Science Central, the region’s premier gateway for informal science education, has slated the following activities for the month of June:

Now through Sunday, Sept. 8 – “Wild Minds – What Animals Really Think” Traveling Exhibition.

Have you ever wondered what your dog was thinking? Visit Science Central to see the latest traveling exhibition, “Wild Minds: What Animals Really Think” and you’ll get some great insights about what’s going on in Fido’s brain. Wild Minds demonstrates just how bright our friends in the animal kingdom can be. You’ll learn about animals’ cognitive skills long thought to make human beings unique: using tools, solving problems, self-awareness, and the ability to communicate. By using a variety of videos, games and displays, you’ll learn about how animals’ environments have shaped their thinking abilities.

This world-class exhibit was funded by a grant from the National Science Foundation, and was developed in cooperation with the Columbus Zoo and COSI; Staten Island Zoo and the New York Hall of Science; Portland Zoo and Oregon Museum of Science & Industry; Santa Barbara Zoo and the California Science Center; and Fort Wayne Children’s Zoo and Science Central.

Monday, June 10, through Friday, June 14 – Science Central Summer Sampler Camp, Ages 5-11
Campers can start their summer off right by sampling a different science topic each day at Science Central’s Summer Sampler Camp. The week’s camp topics include:  Ancient Adventures; Claws, Jaws & Paws; Don’t Spring a Leak; Glues, Brews and Goos;and Sparkly Science.

Monday, June 10 – Friday, June 14 – Science Central Junior LEGO Robotics Camp, Ages 5-8
In this junior version of Science Central’s popular LEGO Robotics Camp, campers will learn basic computer programming to teach a robot to sing, dance, navigate a maze and more. The last day of camp includes an epic sumo wrestling battle.

Monday, June 10, through Friday, June 14 – Science Central Introduction to LEGO Robotics Camp, Ages 8-11
Using basic principles of engineering and computer programming, campers will design, build, and program a robot to perform different tasks. The last day of camp will feature a robot sumo wrestling competition.

Monday, June 17, through Friday, June 21 – Science Central “Design & Destroy” Summer Camp, Ages 5-11
Campers will try their hand at design and architecture as they explore the science of shape, and plan and build model bridges, skyscrapers and more. Projects will then be tested to see how much stress they can take before they crumble.

Monday, June 17, through Friday, June 21 – Science Central “Summer Survivor” Camp, Ages 10-13
Campers will explore a different science topic every day this week to help keep brains active. Topics include: “Say Cheese,”  with a journey into film and photography; “Subzero Science,” with experiments using dry ice and liquid nitrogen; “Written in Blood,” a look at forensic science and how it is used to fight crime; “Newton Camp,” where motion and force are explored as campers ride a hovercraft, launch rockets, make Newton’s cradles, and explore the world of physics; and “Reaction Time,” where campers will explore chemical reactions like oxidation, polymerization, and fire. Campers will also explore fluorescence and phosphorescence in a Black Light Olympics competition.

Monday, June 17, through Friday, June 21 – Science Central Half-Day Camps, Ages 3-5
Little ones can be Science Central Campers, too, with our half-day camps for ages 3-5. Topics this week will include: “3,2,1-Blast Off!,” with junior astronauts suiting up for a morning of launching rockets, dressing as astronauts, and making space food; “Pint-Sized Physicians,” where children will spend the morning as doctors-in-training while listening to each other’s heartbeats, making plaster finger casts, and wearing scrubs; “Sifting Through Science,” where campers will investigate materials’ properties, including sinking or floating, magnetic or non-magnetic, sifting, and sorting; “Eggs, Eggs, Everywhere,” where campers will investigate the way many creatures begin their lives and make their own baby dinosaur egg to hatch at home; and “Cool Science,” where campers will explore ice and water with penguins and their ice homes, bubble play, and liquid nitrogen ice cream.

Monday, June 24, through Friday, June 28 – Science Central “Weird Science” Camp, Ages 5-11
Get ready for a close encounter with the strange world of modern materials at “Weird Science” Camp! Liquids that defy gravity, memory metals that go back to their original shape after being bent, and sand that doesn’t absorb water? Weird!

Monday, June 24, through Friday, June 28 – Science Central Half-Day (8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.) Introduction to LEGO Robotics Camp, Ages 8-11; and Half-Day (1 p.m. to 5 p.m.), Ages 10-13
Using basic principles of engineering and computer programming, campers will design, build, and program a robot to perform different tasks. The last day of camp will feature a robot sumo wrestling competition.

For registration information on camps, visit www.sciencecentral.org.

Saturday, June 29, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Enjoy half-price admission to Science Central as part of the Downtown Improvement District’s Last Saturday event.

Participants wanted For Three Rivers Festival Egg Drop Competition

Science Central is seeking participants for several Three Rivers Festival activities. On Sunday, July 14, Science Central and Design Collaborative will present their annual Egg Drop Competition. Competitors of all ages are invited to participate in this event where fresh eggs, encased in structures built by contest participants, will be dropped from the roof of Science Central to the ground below to see which eggs will survive the fall.
 
Teams Sought For Festival “Catapult Chaos” Competition

On Thursday, July 18, Science Central and Fort Wayne Metals will present their annual “Catapult Chaos” competition. Teams can bring their pre-built catapults and trebuchets to Lawton Park, where flour bags will be launched to see whose machine can chuck objects the farthest. For registration information, and for additional information on building a catapult or trebuchet, visit www.sciencecentral.org. Entry deadline is July 8.