April 2009 | Science Chicago

Experience an interactive exhibition that offers a rare glimpse of frogs, salamanders, caecilians and other creatures that make up class Amphibia. Zipline through a make-shift rainforest and learn how these cold-blooded species adapt to their surroundings. Travel through an interactive maze testing your knowledge on metamorphosis, extinction and everything else amphibian. Take one giant leap toward gaining a sense of familiarity with amphibians and understanding how they live.

This on-going colloquium series highlights a variety of topics in mathematics and education. Please view the web site for a complete listing of dates and topics.

Best known as the inventor of the geodesic dome, Buckminster Fuller devoted much of his life to resolving the perceived gab between the sciences and the humanities. His theories and innovations traversed the worlds of architecture, visual art, literature, mathematics, molecular biology, and environmental science. The first major exhibition of Fullerâs work in the U.S since the 1970âs will include more than 200 original examples of Fullerâs work. Ages 12 and up.

Spring Break Camp lets children ages 5-11 engage in exciting indoor and outdoor activities while exploring the Garden as it begins to bloom! Children participate in high-quality learning activities with certified teachers using inquiry-based, hands-on activities.

Spring Break Camp is offered weekly in AM, PM and all day options. Each session has two age groups, 5-7 and 8-11.

Sessions run from March 23-April 10th.

For more information and Camp descriptions, visit:
http://www.chicagobotanic.org/springbreakcamp/

Take a musical 3-D journey through space in "3-D Universe: A Symphony." Begin the adventure in a virtual art gallery where each picture is a portal into space. Discover stars, black holes and faraway galaxies as you are immersed in the music of Mussorgskyâs vivid orchestral suite âPictures at an Exhibitionâ as performed by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. "3-D Universe: A Symphony" features breath-taking, high-definition stereo pictures and animations that have never been seen before and bring the Universe to you in a unique sensory experience sure to be enjoyed by art and music lovers alike. "3-D Universe: A Symphony" is being presented at the Adler as part of its 2009 celebration of the International Year of Astronomy.

Experience an interactive exhibition that offers a rare glimpse of frogs, salamanders, caecilians and other creatures that make up class Amphibia. Zipline through a make-shift rainforest and learn how these cold-blooded species adapt to their surroundings. Travel through an interactive maze testing your knowledge on metamorphosis, extinction and everything else amphibian. Take one giant leap toward gaining a sense of familiarity with amphibians and understanding how they live.

These hour-long sessions give Adler guests an opportunity to meet astronomers, scientists, and historians in an informal atmosphere, ask questions, and explore visualizations in the SVL, Space Visualization Lab, with an expert guide. Check http://www.adlerplanetarium.org for further scheduling information.

Journey with Kidworks in this educational and eye opening performance. Kids of all ages can come ride a melting glacier with a penguin, journey to the Amazon rainforest on a monkey, save the coral reef in Australia and help create a better future for our lives here in Chicago. Kidworks brings global warming myths and facts to life, and offers positive solutions to saving the air, the trees, the oceans and ourselves!

The Discover Your Summer guide, produced by Project Exploration, is a free resource highlighting summer science programs for middle and high school students. With over 175 listings in 30 scientific fields, Discover Your Summer showcases offerings from aerospace engineering to zoology in locations across the Midwest and beyond. Search or download the online guide at www.projectexploration.org/dys.htm. To request print copies, please call 773-834-7614 or email dys@projectexploration.org.

Join us every Wednesday afternoon in the Children's Garden for an open exploration in our popular "dig pit." Each week, families have the chance to get their hands dirty by digging for dinosaur bones, planting pretend gardens, constructing a mini banana habitat, or any other number of rotating activities. Touchable plants and kid-friendly interactives will also be available during this time. Great for toddlers and elementary age children.

This joint exhibition of Behnisch Architekten and Transsolar addresses the widespread and often misleading interpretation of the term âsustainability.â The exhibition illustrates the conviction that high-quality built environments can be realized through reduced consumption of natural resources. These projects illustrate working methods, previous collaborations and prospects for the future. Curated by Frank Ockert of Stuttgart in cooperation with ifa (Institute for Foreign Cultural Relations), the exhibition is represented by the Goethe Institute and Galerie Aedes, Berlin, and is generously supported by Behnisch Architekten, Stuggart, Germany.

Tours of Fermilab are available to everyone 14 and older.

Get to Know Fermilab tours are held most Wednesdays at 10:30 a.m. Visitors meet in the Wilson Hall atrium for an introductory tour of the Lab and are welcome to enjoy lunch in the Wilson Hall Cafe. Around holidays, we do not provide tours. Please check the listed sessions to be sure that a tour will take place on the day you want to come.

There is no charge for the tour; just arrive at the front desk in the Wilson Hall atrium by 10:30. Children age 14 and older are welcome, but an adult must accompany them.

Tune your radio dial to University of Chicago radio station WHPK, 88.5FM every Wednesday from 3-4 p.m. for The Groks Science Show. Each show investigates topics in science in technology, including fun science facts, and features a roundup of current science news, interviews with scientists, technologists, and science authors. For more information visit the website www.groks.net or contact Charles C. Lee, Ph.D., Producer, Groks Science Show.

Join scientists who are investigating the boundary between our Solar System and the rest of our galaxy in "IBEX: Search for the Edge of the Solar System." Designed for visitors with an appreciation for the challenges of space science and a desire to learn more about science research, "IBEX: Search for the Edge of the Solar System" follows the creation of NASAâs Interstellar Boundary Explorer (IBEX). Audiences will get an in-depth look at the mission and how IBEX is collecting high-speed atoms to create a map of our Solar Systemâs boundary. Narrated by two inquisitive teenagers, audiences will hear from the scientists and engineers that developed the IBEX mission and created the spacecraft, and get the latest updates on the missionâs discoveries.

Who was Meresamun? The Oriental Institute: Museum uses the latest techniques of forensic science along with artifacts and ancient inscriptions to tell the story of a woman whose mummy and beautifully painted coffin are highlights of the museum's Egyptian collection. Art objects and documents illustrate Meresamun's temple duties and life at home, while new CT scans of her mummy allow us to reconstruct her appearance for the first time in nearly 3,000 years.

Explore nanotechnology in special hands-on activities being presented as part of the second annual NanoDays. Learn about nanoscale science and engineering and its potential impact on our future. Come measure your height in nanometers, build your own model of a buckyball (the ball-shaped carbon molecule), make and take home liquid crystal heat sensors and more.

By any measure, arthropodsâ"butterflies, insects, spiders, beetles, ants, crayfish, lobstersâ"are the most successful type of animals on earth. Three quarters of all known creatures are arthropods, with more than a million known species altogether. Chicago wildlife photographer Jim. Rowan brings these frequently seen but seldom observed animals to our attention, offering a glimpse into a miniature world that exists within the earth's ecosystems.

KidsCom.com invites you and your children to play Animal Adventureâ"a fun educational game about biodiversity in the Illinois Wetlands!

Go to www.kidscom.com click Play Now! and register for free! During registration kids will create a character that can walk around on Planet Sarillionâ"our virtual world.

Click the Planet or Map icon on the upper part of the screen to find the Animal Adventure game.

Select Jardim Forest and walk your character into The Field Museum.

Play starts by clicking on the Information Desk. The object of each game is to collect pictures of an animal (find the hints along the way!), make a puzzle, and vote on solutions to help the animals.

All Animal Adventure game factual content was provided by scientists at The Field Museum.

Bonus: Next time youâre at The Field Museumâ"ask for an Animal Adventure Scavenger Hunt Booklet. Find the exhibits, answer the questions, and come back to www.kidscom.com to receive points! Use points to adopt virtual pets, decorate an eco-friendly house and more!

The âGreenest Home in Chicagoâ is back at the Museum of Science and Industry, redesigned and updated for 2009. The home - built by Michelle Kaufmann Designs and built by All-American Homes -- showcases the ways you can make eco-friendly living a part of your life, and highlights what the future may bring for consumers.

Smart Home offers guided tours of the 2,500 square-foot home and grounds. Discover the new interior, reinterpreted with the help of Chicago Home + Garden magazine and featuring bold colors, fresh green stories, and new products and furniture. New and unique home technologies are also on display, courtesy of WIRED magazine. Explore the updated landscaping, which offers techniques for urban gardening such as vertical gardens and EarthBox planting.

Journey with Kidworks in this educational and eye opening performance. Kids of all ages can come ride a melting glacier with a penguin, journey to the Amazon rainforest on a monkey, save the coral reef in Australia and help create a better future for our lives here in Chicago. Kidworks brings global warming myths and facts to life, and offers positive solutions to saving the air, the trees, the oceans and ourselves!

Take a musical 3-D journey through space in "3-D Universe: A Symphony." Begin the adventure in a virtual art gallery where each picture is a portal into space. Discover stars, black holes and faraway galaxies as you are immersed in the music of Mussorgskyâs vivid orchestral suite âPictures at an Exhibitionâ as performed by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. "3-D Universe: A Symphony" features breath-taking, high-definition stereo pictures and animations that have never been seen before and bring the Universe to you in a unique sensory experience sure to be enjoyed by art and music lovers alike. "3-D Universe: A Symphony" is being presented at the Adler as part of its 2009 celebration of the International Year of Astronomy.

Experience an interactive exhibition that offers a rare glimpse of frogs, salamanders, caecilians and other creatures that make up class Amphibia. Zipline through a make-shift rainforest and learn how these cold-blooded species adapt to their surroundings. Travel through an interactive maze testing your knowledge on metamorphosis, extinction and everything else amphibian. Take one giant leap toward gaining a sense of familiarity with amphibians and understanding how they live.

These hour-long sessions give Adler guests an opportunity to meet astronomers, scientists, and historians in an informal atmosphere, ask questions, and explore visualizations in the SVL, Space Visualization Lab, with an expert guide. Check http://www.adlerplanetarium.org for further scheduling information.

The Discover Your Summer guide, produced by Project Exploration, is a free resource highlighting summer science programs for middle and high school students. With over 175 listings in 30 scientific fields, Discover Your Summer showcases offerings from aerospace engineering to zoology in locations across the Midwest and beyond. Search or download the online guide at www.projectexploration.org/dys.htm. To request print copies, please call 773-834-7614 or email dys@projectexploration.org.

This joint exhibition of Behnisch Architekten and Transsolar addresses the widespread and often misleading interpretation of the term âsustainability.â The exhibition illustrates the conviction that high-quality built environments can be realized through reduced consumption of natural resources. These projects illustrate working methods, previous collaborations and prospects for the future. Curated by Frank Ockert of Stuttgart in cooperation with ifa (Institute for Foreign Cultural Relations), the exhibition is represented by the Goethe Institute and Galerie Aedes, Berlin, and is generously supported by Behnisch Architekten, Stuggart, Germany.

Join scientists who are investigating the boundary between our Solar System and the rest of our galaxy in "IBEX: Search for the Edge of the Solar System." Designed for visitors with an appreciation for the challenges of space science and a desire to learn more about science research, "IBEX: Search for the Edge of the Solar System" follows the creation of NASAâs Interstellar Boundary Explorer (IBEX). Audiences will get an in-depth look at the mission and how IBEX is collecting high-speed atoms to create a map of our Solar Systemâs boundary. Narrated by two inquisitive teenagers, audiences will hear from the scientists and engineers that developed the IBEX mission and created the spacecraft, and get the latest updates on the missionâs discoveries.

Meteorites are pieces of rock and metal that fall to the earth from outer space. Most meteorites are pieces of asteroids, which are leftovers from the formation of the planets, and are older than any rocks you can find on the Earth. Scientists study meteorites so they can understand what was happening in those early years of our solar system, and learn details about how our own planet Earth formed. In this show-and-tell presentation, I will also tell some funny stories about these strange and interesting rocks that fall from the sky.