Chock-full of hands-on activities, savvy scientists, shockingly cool contraptions and more, Engineers Week kicks off on President’s Day (Monday, Feb. 20) from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. with five days of constructive fun at the Museum of Nature & Science in Fair Park. Next up is the always popular Discovery Days: Discover Technology family festival takes over from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday (Feb. 25) and from noon to 5 p.m. Sunday (Feb. 26).
It’s all in celebration of National Engineers Week, which officially runs from Feb. 19 - 25.
DETAILED SCHEDULE
Monday - Sunday (Feb. 20 - 26)
Electric Theater live stage shows in the MNS Science Building auditorium
10:30 a.m. on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday
12:30 p.m. on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday
Smash Hits of PsySci live stage shows in the MNS Science Building auditorium
1 and 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday
NOTE: Live shows are regularly held at noon and 3 p.m. on Saturdays and 1 and 3 p.m. on Sundays. Live shows are free for members and included with the cost of general admission for non-members.
Engineers Week “Ask an Engineer” chats
11:30 a.m. Monday - Friday in the MNS Science Building Viewspace Theater
Monday (Feb. 20) – “Electronic and Software Engineering”
Paul Bouchier, Software Architect at Hewlett Packard Co.
Presented by the Dallas Personal Robotics Group
Tuesday (Feb. 21) – “Nanotechnology, Biotechnology and the Engineer of Tomorrow”
Nandika D’Souza, Professor at the University of North Texas
Presented by the Society of Women Engineers
Wednesday (Feb. 22) – “Civil Engineering: Under Your Feet and Over Your Head"
Matt Ludwig, Municipal Civil Engineer at HDR Engineering
Presented by the American Society of Civil Engineers
Thursday (Feb. 23) – “IBM Smarter Planet”
Tanya Bubash/Romelia Flores
Director, Global Solution Center/IBM Distinguished Engineer and Master Inventor
Friday (Feb. 24) – “Network Engineering”
Randal Robbins
Director, Network Planning & Design, Commercial Engineering, Time Warner Cable
Activities
Dallas Personal Robotics Group: Like building robots? DPRG does! Come see some of their creations and learn how and why they were built. (Monday, Saturday and Sunday only)
Dallas Makerspace: What do you get when you combine common household objects, scraps of metal and a group of people with wild imaginations? The possibilities are limitless. Meet the makers from Dallas Makerspace and view some of their inventions. (Monday, Saturday and Sunday only)
Buckyballs: Buckyballs are tiny, soccerball-shaped molecules made of carbon. Their hollow structure could make them useful for delivering medicine in the future. Build a buckyball model and learn about their scientific importance. (Monday - Friday only)
A Picture Is Worth a 1000 Words: Finding the Treasures Hidden in Maps: Today's information world generates more information about topics than ever before. Come by and explore pirates, finding tornado alley, mapping zoos, or just explore who lives around you and how they are making a living. (Saturday and Sunday only)
Augmented Reality: Immerse yourself in simulated learning worlds and experience augmented reality. You'll learn about chroma-key technology and other cool tricks during this interactive experience. Presented by IBM
Bunny Copters: Can you make your copter twirl faster than your friend's? Test your engineering know-how as you launch paper bunny copters in the air. Presented by IBM
Body Rhythm: Did you know that when you touch one of the contacts on the instrument, a small electrical current flows over your skin? When you touch someone that is also holding the instrument, the current is able to flow back to the instrument and complete the circuit. When the circuit is complete, a sound is triggered.
Gears: These child-friendly plastic gears let even the littlest scientists explore their engineering skills.
Jeopardy: You vs. Watson: Are you smarter than a computer? Face-off against IBM's famous Jeopardy champion Watson, an artificial intelligence computer system. Presented by IBM
It Ain't Rocket Science: Time Warner Cable's Connect a Million Minds initiative supports FIRST Robotics Programs. There are three FIRST programs in the North Texas area for kids ages 9-18.
Robo Mania: Robots have helped humankind in amazing ways. They make our food, build our cars and even perform surgery! Experiment with tabletop robots and see the power of technology.
Squishy Circuits: Did you know that Play-Doh conducts electricity? Let your creative juices flow and make creations that spin, buzz and glow.
LED Throwies: These simple light-up toys will stick to any magnetic surface. Create your own to decorate your fridge or file cabinet. (Saturday and Sunday only)
Scavenger Hunt: Visit the activity stations to answer a series of fun science questions. Check your answers and win a prize at the table in the lobby. (Saturday and Sunday only)
Submarine Divers: Can you build a submarine from a plastic bottle that can dive underwater and come back to the surface? Lockheed Martin engineers would love to show you how. Challenge your friends to see whose submarine can dive down the longest and still float to the surface. Presented by Lockheed Martin. (Saturday and Sunday only)
Tickets for the Museum, IMAX® and Planetarium shows, and all special exhibits are available online.