Duke University is helping share the fun and excitement of science and math through a pair of family-focused festivals in September and October.
The statewide North Carolina Science Festival and the USA Science & Engineering Festival in and around Washington, D.C. are both first-ever attempts to celebrate research in a fun, interactive way and encourage young people to consider careers in math, science and engineering.
"Science is the stuff that connects everything in our daily lives, and these science festivals are a fun way for Duke researchers and the public to make those connections together," said Christine Adamczyk, executive director of the Duke Center for Science Education. "The excitement of the festivals helps the public begin to see how science, math, engineering and technology influence our present lives, and how they will shape most jobs in our future."
The North Carolina fun kicks off Saturday, Sept. 11, with the annual BugFest at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences in downtown Raleigh, and ends after an expo day on the UNC campus in Chapel Hill on Saturday, Sept. 25. In between, there are dozens of family-friendly, hands-on activities from the Outer Banks to the great Smoky Mountains. Aquariums, museums, universities, private labs and even breweries are hosting special events as part of the festival. (See www.ncsciencefestival.org)
Duke's campus will host its own science festival on the afternoon of Monday, Sept. 20 featuring interactive displays by students and faculty and a keynote address by science journalist Ira Flatow, host of NPR's "Science Friday" program. (Details at http://bit.ly/9K8s6Q)
The Duke Science Education Showcase also will be a dress rehearsal for the activities Duke plans to take to Washington for a massive two-day national festival on Oct. 23 and 24. Participants can interact with Duke researchers and learn about butterfly camouflage, inherited genetic traits, human decision-making, primate problem-solving, carbon dioxide and some other gee-whiz chemistry and physics. (Details at http://bit.ly/dvdqNM)
Organizers of the USA Science & Engineering Festival event expect up to 250,000 people to visit more than 1,500 hands-on displays and 50 stage shows on the National Mall and Pennsylvania Avenue. (see usasciencefestival.org)
Duke's exhibits will be in Freedom Plaza, which is on Pennsylvania Avenue at 14th Street, two blocks from the White House.