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July 30, 2008

A Science Pub—in Salt Lake City?!

Finally—Salt Lake City joins major cities around the country and the Planet in having a Science Café or Café Scientifique!. Ours is being called the SLC—Science Pub—and is being organized by Dr. Kristen Kanack and her team. The first Science Pub lecture and discussion will be on Tuesday, Sept. 23, 6:30 pm at The Desert Edge in Trolley Square.

The initial/inaugural topic is being finalized—but will be very relevant to The Leonardo’s BodyWorlds exhibit, which opens Sept. 19 (www.theleonardo.org). Kristen and her team are developing a web site and a full schedule (twice monthly from September into December, then monthly in 2009. If you have suggestions or input, contact her at:

Kristen@kjkanack.com;Thanks, Kristen!

Our Science in Society Dialogs for 08-09 begin on Sept. 25 in The Leonardo Building Auditorium—the first Dialog is on BIRTH; the second one, on Nov. 20, is on DEATH. Both subjects relate to the unique BodyWorlds exhibition and programs. Panelists and related details on the Sept. 25 Dialog will be on this web site by about Sept. 1—stay tuned.

June 27, 2008

The Leonardo- Science is taking our show on the road and wants YOU to get involved! We will be participating in various events this summer to bring our exhibits and other information to you. Come see the Science Team as they present in your community!

Visit us on July 12th, 2008 at the Farmer’s Market at Historic Pioneer Park from 8am-1pm. The Science Team will have a table with fun activities for the whole family.

Historic Pioneer Park is located at 300 South & 300 West. For more information visit http://www.downtownslc.org/event/1819-442186E4

The Leonardo and the Ogden Nature Center invite the public to engage in highly interactive and hands-on activities focused on alternative energy, sustainability, and global perspectives.All events are free and open to the public.Days and hours will be:

July 18th: 9am-4pm

July 19th: 9am-5pm

July 21st: 1-5pm

July 22nd: 1-5

July 23rd:1-5pm

The Ogden Nature Center is located at 966 West 12th Street in Ogden, Utah. For direction and more information visit www.ogdennaturecenter.org

The Leonardo’s science team lead by Mary Anter, our new Community Programs Implementor, will facilitate daily events for ages 10 and up.Exhibits will include a generator bicycle, GIS/Google Earth, a hand crank generator, a wind generator, an induction generator, the “Making Waves” exhibit and “Light Island” exhibit.Among the exhibits, The Leonardo will also present the Magic Planet, an interactive representation of the world in 3D on a digital video globe. This newly developed exhibit displays graphical information from a world-wide perspective such as NASA geographical maps.

June 4

The Leonardo—Science is excited about today’s The Leonardo announcement (www.theleonardo.org): Guther von Hagens BODY WORLDS 3: The Story of the Heart is coming to The Leonardo in September! The Leonardo—Science will help develop and facilitate a set of anatomy and physiology activities and experiences to help complement the unique Body Worlds exhibit and affiliated programs. Some of these activities and exhibits are based on our extensive plans for LifeWorks, the set of health, medicine, biology exhibits planned for the second floor of The Leonardo in 2010.

Today (June 4) is another exciting event—The Leonardo-Science took delivery of a very unique exhibit: Rockwell Collins’ Flight Simulator for The Leonardo. You’ll be able to ‘fly’ into and out of some 30 different airports around the world—including SLC—employing advanced and updated geographic images and renderings. This unique gift is part of Rockwell-Collins’ sponsorship of The Leonardo—Science and our LOW-S traveling science program. Thank you, Rockwell Collins!

May 30 was the date of the Salt Lake Center for Science Education’s (SLCSE) Open House: http://www.slc.k12.ut.us/sites/slcse

The Leonardo-Science’s exhibit shop and home for Leonardo on Wheels—Science is located at SLCSE—and so we participate in nearly all SLCSE activities and programs.

We recently hosted Dr. Jae Kim, developer of several of our unique exhibits. Jae finished the unique A Slice of You interactive anatomy experience, based on the Visible Human data set and developed by University of Utah student interns last summer, under the direction of Prof. D Christensen of Bioengineering. Jae also further developed Is it REALLY Diamond?—a unique molecular fingerprinting exhibit using the fiber optic spectrometer donated by SLC’s Process Instruments, Inc. He also worked on several other exhibits with LOWS and The Leo—Science staff. Thanks, Jae!

May 22, 2008

CONGRATULATIONS to all of the students who participated at the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair from the Salt Lake Valley Science and Engineerinng Fair. ALL THREE PROJECTS WON AWARDS! Check out the official press release here.

April 28, 2008

We’re merging! A year of discussions and plans culminated on Wednesday, April 23 with The Leonardo Board of Directors unanimously voting to merge with the Utah Science Center (USC). The USC had previously voted for the merger. As part of the merger agreement, Suzanne Winters and Jeff Unruh will join Will West on an expanded The Leonardo Board—they also serve on the 5 member USC Board. The two organizations will merge accounts, payrolls, and all activities effective with the end of the current fiscal year on June 30. USC team, programs, and activities will be known as The Leonardo—Science. Joe Andrade will serve as Director of the science ‘arm’ of The Leonardo. There will be little change in or consolidation of the websites until later in 2008. So do continue to visit www.utahsciencecenter.org as well as www.theleonardo.org

The Leonardo—Science teams welcomes the involvement of seven engineers from Williams Northwest Pipeline in Research Park. These volunteers are being paired with The Leo—Science staff for the development and improvement of specific exhibits and projects. Welcome and thanks, Williams engineers!

Earth Day, 2008

Join Gregor Yanega and Joe Andrade this Saturday, April 26, at Hogle Zoo’s Party for the Planet activities. Joe and Gregor will be using our Magic Planet (see www.globalimagination.com) to show data and provide discussion related to climate change, animal migration, and other zoo—related topics.

We had a good time at Kennecott’s Sustainability Fair last Saturday at the DayBreak Community Center. Rodney Kopish and Jeanne Huelskamp tested our new alternative energy prototype exhibits, including the Human Power Generators (feet-legs and hands-shoulders), a windmill, and a basic induction activity. The Magic Planet was a big hit.

The Science Team is showing off its new shop at the Salt Lake Center for Science Education to The Leonardo’s new Director for Programs and Strategic Planning—Peter Giles—a key founder, developer, and builder of The Tech in San Jose, California (see www.thetech.org).

April 2008

April 15 is Leonardo da Vinci’s birthday! (Did he have to worry about income taxes?) He was born April 15, 1452—Happy546th birthday, Leo! If you’ve never seen Leo da Vinci, click here for more.

We welcome Mary Anter, formerly with the Maryland Science Center in Baltimore, as a consultant to USC/TheLeonardo in the area of Community Programs. Mary’s several years of science center experience, and her earlier work related to alcohol and drug education, are a great asset to the planning and implementation of The Leonardo—Science programs.

We congratulate The Leonardo on Wheels—Science team for another successful school year, serving junior high/middle school students, teachers, and parents throughout Utah. LOW-S looks forward to an expanded and enhanced 08-09 year.

And we congratulate our SLVSEF manager, Jody Ostrander; Director, Dr. Brenda Mann; and their team for an outstanding SLVSEF-08. The grand prize winners look forward to participating in the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair in Atlanta next month.

The Leonardo—Science will be at the DayBreak Community Center (4544 W. Harvest Moon Dr.) Saturday, April 19, to participate in the Kennecott/Rio Tinto Sustainability Fair—from 10 am – 2 pm. Join us there and join us at Hogle Zoo’s Party for the Planet on Saturday, April 26, 11 am—3 pm. Our unique Magic Planet will be there to give you a global perspective of environment, sustainability, and biodiversitysubjects and challenges.

Try your luck with us on May 1, 2008 for the Science in Society Dialog on Lotteries, Gambling, Luck?—Choices. Check out the full schedule.

Enjoy Science in YOUR World. Send your ideas, perspectives, and questions to jandrade@utahsciencecenter.org

March 2008

The Utah Science Center now has a YouTube page! Check it out here-

Teens, Brains, Risk, CHOICES is the topic of the Science in Society Public Dialog on March 6 from 7 to 9 pm at the SLC Library Tessman Auditorium (click on Science in Society on the left for more information) Univ. of Utah Neuroscience students will have some brains and demos there from 6 to 7 pm as part of the Brain Awareness Week festivities.

The Leonardo on Wheels-Science will be at Rice Eccles Stadium on March 28 participating in the Salt Lake Valley Science and Engineering Fair (SLVSEF). The public is invited to view the science fair projectsfrom 1-4 pm.

NanoDay will be held the afternoon of Tuesday, April 22 from Noon to 6 pm-- at the SLC Public Library in the main foyer. See projects and demos from Utah's higher education and research communities, as well as USC staff, related to atoms, molecules, and structures all part of the modern nano-revolution. NOTE: THIS EVENT HAS BEEN RESCHEDULED. CHECK BACK FOR MORE INFO AT A LATER DATE.

The Utah Science Center and The Leonardo hosted a reception on Feb. 22 at the Utah Museum of Natural History as part of the Utah Symposium on Science and Literature. The The Symposium's speakers participated, including Lisa Randall, Harvard physicist and author of the widely acclaimed Warped Passages. A KUER Radio West interview of the speakers is available as a podcast.

We thank ATK Launch Systems for helping to sponsor this special reception.

February 2008

The Leonardo's unique community event at SouthTowne Mall in Sandy continues through Feb. 29. This last week of the activities focus on sound and music. Look at www.theleonardo.org for details. See the USC's Theremin in action, participate on the open mic stage and show your friends your unique talents!

Leo on Wheels will be in Cedar City Feb. 25 to 29 at Canyon View Middle School, 1865 North Main, Cedar City.

January 2008

The Utah Symposium on Science and Literature is being held Feb. 22-24, 2008, with three remarkable speakers and great discussions--see www.scienceandliterature.org. The focus is on Measuring Scale. The Utah Science Center and The Leonardo are hosting a reception as part of the Symposium on Friday evening, Feb. 22 from 5:00 to 6:30 pm at the Utah Museum of Natural History. The reception is a way to meet the speakers, including Lisa Randall, Harvard physicist and author of the widely acclaimed Warped Passages. She will speak right after the reception at 7 pm at the Skaggs Biology Auditorium, adjacent to the reception--at 7 pm.

We thank ATK Launch Systems for helping to sponsor this special reception.

The Utah Science Center will be participating in the upcoming Community Event at the SouthTowne Mall, Feb. 5-31 from about 1 to 7 pm. See www.theleonardo.org for specific schedules and details.

November 2007

The Utah Science Center -- and The Leonardo -- are now partners with the SLC School District's new SL Center for Science Education

(SLCSE). We'll be relocating our exhibit development and maintenance shop there as well as having a small museum space to present our exhibits and programs. The plan is to use Leonardo on Wheels--Science (LOWS) exhibits , when they are not on the road, as well as prototype exhibits and activities being developed for USC at The Leonardo. We'll be participating in SLCSE's open house Jan. 3-5, 2008. The details will be posted here. Stay tuned!