Penn Medicine will again play a leading role in the fifth annual Philadelphia Science Festival, a citywide collaboration showcasing science and technology every spring. The Festival packs more than 100 events into nine days at locations across the region, including restaurants and breweries, parks, libraries, and museums.
The Festival, from April 24 – May 2, is a partnership among 210 of the region’s most influential institutions, museums, and cultural centers working together to inspire the next generation of scientists and engineers and spark discussion among young and old. The aim is to create homegrown citizen scientists, by exploring the many ways that science and technology touch our everyday lives.
Take a look at who will be representing Penn Medicine at the 2015 Festival. Click on the links to each event to learn more. Use the discount code UPENN10 for a 10% discount on program tickets purchased through TicketLeap – see individual links for each event below to buy tickets or register. Watch this space for more about individual events and for coverage of the festival.
Philadelphia Science Festival Kick-Off Party: 8-bit Night
Friday, April 24, 7:00p.m.
The Franklin Institute
222 North 20th Street
Philadelphia, PA, 19103
$15 general admission, $10 for Franklin Institute members
Kick off the Festival at The Franklin Institute with a night devoted to classic video games. Enjoy 40+ interactive activities in this opening night extravaganza and meet the organizations that bring the Festival to life. Discover the science behind Oregon Trail, Frogger, and Dr. Mario, play Galaga in the Fels Planetarium, dissect an arcade machine, and enjoy music from your favorite video games. Be a pinball wizard, see dueling tesla coils, learn how to play music on your old Gameboy, and tap the official Yards Brewing Company’s Science Festival beer. This event features experts from the Penn Center for Brain Injury and Repair.
Clark Park Discovery Day
Saturday, April 25, 10:00a.m. to 2:00p.m.
Clark Park
4301 Chester Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19104
No Reservation Required – Free
This is the fourth iteration of this hyper local event. Meet local scientists and students while exploring the natural wonders of one of the best parks in the city. The Penn Center for Brain Injury and Repair and many students from the Biomedical Graduate Studies programs will be there.
Discover the History of Philadelphia Science: A Self-guided Tour
Sunday, April 26, 12:00p.m.
Old City
Free
Journey into the past and explore Philadelphia’s rich scientific history. Hear a "Once Upon A Nation" storyteller reveal the tale of Thomas Jefferson’s mastodon, take a tour of Pennsylvania Hospital’s historic surgical amphitheater, and peek inside one of Lewis & Clark's notebooks from their famous exhibition. And, step into the shoes of a doctor during the Yellow Fever epidemic in Philadelphia while you experience the creation of soda pop at the Physick House.
Educator Workshop: Using Genomic Data to Save Lives
Monday, April 27, 5:00p.m.
Carolyn Lynch Laboratory
433 S University Ave
Philadelphia, PA, 19104-6272
Free, but reservation required
For middle and high school teachers.
Discover how genomic data can be used to save lives, fight infections, and understand genetic diseases with Penn Medicine biologists. Gain a deeper understanding of bioinformatics, the practice that combines computer science, statistics, mathematics, and engineering to study and process biological data, and how to use it in your classroom.
Big Ideas for Busy People
Monday, April 27, 6:30p.m.
WHYY
150 N 6th St
Philadelphia, PA, 19106
Ticket price: $10, $5 for WHYY Members
Come early to experience hands on activities and a pre-program reception.
From advances in detecting ovarian cancer, to electronic brain stimulation, to the unearthing of a new dinosaur, to using chemistry to preserve priceless art, countless groundbreaking discoveries are made right here in Philadelphia. Spend time with some dynamic local scientists and engineers who are making heads turn and profoundly impacting our understanding of the world around us. Director of the Laboratory for Cognition Roy Hamilton, MD is one of the speakers for this event.
An Alchemist’s Toast to Health, Wealth, and Longevity
Tuesday, April 27, 6:30p.m.
Chemical Heritage Foundation
315 Chestnut Street
Philadelphia, PA, 19106
Ticket price: $10 advanced, door price $12, Admission includes soup and two drink tickets.
Raise your goblets and toast the alchemists, who promised that their philosopher’s stone could transmute lead into gold, heal a multitude of diseases, and provide an exceptionally long, youthful life. Explore the fascinating world of alchemy, its surprising importance in the history of science and medicine, and the way alchemy’s values are carried on by modern scientific research. David Casarett, MD, and PhD candidates Katherine Palozola and Samantha Falk are among the speakers for this event.
Neighborhood Science After School: Walnut Street West
Wednesday, April 29, 3:30p.m.
Walnut Street West Library
201 S 40th Street
Philadelphia, PA, 19104
Free
Join us at this neighborhood library after school for a celebration of science exploration. Scientists, engineers, and other experts will share their knowledge to provide programs filled with exciting activities, animal encounters, family-friendly experiments, and hands-on demonstrations. This event features experts from the Penn Center for Brain Injury and Repair.
Let’s Get Happy
Wednesday, April 29, 7:00p.m.
Ruba Club Studios
416 Green Street
Philadelphia, PA, 19123
Must be 21+ to attend this event.
Ticket price: $10 advanced, door price $12
What truly makes you happy? Think beyond your high-tech gadgets and materialistic belongings. We can reach happiness through all of our senses. The smell of chocolate chip cookies charms our noses, the taste of a cheeseburger enlivens our taste buds, the sight of a puppy warms our hearts, and the sound of the ocean puts us in a tranquil state. These are all instances that bring happiness, relief, and fulfillment. Join local scientists and explore the state of happiness, positive psychology, nature deficit disorder, pet therapy, and meditation. Join us for a dopamine, serotonin, oxytocin, and endorphin releasing night as we embark on the pursuit of happiness. Sleep expert Sigrid Veasey, MD is among the speakers at this event.
Gross Anatomy
Thursday, April 30, 6:30p.m.
Ruba Club Studios
416 Green Street
Philadelphia, PA, 19123
Must be 21+ to attend this event.
Ticket price: $7 advanced, door price $10
Sometimes our bodies can be, well, gross. Celebrate all of your unsavory secretions with this taboo-breaking cabaret, and discover why the things we DON’T discuss at the dinner table are so important to our health. Penn postdoctoral fellow Bridget Nugent, PhD, is among the speakers at this event.
Science Carnival on the Parkway
Saturday, May 2, 10:00am to 4:00p.m.
20th St. and the Benjamin Franklin Parkway
Free
The Carnival features more than 175 exhibitors offering family-friendly experiments, interactive activities, games, and a packed line-up of live entertainment. Penn Medicine will gain be represented by several tents in the “Penn village” of displays.