Programs and Events

FREE Lecture
Making Memories in a Dangerous World: How Scary Experiences Shape the Brain
Thursday, October 6, 2011
7:30 pm

Ki Goosens

Presented by Ki Goosens, Investigator, McGovern Institute for Brain Research & Assistant Professor, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Neuroscientist Ki Goosens studies the way that aversive experiences change the brain. In particular, her laboratory focuses on the ways that stress may predispose individuals to develop disorders of excessive fear, such as post-traumatic stress disorder. Her laboratory uses cutting-edge techniques, such as optogenetics, a technology which enables precise control of the firing of brain cells with light; and gene transfer, a technology which enables precise manipulation of genes in brain cells using engineered virus, to answer basic questions such as: Why are fearful memories so enduring? What can we do to treat excessive fear?

In addition, Dr. Goosens will talk about what studies of fear in the laboratory can tell us about the nature of memory. She will discuss an emerging body of evidence that suggests that memories might be erased. She will also talk about studies demonstrating how experience interacts with our genetic makeup to determine our vulnerability or resilience to danger.

Admission to the lecture is free. Your reservation also includes free admission to Goose Bumps! The Science of Fear.

Advance reservations required. Call 216-621-2400 (Monday – Friday, 9 am – 5:30 pm.)

Dr. Goosens’ lecture is presented in cooperation with the MIT Club of Northeast Ohio. Learn more about Ki Goosens.

Mad Scientist 101
NEOEA One-Day Camp
Friday, October 14
8:30 am – 3:30 pm
Grades K – 8

School’s out, but the Science Center is open! Get ready for hands-on, Halloween-themed fun! Learn frightening facts about everything scary – spiders, skeletons, black cats and bats. Watch electricity experiments, see the OMNIMAX movie, Dinosaurs Alive, experiment with chemistry and tap into your inner mad scientist! $42 ($39 members). Advance reservations required. Call 216-621-2400 (Monday – Friday, 9 am – 5:30 pm.)

Fright Night Family Sleepover
Friday, October 14
6 pm

A ghastly good time for the whole family! Explore the Science Center for things that go bump in the night, see the OMNIMAX movie, Secrets of the Pharoahs, and tour the Mather Steamship after dark… if you dare…Then grab your sleeping bag and spend the night. $39 per person. Includes snack, breakfast and general admission to the Science Center the next day. Advance reservations required. Call 216-621-2400 (Monday – Friday, 9 am – 5:30 pm.) Learn more about the Fright Night Family Sleepover.

Brick-or-Treat LEGO Workshop
Saturday, October 15
9 am – 12 pm
Grades 4 – 8

Create creepy, crawly creations and program them to trick, treat or scare! Learn the basics of robotics from our trained staff using LEGO Mindstorm NXT kits. Discover how sensors can be used to make a robot react to its surroundings. Have fun while building your own Halloween creation, and control a robotic arm to select candy! Includes general admission to the Science Center and the Goose Bumps exhibition. $20 ($15 members). Advance reservations required. Call 216-621-2400 (Monday – Friday, 9 am – 5:30 pm.)

Family Science: Dissection Discovery
Saturday, October 15
2 – 3:30 pm
Age 6+ with adult

Get hands-on and minds-on with your family! Perform a cow eye dissection guided by trained Science Center staff and explore the wonders of the eye—up close and personal! Through exploration, discussion and activities, you’ll learn the amazing structure and function of the eye. Trained staff will be on hand to demonstrate so parents will be able to help younger children. Includes general admission to the Science Center and admission to the Goose Bumps exhibition. Advance reservations required. Call 216-621-2400 (Monday – Friday, 9 am – 5:30 pm.)

Spooky Science Nights
October 21, 28, 29
5:30 – 9 pm

After-dark fun for the whole family! Take a haunted tour on the Mather Steamship, touch live creepy creatures, see pumpkin explosions, mix up spooky concoctions and experience our Fear Factor activity carts. $12 ($10 members). Separate OMNIMAX admission applies. Advance reservations required. Call 216-621-2400 (Monday – Friday, 9 am – 5:30 pm.) Learn more about Spooky Science Nights.

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