachers.

The digital world is full of promise but it also holds risks untold for the every day computer user. Malware, ransomware and surveillance lurk in every corner of the Internet. Data breaches and financial fraud are now an unfortunate daily occurrence. We will explore the risks of the digital realm from apps, to social media, email and then-some. Learn real world tools and techniques to minimize your risks, protect your privacy/identity and shield your financial health – all while getting the most out of your digital tools. We will explore the risks to you as a computer user from your desktop to the ever-expanding world of smart phones, tablets, and the world of cloud computing. The digital realm can be a dangerous place; this presentation will give you the practical knowledge to protect yourself.

The CUA will present several hands-on demonstrations for kids and families. The event will kick off with an introduction by MIT Professor Martin Zwierlein on the nature of cold. Kids can then explore a tornado machine, a demonstration of an ion trap, a station to make your own holograms, and a liquid nitrogen demo by CUA researchers.