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Night Time is the Right Time at
CSC
Do your
kids love Carnegie Science Center so much that you have to drag
them--kicking and screaming, of course--home? Well, sign them up for an Overnighter
and they won't have to go home. Our motto is: when the Sun goes down,
Carnegie Science Center lights up!
Overnight
campers can explore all interactive exhibits, catch theater programs,
escape to another world in Rangos Omnimax Theater, blast off into outer
space at Buhl Planetarium& Observatory, and even stow away aboard a
World War II era submarine--the USS
Requin--where they'll sleep in the berths and be spellbound by
incredible submarine lore.
There is something to satisfy
every taste: Mega-Movie overnighters, Astronomy overnighters, and even
haunted ones (at Halloween). Overnighters at UPMC SportsWorks--the largest science and sports exhibit in the
world--will score a perfect 10 with sports enthusiasts. UPMC SportsWorks has more than 40 exhibits
and 70-something interactives, including virtual games and sporting events.
Most
overnighters begin at 7 p.m. with sign-in and orientation. Workshops,
films, presentations, and snacks continue until lights out at 1 a.m.--bring
a sleeping bag, pillow, and layered clothing to sleep in! Wake at 7 a.m.
for breakfast and a few more hours of fun. Overnighters generally end at 10
a.m...but since that's when the Science Center opens for the general
public, visitors CAN stick around if they REALLY want to!
General Overnighters are perfect
for families, schools, youth organizations, church groups, and clubs with
children age 8 and older. This past June, the Science Center premiered
Family Overnighters with exhibits, programs, and shows designed
specifically for younger children (7 and younger). Special Scout Group
Overnighters help children earn merit badges; "Not Quite
Overnighters," running 5:30 to 9 p.m., are for younger children and
Brownie groups.
Overnighters require advance
registration and deposit...and fill up quickly! Prices range from $15 to
$35 per person depending on the type of Overnighter and the activities
involved. For information on dates and prices, call 412.237.1637 or log on
to www.carnegiesciencecenter.com
and look in the "Activities" category.
EWWWW, Gross!
Grossology opens September 28
Why do
feet stink? What are boogers made of? And why, oh why, do we wake up every morning
with crusty stuff in the corners of our eyes? If you've lost sleep
pondering these posers--or have children who constantly baffle you with
such questions--you'll want to rush right over to Carnegie Science Center's
new exhibit, Grossology: The (Impolite)
Science of the Human Body.
Grossology is a
6,000-square-foot exhibit with 20-plus interactive displays that answer a
whole slew of questions about why the body is so slimy, oozy, crusty,
stinky, and, at times, noisy.
A Grossology Sampler
Warning:
what follows is really gross.
*Nigel
Nose-It-All: All you ever want to know (and more!) about sinuses, snot, and
runny noses.
*Up Your
Nose: So Nigel Nose-It-All wasn't enough boogers for you? Learn how those
things-that-should-never-be-picked-in-public form, and shoot "pollen
balls" at a giant nose that might--if you're, um, lucky--sneeze snot
on you.
* Climbing
Wall: The many features of the skin--including pimples, warts, wounds,
hair, moles, blisters, scabs, and pores--create a fiberglass climbing wall.
Admit it, you always thought those things had no real value.
* Gas
Attack! and Toot Toot: Learn what foods create the most gas, as well as the
physics of...well, the most pleasant euphemism we can think of is
"tooting."
* Listen
to Your Body: If you didn't already guess from the last item, your body is
a veritable symphony of sounds. Here, you can hear other bodily noises that
get less attention (and giggles)--heartbeats, stomach gurgles, breathing,
and swallowing.
* GI
Slide: So how does food feel when it's being eaten? Crawl though this 3-D
model of the digestive system--from mouth to intestines--and find out!
*Urine:The
Game: See how the kidneys remove waste from the blood...hey, isn't this
already a FOX reality show?
* Vomit Center:
The last time you were bowing to the porcelain god, did you pause to wonder
why you were puking and what vomit's made of? We didn't think so, but this
exhibit explains anyway.
* Y U
Stink: Now here's something you don't want to miss--match body odors with
the areas of the body that produced them--from armpits and intestines to
the mouth and feet. Maybe now you'll be able to identify that smell
permeating many a PAT bus.
Grossology and Human Body are
funded by Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh.
Carnegie Science Center
Expansion Plans
A building changes the meaning of its
surroundings and you do not just create a building itself. The modern way, today, is that a building
has to give a sense to a territory and not just a sense of itself.
-Jean Nouvel
Architect Jean Nouvel and his
team spent a busy few days at the Science Center in July. Committed to
integrating the development of the site with community needs and interests,
Nouvel and Science Center staff invited community groups and government
agencies to respond to a preliminary master plan during a two-day workshop.
Some key considerations
identified by the group include the relationship of an intermodal
transportation center to the Science Center, a covered walkway from
Allegheny Station to the Science Center, the relocation of Northshore
Drive, links to the river and the treatment of the river’s edge, the
relationship of the site to adjacent properties to the west, and ways to
optimize access for all visitors.
The Science Center welcomes the comments of Carnegie
Museums members regarding the expansion. Please visit the web page www.CarnegieScienceCenter.org/expansion
to send your comments.
A Universe Full of Shows
Thanks to The Buhl Foundation,
Carnegie Science Center’s Buhl Planetarium
& Observatory has been sharing the wonders of the cosmos for 63 years
now. In the last decade, the Planetarium has expanded its audience to
include millions of visitors in hundreds of planetariums around the world.
Buhl shows are the most widely distributed planetarium productions on the
planet!
But
shipping shows all across the United States and to 18 foreign countries has
not changed our goal of providing the people at home with top quality
science programs. That’s important, because with nearly 170,000 visitors in
2001, the Planetarium remains one of the most popular attractions in
Pittsburgh.
In spite
of this success, a persistent myth about the Planetarium is that there is
only one show! The reality is far different. Our staff produces two new
major shows every year. At any time, there are usually four different
programs being offered to the public. The shows can range from a tour of
the current sky in Stars Over
Pittsburgh, to a flight to the International Space Station in On Orbit. Shows are designed for a
variety of ages, from pre-K in The
Sky Above Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood to programs appropriate for every
member of the family. In addition, groups can choose from over a dozen
other programs available in our show library!
Buhl
Planetarium also offers weekend evening laser shows. This tradition dates
back to 1977! But if you think laser light shows haven’t changed much in 25
years, you’re in for a surprise. CSC has one of the world’s most
sophisticated and impressive full-dome laser systems. At least four
different laser programs, designed to appeal to a wide range of musical
tastes, are offered every Friday and Saturday night.
So,
there’s always something new under the Sun (and beyond!) at Buhl
Planetarium & Observatory.
--John G.
Radzilowicz, Director
Henry
Buhl, Jr. Planetarium &
Observatory
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