6/14/09 World Science Festival Street Fair @ Washington Square Park

Sunday, June 14th from 10am - 6pm

Washington Square Park

(West 4th Street & MacDougal Street), NYC

Cost: Free

All ages

(For more free, World Science-related events/talks, see posting from 6.03.2009: “6/10/09, 6/11/09 + 6/12/09: Celebrate Art + Science with the World Science Festival and the Metropolitan Museum of Art”)

The Washington Square Park area is transformed into a science wonderland when the World Science Festival Street Fair returns to New York City. This year’s extravaganza will feature a non-stop program of interactive exhibits, experiments, games, and shows designed to entertain and inspire.

A sampling of the day’s events includes:

Math Factory Square-wheeled tricycles, mechanical monkeys on number-line tightropes, A-Maze-ing Math Maze–it’s a carnival-themed Math Midway.

Discovery Labs Visit our hands on Science Labs for “take home” science experiments throughout the day. Here’s your chance to build your own paper helicopter, plant your own edible seeds, and combine art and science to make your own original creation. 

Bio Blitzing in the Boroughs: What did you find? Bringing the Bio Blitzing experience full-circle, participants from Saturday’s field adventure will have an opportunity to showcase, discuss and analyze their findings guided by America’s consummate naturalist E.O. Wilson, world-renowned insect scientist and  photographer, Mark Moffett, and other renowned experts.

The CSI Experience™ at the World Science Festival This will include hands-on crime scene activities led by real criminologists from John Jay College of Criminal Justice. Visitors to the exhibit will evaluate a crime scene, identify trace evidence, compare ballistic evidence and collect fingerprints.

The Bio Bus An advanced biology laboratory on wheels, the BioBus gives families the chance to explore life under the microscope.

Author’s Alley Great books make the most complicated topics accessible and exciting. The Street Fair will host some of today’s most dynamic science authors for a full day of readings, activities, and signings in Author’s Alley. Planned participants include:

Lawrence Krauss, The Physics of Star Trek

E.O. Wilson, Superorganism, with Bert Holldobler

Eric W. Sanderson, Mannahatta: A Natural History of New York City, with Markley Beyer

Richard Wrangham, Catching Fire: How Cooking Made Us Human

Evalyn Gates, Einstein’s Telescope: The Hunt for Dark Matter and Dark Energy in the Universe

Brian Floca, Moonshot

Mary Stetten Carson, Let’s Play Science

Deborah Heiligman, Charles and Emma

Bill Schutt, Dark Banquet: Blood and the Curious Lives of Blood-Feeding Creatures

Lucy Hawking, George’s Cosmic Treasure Hunt)

Cooper Union’s Formula SAE Racing Racing fans and the merely curious can get their hands dirty exploring a Formula SAE racing car, while learning about the math and science of going really, really fast.

Discovery Labs Visit our “hands on” Science Labs for “take home” science activities experiments throughout the day. Here’s your chance to build your own paper helicopter, plant your own edible seeds, and combine art and science to make your own original creation.

Central Park Zoo’s Wildlife Adventure Join Robbie the Roach in “Big Bug Boogie” for a fun and scientific journey to discover why insects are important to plants, animals and even humans. Then fly like a butterfly on a 3,000 mile-adventure with “The Tale of Flutterby and Piggle” as you explore the collaborative relationships in nature.

Franklin Institute Traveling Scientists Can liquid nitrogen be used to make a cannon?  Does air really take up space? What does it take to launch a rocket or a hot air balloon? This band of merry scientists will get to the bottom of these questions and more through a series of demonstrations that are certain to amaze.

NY Hall of Science GARBAGENA© is an interactive live presentation that introduces students to learning about recycling, reusing, and reducing everyday trash. Our friend GARBAGENA lives inside a large trash can filled with garbage that needs sorting, and has lots to share about how to reduce and reuse waste at home. Performed by the New York Hall of Science, this show is perfect for Pre-K and up.

Galileo: The Starry Messenger A dramatic fun filled adaptation of Galileo’s short treatise Siderius Nuncius. Galileo (dressed in 17th century costume) has arrived at the festival to present a public lecture on his most recent discoveries made using his newly devised spyglass. As he describes his discoveries, Galileo's new method of observation and measurement of nature become apparent. Throughout the presentation the “esteemed scientists” in the audience are actively involved in experiments and demonstrations.

This street fair is part of The World Science Festival, which occurs June 10–14. See more youth events:

http://www.worldsciencefestival.com/2009/youth-family-events