From circus physics shows to laser light shows, science takes center stage at New Jersey State Museum’s 24th Annual Super Science Weekend on Saturday, January 10, from 9 am to 6 p.m., and Sunday, January 11, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. With 35 hands-on exhibits, performances, live animals, presentations, planetarium shows, and laser light shows — including a show hosted by West Windsor’s David Parris, the curator of the New Jersey State Museum — there is enough magic for children of all ages. Admission and most of the programs are free. Free parking is available along West State Street in front of the Museum, and in the Capitol parking garage located between the State House Annex and the State Library.
The event features exhibits and demonstrations presented by dozens of science-based organizations, including Amateur Astronomers Association of Princeton, American Chemical Society – Trenton Section, Jenkinson’s Aquarium, The American Entomological Society, New Jersey Paleontological Society — and Mr. Van the Science Man.
Other exhibits and demonstrations will be presented by Nikon Small World Exhibit, Philadelphia Zoo, Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL), and Snakes-N-Scales and Turtle Tales.
Saturday highlights include the Anti-Gravity Show at 10 and 11:30 a.m. an interactive demonstration illustrating the concepts of centrifugal force, sound waves, and the center of gravity and concluding with a madcap plate spinning routine. Circus performer Mr. Fish presents “Phenomenal Physics” at 1:30, 3:30, and 5 p.m. Sunday highlights include “Twilight of the Wild” featuring photographer/naturalist Rusty Johnson along with his live animal ambassadors — a Burmese python, peregrine falcon, and an American alligator. The shows are scheduled throughout the day from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is $1 to each show.
The sky show, “Larry Cat in Space,” is suitable for all ages and includes a live presentation on New Jersey’s current night sky. Admission is $2. “Laser 3D Spectacular” features colorful laser lines accompanied by popular music. Cost including 3-D glasses is $4. Both shows run on the hour throughout the weekend.
“Fossils from the Rocky Mountains (Expeditions 2003)” is presented by David Parris at 4 p.m. both Saturday and Sunday. Science lectures on Saturday also include “Ice Age Mammals of the Tar Pits,” “Green River Fossil Fish Trip Log,” “Egyptian Dinosaur Expedition,” and “Rovers, Mars and Beyond.” Admission is free.
Sunday lectures include “Dinosaurs and Diamonds in the Ouachita Mountains,” “Green River Fossil Fish Trip Log,” and “Egyptian Dinosaur Expedition.”
Science lectures in the Delaware Indian Room also have free admission. Saturday talks include “Forest, Field, Fen and Shore: Bird Habitats in New Jersey,” “Plasma: The 4th State of Matter,” “The Strange World of Reptiles: Snakes-N-Scales and Turtle Tales,” and “Fishy Tales and Shark Scales.” Sunday talks include “Forest, Field, Fen and Shore,” “Polymers All Around Us,” “Mammal Mania,” and “Fishy Tales and Shark Scales.”
Super Science Weekend 2004 takes place Saturday, January 10, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Sunday, January 11, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., at the New Jersey State Museum, 205 West State Street, Trenton. For 24-hour information call 609-292-6464 or 609-292-6310 on weekdays or visit www.newjerseystatemuseum.org.
