PacSci Podcast

Societal and scientific consensus says we should not fear Wi-Fi, artificial sweeteners, and fluoridated water. However, legitimately dangerous products that are flammable, toxic, radioactive and generally bad for you have been sold as safe in the past. Join Virginia Ng and David Frank as we look at products throughout history that killed, injured and poisoned, and the marketing campaigns that went along with them.

In this PacSci Podcast we hear from one local health expert who cautions against watching the COVID-19 numbers too closely. Practicing good health habits is more more important. PacSci will host a special online-only event March 24, 2020 to help answer your questions.

Retired KING TV Chief Meteorologist Jeff Renner explains the difference between climate and weather and why this is such a crucial issue. He will give a presentation at PacSci's 3-day event Curiosity Expo: Climate Change coming up February 28-March 1, 2020. Hope you can join us.

In our latest PacSci Podcast we take a look at the octopus and just why scientists are so interested in them these days. These fascinating creatures may help us live longer and find life elsewhere in the universe, among other things.

Meet a member of PacSci's Board of Directors. A most talented woman with a love of education and access for all who wants everyone to know the many accomplishments of women and people of color.

At Pacific Science Center we believe that science needs diversity. We prioritize inclusion, diversity, equity and access in order to strengthen our organization and our community. And there is no greater champion of that than Adriane Brown who chairs our board of directors, a woman who spent many years in corporate America before coming to the Northwest.

On February 11, 2020 PacSci's Science In The City presents science journalist Lydia Denworth, author of Friendship: The Evolution, Biology and Extraordinary Power of Life’s Fundamental Bond, for a discussion on how the new science of friendship has simultaneously clarified what friendship is and blurred the lines between friendship, romance, and family.

There's something new inside PacSci's Building 4. It's an interactive sculpture that combines visual components with sound in surprising ways.

As winter approaches, we're entering the darkest time of year in our part of the world. But Pacific Science Center's historic Laser Dome is doing its part to lighten things up this month.

The 2019 holiday season is here and once again this year, Pacific Science Center is going all out with all sorts of programming, including a special light art installation.

Our solar system now has a new king when it comes to moons orbiting planets: hail Saturn!

Shakespeare and science come together at PacSci on October 30, 2019 when Pacific Science Center presents Science in The City: The Crimes of Macbeth: Witchcraft or Neuropsychology? with Dr. Kaitlyn Casimo, a local neuroscientist who has become a Halloween science tradition at PacSci. Her past events on Frankenstein, zombies, and werewolves is the stuff of legends. This year will be the same. More info: https://www.pacificsciencecenter.org/events/sitc-neuropsychology-103019/

PacSci's famous Brewology event is almost here and that means it's time to talk science...of beer.

Artificial Intelligence. You hear a lot about it these days, but what is it really? The reality is most of us really don't know much about it nor what the future may hold. But we have an event coming up this month that we hope will help.

Pacific Science Center is very happy to announce that one of our Science Communication Fellows has been selected as an AAAS - The American Association for the Advancement of Science IF/THEN Ambassador.

A member of our staff has found some beautiful art in a most unexpected place - butterfly poop.

In this PacSci Podcast, we take a closer look at something we'd normally shy away from: feces. Poop. Yucky stuff that tells a story.

NASA has announced plans to send a probe to Jupiter's moon Europa. In this PacSci Podcast Planetarian Dakota Spear explains why this mission is so exciting. https://www.nasa.gov/europa

In this PacSci Podcast we take a closer look at the tiny creatures now residing on the moon.

In this PacSci podcast we learn about a new option for disposing of our bodies when we die. It's a process that turns you into soil. Join us August 20 at PacSci for a Science in The City event for a presentation from the CEO of a company that will soon offer this service. More info: https://www.pacificsciencecenter.org/events/recompose-innovation-in-death-care/

August is here and stargazing is peaking. Get some inspiration here then get out there and be curious!

In this PacSci Podcast we discuss what it means to be a tinker and why the process of design, build, test, repeat is important to makers and huge companies alike.

As the world marks the 50th anniversary of a remarkable achievement in space, it's worth remembering that Pacific Science Center would not be what it is today without space exploration.

PacSci's What is Reality project is reaching new heights this summer. In this PacSci Podcast we explore new experiences and new developments that promise to take things to places yet unimagined.

Take a selfie on the moon, visit with penguins, and witness an entirely new business model emerge. Pacific Science Center's What Is Reality project is changing this summer and we invite you to experience it. Learn more in this PacSci Podcast.

Science in the City: Star Trek and the science of humanoid evolution Monday, July 29, 2019 at 7 p.m. in Pacific Science Center's PACCAR Theater. This is a free event for Pacific Science Center members, just $5 for everyone else. More info: https://www.pacificsciencecenter.org/events/star-trek-and-the-science-of-humanoid-evolution-2019-07-29/

Summer has officially arrived now and that means all sorts of fun outdoor activities are erupting all around our part of the world, including the return of a beloved show at Pacific Science Center...something we call Danger Science.

Some of Pacific Science Center's most fascinating exhibits may fool you. They may not appear to be exhibits at all. In this PacSci Podcast we explore the green side of our campus and how you can create your own exhibit space at home.

PacSci's newest exhibit (opens June 15, 2019) is all about a natural phenomenon that affects us all and is a growing concern each summer: wildfires. This exhibit is teamed with a public art installation we mentioned in our last report. Learn more about the exhibit in this quick PacSci Podcast then make plans to experience both before they close this fall.

PacSci teams up with a local artist to help prepare for a troublesome new summer tradition: The Season of Smoke.

In the more than half century of Pacific Science Center's existence, taking a field trip to our main campus next to Seattle Center has become a tradition at schools all over the Northwest. But starting in the 70s, another Science Center program has become just as traditional: it's Pacific Science Center's Science On Wheels program that has engaged with students and teachers and community events reaching millions more all over our part of the world.

Pacific Science Center invites you to have a blast with us as Seattle's Summer of Space celebration goes skyward. We call this event Rocket Launch Day. Learn all about it in this quick PacSci Podcast then make plans to join us Tuesday, July 16.

It's the month of May, that time of year to celebrate warmer weather, blooming flowers, and mothers. In this PacSci Podcast we learn that humans share something with all other living things and that being a mother may not look the same to all species but at its heart accomplishes the same thing. Happy Mother's Day to all and be curious! In this episode we mention a previous story about beach etiquette. Here's the link. https://soundcloud.com/pacsci/get-ready-to-hit-the-beach-carefully-2019-04-05

Imagine a place, a very special, some would say spiritual place that looks pretty much like it did hundreds if not thousands of years ago. This place is called the Great Bear Rainforest of British Columbia and it's the focus of Pacific Science Center's latest IMAX documentary. In this PacSci Pocast we talk with the film's director to learn about the forest, its wildlife, and the humans who've cared for the place for generations.

Pacific Science Center has another weekend event coming up that you will love. We'll get you up close and personal with some of the most important scientists in the world: engineers. We call this event Engineer It coming up Friday through Sunday, May 3-5 on our main campus under the arches near the Space Needle.

Drone Day Pacific Science Center has an event coming up June 1, 2019 that has a so excited. We're still working out the many details, but for now we just call it Drone Day.

Pacific Science Center is gearing up for our Summer Hike Series at Mercer Slough. Come explore this very special part of the Northwest and gain a new perspective on our home.

Spring and summer are here and that means it's time to get outdoors and explore our world. And there's no better way to do that around our part of the planet than hitting local beaches when tides are lowest. In this quick PacSci Podcast get advice on how to best explore local beaches without harming local residents. Then make plans for your own beach combing adventure. Additional Resources: Highline College Marine Science and Technology Center at Redondo Beach https://mast.highline.edu/ NOAA Tide Predictions - WA https://tidesandcurrents.noaa.gov/tide_predictions.html?gid=1415

On Tuesday, April 16, 2019, Pacific Science Center invites you to spend the evening with us to learn from local historians who do most of their work far from the library or museum. They do it under water. They're members of an organization called Global Underwater Explorers. In this quick PacSci Podcast we learn what they find, why they do it, and why you never call these explorers treasure hunters.

There's an event coming up in Pacific Science Center's Willard Smith Planetarium that features one of the most beloved parts of our solar system...the dwarf planet Pluto. But this isn't just another planetarium show. In this quick PacSci Podcast learn why you will come away with a sense of awe then make plans to join us and The Evergrey on Thursday, April 11 at 7 p.m. It really will be out of this world.

There's something new in Pacific Science Center's What Is Reality program. That's where we partner with local startups, scientists, artists, engineers and others to explore the field of enhanced reality...your virtual reality, augmented reality and so on. Our latest experience in What Is Reality is called Chorus.

Pacific Science Center's newest exhibit is called Our Plentiful Planet and it focuses on a topic that is essential to every living thing on planet Earth: reproduction.

What is the most valuable part of Pacific Science Center? Our famous arches? Our butterflies? Exhibits? It's really the thousands of guests who visit and support our work. But these days, their value extends beyond Pacific Science Center. Our guests now play an exciting role in some emerging businesses. Find out how in this quick PacSci Podcast then come experience it yourself.

As the Puget Sound area continues to deal with one of the coldest, snowiest winters on record, Pacific Science Center is here to urge you to think summer. As in summer camps.

Pacific Science Center has started a new initiative that we're convinced is critically important in this day and age. It's called the Girls and Women in STEM Initiative and it's about helping to break down the social and cultural barriers that girls and women face in STEM fields.

As these words are being written the temperature outside is well below freezing with snowy, icy roadways and the usual dangers that go along with winter weather. So, now is a great time to consider summer vacations. And do we have one "total-ly" awesome suggestion for you. Visit the other half of the world, witness an astronomical event like nowhere else, and support science education at the same time. Give a listen to this quick PacSci Podcast then make plans to join us.

Pacific Science Center has just opened up a new exhibit we call Science in Action: I-LABS. I-LABS stands for the Institute of Learning and Brain Sciences at the University of Washington, our partner on this new exhibit. Unlike other exhibits, in this one you can not only contribute data to a current research project, but you can also learn what happens to data when it's collected.

An event that has attracted hundreds of thousands of people over the past 45 years is back for 2019. It's Pacific Science Center's Annual Model Railroad Show January 19-21, Saturday thru Monday, MLK Day. Learn more about it in this quick PacSci Podcast which includes tips for making a trip to this year's event an adventure for all ages. More info at pacsci.org/railroad-show.

We received another call from Graylan Vincent of Seattle who's spending this winter at the south pole where summer is in full swing and with it lots of scientific research. This time he reports on just how popular that once isolated part of the world has become. In this report we mention that anyone with questions can send them to SouthPole@pacsci.org. A Man in Puyallup, WA asked about the ham radio setup used at the pole. Graylan responded with this detailed blog post. http://graylan.wordpress.com/2018/12/17/ham…he-south-pole/

We're excited to announce that applications are now being accepted for one of Pacific Science Center's most beloved teen programs at Mercer Slough Environmental Education Center in Bellevue. Learn More: https://www.pacificsciencecenter.org/practicum/

Here it is, December 2018 which marks 20 years of our famous Tropical Butterfly House. We're celebrating by sparking even more curiosity.