Free 'Lucy' Sneak Peek For Educators

For all educators: join us Saturday, June 7, 9:45 a.m. at Pacific Science Center for a special sneak peek at →Lucy's Legacy: The Hidden Treasures of Ethiopia, which opens in October. This presentation includes a behind the scenes look at how the exhibit was created. Hear from the exhibit project coordinator, Diana Johns, about the exciting new interactive exhibits being created by Pacific Science Center just for this exhibition.

You and your guests will also receive free admission to our newest exhibit →SPEED and to the 12:30 p.m. showing of Super Speedway: Racing with the Andrettis in our Eames IMAX Theater.

To RSVP, email →Natasha Hippler with the number of guests (up to 3) attending by June 5, 2008. The first 150 to RSVP will receive a Free Reusable Shopping Bag, courtesy of the →Mercer Slough Environmental Education Center.

Check-in begins at 9:15 am. Please enter through the Rotary Discovery Labs at 200 2nd Ave N. Educators will be required to show school ID.

Educators Honored

Washington State LASER (Washington State Leadership and Assistance for Science Education Reform, a program of Pacific Science Center), has announced the recipients of the 2008 Science Education Advocate Awards. These awards go to five individuals, organizations, and/or project teams who exhibited outstanding advocacy for science education in the state of Washington. Congratulations to all recipients and thank you for your continued great work! →Learn More

Give Your Car The Summer Off

Pacific Science Center is excited to be part of Seattle Mayor Greg Nickel's Give Your Car the Summer Off campaign. From now through June 20, anyone who walks, bikes, or uses a bus to visit Pacific Science Center will be eligible to receive $2 off their general exhibit admission ticket (some restrictions apply). Help reduce traffic congestion, cut down on our collective carbon footprint, save some money, and have a great time...all at the same time! →Learn More

Help Send Kids To Camp

Each year Pacific Science Center receives more scholarship requests for our summer camp program than we can accommodate. But you can help send these children to camp! This weekend, May 24-26, Visit Barnes & Noble →Pacific Place and just mention Pacific Science Center when you make any purchase. When you do, a percentage will be donated to support Pacific Science Center camp scholarships. If you can’t make it to downtown Seattle this weekend you can still help by spreading the word! Please forward this message to any book lovers or those who might wish to support this great cause. We want to thank Barnes & Noble for supporting Pacific Science Center and our Summer Camp Scholarship Fund.

The Phoenix Is Landing!

Humankind's latest export to planet Mars is scheduled to land on the Red Planet this coming Sunday, May 25. Pacific Science Center's →Willard Smith Planetarium has special programs planned during the entire Memorial Day weekend. Come join us as we celebrate some serious scientific discovery!

Will Atlas Shrug?

We haven't had these incredible specimens in our →Tropical Butterfly House for quite awhile. But they're back and as fascinating as ever. The Atlas Moth is huge. The picture here doesn't do it justice. There are still some in our emerging room waiting to come out. Stop by and see what we mean. They won't be hard to find!

Puzzling Paradox

It's a conundrum that has baffled scientists since Charles Darwin: since parasites depend on their hosts for survival, why do they harm them? A new study of monarch butterflies and the microscopic parasites that hitch a ride on them may finally provide an answer. Learn more about it in this →Science Daily article. Then stop by Pacific Science Center's famous Tropical Butterfly House. The monarch just happens to be our →Butterfly of the Month. Stop by and do your own observations on these fascinating, fluttering creatures.

Buy A Sandwich, Get Some Discovery!

Our friends at Quiznos are doing it again. Buy a regular or large Quiznos combo meal and receive a coupon for a free child's admission to Pacific Science Center with a paid adult admission. This is for all our exhibits, including the new →Speed exhibition which opens May 31. You can find the coupons at participating Western Washington Quiznos locations while supplies last. Some restrictions apply. So, grab some food and head for the arches under the Space Needle!

Social Networking: Something Old, Something New

MySpace, Facebook, LinkedIn...social networking sites are very popular these days. But researchers in France contend that social networking dates back as far as the year 1260! Learn more in this →Nature article. Speaking of social networking, Pacific Science Center has added Twitter to its list of new communication tools. You can keep up with everything happening under the arches near the Space Needle, and all across Washington state, by subscribing to our →RSS feed, follow this blog, check us out on →YouTube and →Flickr, and now stay in touch with us on →Twitter. We'd love to hear how you use these new tools that really may just be the latest iteration of something that's been around a long time. →Drop us a line.

PacSci Starts Twittering

Pacific Science Center is now on Twitter. Find us at http://twitter.com/pacsci. Not sure what Twitter is all about? Think blog, but with MANY, MANY very small posts. Micro-blogging. Here is a recent article that explains it better. If you are a Twitterer, look us up and add us to your following list. This is still an emerging technology but has the potential to become something incredibly powerful. We'd love to hear your thoughts. Let us know what you think.

Incredible Ocean Frenzy - In 3D!

The newest film now playing at Pacific Science Center's Boeing IMAX Theater puts one of the most fascinating scenes of nature on the biggest screen in town. Each year an unbelievable feeding frenzy takes place in the seas off South Africa as billions of sardines migrate up the coast. The migration has provided an annual food source for both life in the sea and the people living along the African shores. Experience breaching whales, feeding sharks, diving gannets, and massive bait balls up close on the giant screen. Dive into an epic underwater struggle for survival and discover how business, government, and the local people have joined forces to protect this invaluable ecological resource. Check our →schedule for show times for Wild Ocean 3D!

Speed Racer: Go! In IMAX

Here are just a few comments from critics who've seen Speed Racer: The IMAX Experience:

"Completely immersive and ridiculously fun!"

"A simply visually stunning work of art. Speed Racer is a high octane whirlwind of fun, action and sheer excitement."

"Speed Racer in IMAX is the equivalent of getting strapped right into Mach 5. Get ready for an unrelenting, gasping for air, one of a kind experience."

"As soon as there is a chance to see "Speed Racer" in IMAX, take it!"

Get set for one wild ride! →Show Times/Tickets

PacSci-Doku: Solar Power

When it comes to energy sources here on planet Earth, none is greater than that big ball of light in the sky. But have you ever wondered what powers the Sun? That's the topic for our latest bi-weekly science word puzzle. Can you solve the 'Solar Power' edition of →PacSci-Doku?

Beetles, A Whole New Perspective

The next time you see a tiny beetle crawling across your path, stop and take a closer look. While perusing some science articles recently we found one that shows those little bugs have actually been around since before the dinosaurs! Read about it at →MSNBC.com. Then stop by and get up close and personal with some beetles in our Insect Village and stroll through our Dinosaur Hall to get a new perspective on some of the largest and smallest of the animal world.

Vacationing Under The Arches

A recent →blog entry from a family in Oregon tells the story of their vacation in Seattle. It serves as a great illustration of how much there is to do in our fair area. Along with the zoo and aquarium and other stops, they spent some time at Pacific Science Center and loved it. As you make plans for upcoming getaways, and considering the cost of gas and so on, it's a nice reminder of just how much there is to do right here at home. Just remember: be sure to add some discovery to your summer vacation plans this year!

5th Annual Breakfast a Success!

Last week, over 175 people attended the Fifth Annual Foundations of Science Fundraising Breakfast. Chaired by Pacific Science Center Board member Mona Bailey, the event was a tremendous success and raised more than $118,000! A highlight of the morning was the keynote address by Dr. Elson S. Floyd, President of Washington State University, who delivered an inspiring call to increase support for Washington state's K-12 education programs and science, math and technology education programs like those offered by Pacific Science Center.

Thanks to generous support from our Presenting Sponsor Kibble & Prentice and Supporting Sponsor Unigard, every dollar raised through the event directly funds Pacific Science Center's many educational programs. Thanks also to Swifty Printing for their in-kind support. Pacific Science Center extends our deepest thanks to the sponsors, attendees and everyone who helped make this year's event a great success.

Scientists + Kids = Scientific Discovery

Under way through Sunday at Pacific Science Center, scientists have gathered to share their knowledge of marine sciences with everyone, young and old. It's Marine Exploration Weekend on through Sunday, May 18. Learn more in this →Seattle P-I article. Even more at →PacSci.org.

B Is For Butterfly House

Over at The Seattle Traveler they have posted a neat list of Seattle: A to Z. It starts with the Arboretum and ends with Zoolights at Point Defiance Zoo. Uh, technically that's Tacoma, but you get the idea. Anyway, coming in at B on the list is Pacific Science Center's Tropical Butterfly House. All in all, a fun listing of some of the Puget Sound area's treasures. Check it out!

PacSci-Doku: Now That's Old!

Here's a deep subject to ponder: how old is the Grand Canyon? While you roll that around in your mind, click over to our latest bi-weekly science word puzzle. Talk about deep! And if you want more, check out Grand Canyon Adventure 3D: River At Risk, now showing at our Boeing IMAX Theater. →Learn More

To The Moon Alice, Bobby, Yves, Zeta, Etc.

Would you like to go to the moon? That's not likely to happen anytime soon, but NASA is sending two unmanned craft to Earth's satellite. They're scheduled to be launched together next fall. And while you can't go along, your name can! The Send Your Name to the Moon Web site enables everyone to participate in the lunar adventure and place their names in orbit around the moon for years to come. Submit your name, print a certificate and have your name entered into a database. The database will be placed on a microchip that will be integrated onto the spacecraft. The deadline for submitting names is June 27, 2008. →Learn More

A Science With A Twist Mashup

What happens when a paleontologist and a sommelier get together and compare notes? We're not really sure but we think it might look something like our next 21+ event coming up May 15. Dinosaurs, wine, food, music and some surprises. Join us for Science With A Twist: Dino Wine-OH! Part Deux. →Learn More

Speed Racer: Go! In IMAX

So, somebody in Hollywood thought it would be a good idea to take a cheesy old cartoon show from the 60s and turn it into a live action film. If you're like many of us, ho hum may have been your first thought. That was until we saw the trailer! The wizards behind the Matrix Trilogy have turned old school anime on its ear. Get set for one wild ride as Speed Racer: The IMAX Experience opens Friday, May 9 at our Boeing IMAX Theater. Forget the multiplex. You just have to see and hear it on the biggest screen in town. →Learn More

New Exhibits 'Speeding' Their Way To You

If you happen to walk by our loading dock area at Second and John on the west side of our facility you may be wondering what's going on. Our exhibit technicians and facilities staff are working feverishly right now. They're completely refurbishing Building 4 for →Lucy's Legacy: the Hidden Treasures of Ethiopia opening this fall. At the same time, they're moving in our next big exhibit which promises to be the fastest exhibition ever! →Speed opens May 31. It's an exciting time under the arches near the Space Needle!

Some Very Wet Science Headed Your Way

We have a special four-day event coming up that will let you discover what's happening in the exciting world of marine science - straight from the experts. Join Pacific Science Center and local scientists for a marine adventure! Take part in hands-on activities and engaging demonstrations while discovering all about the marine ecosystems research happening in your own backyard. It's Marine Exploration Weekend May 15-18. Entry is included with the price of general admission and it's free for Pacific Science Center members. →Learn More

Summer Camps Are Going Fast

If you're making plans for summer, don't wait much longer if one of our Camps For Curious Minds was on your to-do list. Registrations are coming in fast and furious, especially for the Mercer Slough Environmental Education Center camps. So, make your plans now! →Learn More