As part of city’s vibrant scientific and technological community, Drexel University will play a big role in the 2013 Philadelphia Science Festival and Philly Tech Week on April 18-28. From a 29-story video game, to cutting-edge robotics, to an interactive Jazz concert, Drexel’s students, faculty and professional staff will be part of the programming for both week-long celebrations of the inquisitive and innovative spirits that are part of the fabric of the city.
Thursday, April 18
PSF Kickoff Party: Science Carnival After Dark (6:30 p.m.) - NextFab Studio (2025 Washington) will host live science shows and demonstrations tailored for an adult audience, including laser cutting and 3-D printing..
Friday, April 19
Gaming as Therapy: a Pathway to Interaction (6 p.m.) - The Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University (1900 Benjamin Franklin Parkway) will host local game developers and neurological researchers, therapists, parents and children, to learn more about gaming and play a few in the process. Dr. Craig Newschaffer, the director of the A.J. Drexel Autism institute will be among the panel of experts. Click here to purchase tickets.
Blogging and Beer: Public Health in Philadelphia (6 p.m.) – Rembrandt’s (741 N. 23rd Street) will host a discussion with some of Philadelphia’s public health leaders, doctors and journalists over a few drinks.
Scaling the Cira Centre: The Grandest Game of Pong on the Planet (8-11 p.m.) – On the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, gamers young and old will gather to watch and play a game of the classic video game Pong, as recreated with the lights on the north wall of the Cira Centre. Click here to register for an opportunity to play.
Saturday, April 20
International Space Apps Challenge (9 a.m. – 8 p.m.) – Drexel’s ExCITe Center (3401 Market St., Suite 100) will host a two-day technology development event during which citizens from around the world will work together to address current challenges relevant to both space exploration and social needs. Click here to register.
Science Carnival on the Parkway (11 a.m. – 4 p.m.) – More than 100 exhibitors will welcome visitors to the Benjamin Franklin Parkway offering experiments, interactive demonstrations, games and live entertainment. Drexel-related activities will include demonstrations of underwater robotics, fun with chemistry and physics and a place to ask technology related questions and troubleshoot your computing problems.
Sunday, April 21
Cold Plasma: Improving TV Picture Quality and Saving Lives (1 p.m.) – Frankford Hall (1210 Frankford Ave.) in Northern Liberties will host a discussion on how the same “cold plasma” that’s found in computer screens and flat screen televisions can be used to treat diseases and heal wounds; and take a look at what the future of this technology could be.
The Information Revolution (2:30 p.m.) – Also at Frankford Hall (1210 Frankford Ave.) visitors will learn about the historic evolution of information technology from printing presses to Facebook.
International Space Apps Challenge Day 2 (9 a.m. – 5 p.m.) – Drexel’s ExCITe Center (3401 Market St., Suite 100) will host a two-day technology development event during which citizens from around the world will work together to address current challenges relevant to both space exploration and social needs. Click here to register.
Monday, April 22
Philly Robotics Expo (9 a.m. – 3 p.m.) – Drexel’s Bossone Research Center (3140 Market St.) will host a display of the newest and most exciting advances in the field of robotics. The event will include electrical, mechanical and programming workshops for students, demonstrations and scrimmages amongst Central High School’s robotics team. Click here to register.
Powering Creativity, Technology and Community (noon – 6 p.m.) – KEYSPOT, Drexel and People’s Emergency Center will host a pop-up collaborative space at 3848 Lancaster Ave. that will bring together tech professionals, artists and entrepreneurs with neighborhood residents.
Blackout: Reinventing Black Media in the Digital Age (5:30 – 7:30 p.m.) – Free Library President Sibohan A. Reardon and FCC Commissioner Mignon Clyburn will welcome visitors to a panel discussion about the challenges of bridging the digital divide. The event will be hosted at the Free Library of Philadelphia (1901 Vine Street). Click here to register.
Science on Tap Quizzo (6 p.m.) – Teams will match wits in a science trivia battle hosted by National Mechanics (22 S. 3rd St.) and sponsored by The Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University.
Tuesday, April 23
Great Gigs: Open Labs Edition (8:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.) – Drexel’s Mandell Theater (3210 Chestnut St.) will host a variety of scientists who will share the fun and interesting parts of their jobs with visitors. Presenters include a forensic anthropologist who finds evidence at crime scenes, a marine scientist who has explored the depths of the oceans and a robotics engineer whose robots play the piano. Click here to register.
Big Ideas: Funding and Innovation (6:30 p.m.) – Moderated by the current and former directors of the National Science Foundation, this discussion will look at the role government plays in advancing innovation, by looking at some of the researchers who’ve generated the most well-known scientific breakthroughs of our time. Iron Gate Theater (3700 Market St.) will host the event. Click here to purchase tickets.
Science of Jazz (7 p.m.) – Drexel’s Mandell Theater (3210 Chestnut St.) will host this multisensory experience that will use interactive technology to paint a portrait of the waves, scales and beats that comprise a jazz concert. The event will feature world-renowned jazz artists from the region. Click here to purchase tickets.
Wednesday, April 24
Neighborhood Science After School Cecil B. Moore Branch (3:30 p.m.) – At the Cecil B. Moore Branch of the Free Library of Philadelphia (2320 Cecil B. Moore Ave.) visitors will be able to touch and examine dinosaur fossils, as well as meeting live animals while learning about how animals, both extinct and alive, adapt for survival. Discussions and demonstrations on code breaking and preventing sports injuries are also part of the neighborhood science program put on by the Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University.
Long Live Our Treasures: The Science of Conservation and Preservation (5 p.m.) – The Penn Museum (3260 South St.) will host leading researchers and conservators from the Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University who will show visitors what they do to preserve their most precious artifacts including mummies, photographs, textiles, films and specimens; and tell them what they can do to save their own personal treasures from the tatters of time.
Life Aquatic (5 p.m.) – At the Chemical Heritage Foundation (315 Chestnut St.) visitors can immerse themselves in the world of fish, past and present. They will learn about how an oceanic expedition to Papua New Guinea in the early 20th century informs the way today’s scientists protect coral reefs. Visitors can create a memento of their time by making a traditional Japanese fish print. Click here to register.
Sky Wars: Bird vs. Building (6 p.m.) – Rembrant’s (741 N. 23rd St.) will host a discussion with experts from the Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University that focuses on “bird strikes,” why people should care about them and how professionals are working together to prevent these deadly collisions.
Scaling the Cira Centre: The Grandest Game of Pong on the Planet (8-11 p.m.) – On the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, gamers young and old will gather for a second chance to watch and play a game of the classic video game Pong, as recreated with the lights on the north wall of the Cira Centre. Click here to register for an opportunity to play.
Honoring the Creation of Laser Technology (9:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. ) – Drexel University and the Franklin Institute will honor Dr. Kenichi Iga, emeritus president and professor of the Tokyo Institute of Technology, who invented the vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser, a technology that is found in laser printers, pointers and supermarket scanners today. Iga was the 2013 recipient of the Bower Award for Achievement in Science. The ceremony will be held in Mitchell Auditorium at the Bossone Research Center (3128 Market St.). Click here to register.
All Hands On Technology: A Senior Learning Event (10 a.m. – 4 p.m.) – Open to residents of Presby’s Inspired Life (2050 S. 58th St.), where it will be hosted, and all adults over the age of 55, this event will help seniors explore their hobbies and interests online as well as learning about new technology and gadgets. Click here to register.
Thursday, April 25
Philly Techbreakfast: Inaugural (8-9:30 a.m.) – Members of the tech community will gather at the Bossone Research Center’s Mitchell Auditorium (3140 Market St.) for their monthly breakfast meet-up. Regulars include designers, developers, entrepreneurs and techies who learn from each other during show-and-tell showcase-style presentations. Click here to register.
Making Broadband Broader: Connecting Tech Communities to Bridge the Gap (8:30-10:30 a.m.) – Drexel’s Dornsife Center For Neighborhood Partnerships (35th and Spring Garden St.) will host a roundtable discussion over breakfast that will bring together developers, entrepreneurs, data gurus, digital literacy trainers and technology newcomers. Click here to register.
Science Day at the Ballpark (1:05 p.m.) – Citizen’s Bank Park (1 Citizens Bank Way) will host a dozen hands-on science activity stations throughout the concourse as the Phillies take on the Pittsburgh Pirates in an afternoon game. Click here to purchase tickets.
Sounds Made Up: Tales From The History of Science (7 p.m.) – The Chemical Heritage Foundation (315 Chestnut St.) will host an interesting look at the history of science, guided by historians of science –including Drexel professor Dr. Michael Yudell- and comedians from the Philly Improv Theater. The event is a lighthearted looks at when the best scientific intentions weren’t always a good thing. Click here to purchase tickets.
Friday, April 26
Greater Philadelphia Sea Perch Challenge (9 a.m. – 4 p.m.) – The pool at the Daskalakis Athletic Center (33rd and Market St.) will once again host the Greater Philadelphia Sea Perch Challenge, an underwater robotics competition that pits high school and middle school teams from the region against each other to complete tasks in the pool. The event is free and open to the public.
Liver, Beans and Dice: The Ancient (And Modern) Science of Fortune Telling (6:30 p.m.) – At the Clay Studio (139 N. 2nd St.) visitors can try their hand at fortune telling while learning about both ancient and current forms of divination and exploring the actual science behind the methods of predicting fates. Click here to purchase tickets.
Murder at the Mutter: Outbreak (7 p.m.) – An outbreak at the Mutter Museum (19 S. 22nd St.) will require help from all visitors in a race to locate the cause. Participants will interact with experts ranging from emergency management professionals to forensic scientists to experience the science of criminal investigation and solve the mystery. Click here to purchase tickets.
Saturday, April 27
Greater Philadelphia Sea Perch Challenge Day 2 (9 a.m. – 4 p.m.) – The pool at the Daskalakis Athletic Center (33rd and Market St.) will once again host the Greater Philadelphia Sea Perch Challenge, an underwater robotics competition that pits high school and middle school teams from the region against each other to complete tasks in the pool. The event is free and open to the public.
Comcast Cares Digital Day Resource Fair (10 a.m. – 2 p.m.) – At the School District of Philadelphia’s atrium (440 N. Broad St.) visitors will be able to get one-on-one assistance and participate in educational workshops on computer basics, job searching online and digital tools that can help students improve academic performance and financial literacy.
TechServ Community Genius Bar (10 a.m. – 3 p.m.) – People can bring their technical problems to People’s Emergency Center (325 N. 39th St.) to be diagnosed by a team of student geniuses from Drexel University’s TechServ program. Both software and hardware issues can be addressed.
Discovery Day: Science in Clark Park (10 a.m.) – Visitors at Clark Park (4301 Chester Ave.) will discover science in the backyard with hands-on activities while exploring the natural wonders of the park.
Iron Physicist (7 p.m.) – Drexel’s Papadakis Integrated Sciences Building (3250 Chestnut St.) will host a battle of wits as physics educators square off against physics students for the ultimate prize: the title of Iron Physicist. Contestants will use marshmallow “Peeps” to demonstrate physics principles in a family friendly competition.