22 April 2013
Posted in Dr. Ying Competition

This weekend is the 15th Annual Dr. Nelson Ying Science Competition! Every day this week, we'll spotlight one of the five finalists.

We start with Sarah Van Sickle of Brevard County’s Satellite Beach High School. Sarah is a senior and a return competitor having being selected as a finalist last year.

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15 April 2013
Posted in Member News

Spring has sprung at the Science Center, and it was in full swing at April’s Member Monday!

Members got to embark on an adventure into springtime with our storyteller Madeline Potts. Families colored spring coloring sheets and listened to stories, plus everyone got into the spring fever and danced to Madeline’s ukulele!

Mark your calendars for Monday, May 13 from 9 a.m.–10 a.m. for the next event. It will be an hour of fun including a special appearance by a four-legged friend.

15 April 2013
Posted in The Science of Wine

2013 Science of Wine is quickly approaching, but we just couldn’t wait! We visited one of our restaurant partners, Hawkers Asian Street Fare, to get a taste of what they’re bringing to the big event.

Hawkers features the best traditional street foods from every region of Asia together under one roof. Take your taste buds on a journey to the Far East at the 2013 Science of Wine on May 11!

10 April 2013
Posted in Planetarium Shows

Still think that contact with alien species is complete and utter nonsense that could only happen in a science fiction movie? Leading experts at the World Economic Forum disagree with you!

At WEF’s annual conference in Switzerland in January, expert economists from across the globe gathered to identify “X Factors,” or emerging concerns of possible future importance with unknown consequences. X factors are serious issues, grounded in the latest scientific findings, that are somewhat remote from what are generally seen as more immediate concerns.

Of the five X factors identified for 2013, the most surprising was the potential discovery of alien life.According to the WEF, “it is increasingly conceivable that we may discover the existence of alien life or other planets that could support human life.”

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08 April 2013
Posted in Exhibits

There were more memories made this past weekend than you can shake a lightsaber at!

The final days of Star Wars®: Where Science Meets Imagination did not disappoint with character appearances galore and a wedding proposal to boot! Darth Vader, Emperor Palpatine, R2-D2 and others celebrated the blockbuster exhibit’s last hurrah in style when two lucky fans experienced the wedding proposal of a lifetime.

Thousands upon thousands of guests converged at this fantastic and educational experience that we’re happy to have hosted for the past six months. Thank you to everyone who visited as well as the 501st Legion Makaze Squad, Rebel Legion Ra Kura Base and Mandalorian Mercs Buurenaar Verda Clan for their inspired troops.

Enjoy these photos from the weekend that was and may the Force be with you! 

03 April 2013
Posted in Dr. Dare's Lab

All of these pictures were taken using a microscope camera in Dr. Dare's Lab at Orlando Science Center. They are from a drop of pond water taken from Lake Estelle located next door. Take a look through our photo reel to see some awesome microscopic creatures!

The creature boxed in yellow is an example of an ostracod and is commonly known as a Seed Shrimp. Its body is protected by 2 half shells which meet at a hinge toward the top of its body. We found a mosquito in the 2nd stage of its life; eventually it will change and enter pupa stage of its development where it will then transform into an adult mosquito.

The nauphilus copepod has small antennae on its head that are used for swimming. The nauphilus stage is the first stage of development for crustaceans. What do you think it will look like when it grows up? We also found some nematodes, also known as roundworms. To-date over 28,000 different kinds of nematodes have been identified but scientist estimated there could be over 1 million different species.

The video features an ostracod that is first seen searching for food. Unexpectedly an adult copepod enters the frame and the ostracod appears to maneuver plants & algae around its self. See for yourself! Is it trying to hide?