Science At Play: Change the Color of the World Around You

The world around us is full of amazing colors. Whether your favorite is red, blue, green, orange, or somewhere in between, you can always find something that suits your taste. But did you know that light plays a big role in the colors that we see? In this video, watch us explore how changing the …

Science At Play: Make Your Own DoodleBot

Materials to Collect Cup  Markers  Tape/Hot Glue  DC Hobby motor 1 x AA Battery Holder   AA battery Sheet of Paper Wirecutters  Build Your Own Gather all of your materials. Some things like the DC motor and the battery holder can be recycled form toys that no longer work. Attach the markers around the cup, either …

So you just got promoted to Head Teacher – Now What?

With the recent health events resulting in school closures, you are probably finding yourself assuming an additional role – that of your child’s lead teacher. While this time may feel like a vacation from school for some, we need to create structures and routines that best support learning that will need to occur at home. …

Science Sunday: Crafting A Homemade Bird Feeder

Happy Monday everyone! We hope everyone had a great weekend enjoying the sunny spring weather here in Connecticut. Now that we are officially into spring, we are coming up with some great spring activities to do at home with the entire family. Watch the latest edition of Science Sunday to learn how to make seed …

Archimedes the Mathematician

Like the number Pi, his influence lives on FOREVER π ≈ 3.14159265358979323846264338327950… Close your eyes.  Block out all of the noise around you.  You know the noise: social media, earbuds, TV, radio, telephone and more.  Now that you’ve quieted your mind, imagine an original idea and wonder if anyone else in all of civilization is …

A Few Pieces of Pi!

Pi Day has always been one of my favorite holidays. It ranks right up there with the Fourth of July and Christmas. It is a holiday that I often shared with my students.  Now that I am retired, I’ve decided to share a few Pieces of Pi with you.  In the past, my students would …

Paving the Way to STEM: Layers of the STEM Career Connections Initiative

More than ever, we need a robust pipeline of qualified future employees. Jobs in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields — statistics, advanced manufacturing, health sciences, information technology, and more — are on the rise in Connecticut. The state is returning to its roots as a hotspot for innovation, ranking fourth nationally on the …

Brownie Mix: STEM with Toddlers

My daughter is freshly two. Like many parents, I’m trying to keep her open to a life in the sciences. To be honest, I’m also trying to keep her open to a life in the arts, literature, languages, historical perspective, emotional intelligence, and everything else… and of course, she mostly loves to play basketball. But …

Science Sunday: Generating Sparks

Today, we are making sparks without using any fire. How exactly are we going to do this? Through the use of metal and movement. When we smash the chrome spheres together very fast, they generate enough heat to burn a small hole through the paper placed in between them. Another way we can generate some …

Science Sunday: Using Eggs to Learn About Inertia

Today we are going to have some eggcellent fun with inertia. How can we tell if an egg is hard-boiled or raw without cracking it? By using the laws of inertia, of course! This is something you can try for yourself at home. We will spin both eggs and try to stop them by lightly …

Science Sunday: Density

We are trying to solve a mystery on this weekend’s edition of Science Sunday. Look at the picture of this bottle with liquid and beads inside. The beads are suspended right in the middle of the bottle. How is this possible? Well, it all comes back to density. The liquid inside looks like it’s just …

Science Sunday: Hydrogen Fuel Cells

This edition of Science Sunday is all about a really awesome alternative energy source- hydrogen fuel cells. Hydrogen fuel cells can be used to power cars, as another alternative to clean energy and electric cars. What you may not know is that there are hydrogen fuel cell refueling stations located across the state of Connecticut …

Science Sunday: How Telegraphs Work

Today, almost everyone you see owns a smartphone, but the smartphone did not magically appear overnight. It has taken time to get to where we are today in the field of long-distance communication. Do you know where it all started? Well, on this edition of Science Sunday, we are going to explore the device that …

Science Sunday: Playing an Instrument without Touching It

On this edition of Science Sunday, we are making music without even touching the instrument we are playing. No, this is not magic. It is a theremin. How does this work? The theremin has an electromagnetic field around it, with two antennas located in different spots on the instrument. Each antenna serves a different purpose, …

Science Sunday: Experimenting with Candy

Halloween is right around the corner. It is only fitting that we do a couple of experiments using candy. Here is what you will see when you watch this episode of Science Sunday: Skittles and M&M Experiment: For this experiment, line up Skittles or M&Ms on a plate in any pattern you would like. Then …

Science Sunday: Mazes & Brain Games

This past weekend, we opened our brand-new traveling exhibit, Mazes & Brain Games, at the Connecticut Science Center. To mark the occasion, we decided to share with you some fun activities to show how your brain can be tricked with your own vision.  Our first test uses an old whirligig fidget toy with a different …

Women in Science Spotlight: Kristen Govoni, PhD

As part of the Connecticut Science Center’s Women in Science Initiative, each month we will highlight local Connecticut women in a variety of science fields. This month’s Women in Science Spotlight features Dr. Kristen Govoni, our 2019 Petit Family Foundation Women in Science Leadership Award Honoree. This award is presented to a woman working in …

Inspiring Tomorrow’s STEM Workforce

Launching a major new initiative aimed at inspiring Connecticut’s young people to embrace expanding career opportunities in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), the Connecticut Science Center has kicked-off STEM Career Connections.   Describing the Science Center as uniquely equipped to motivate young students and set them on a path to pursue in-demand careers in the …

Women in Science Initiative: Spotlight on Amy Sailor

The Connecticut Science Center’s Women in Science initiative encourages girls and young women to pursue studies and career paths in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) and celebrates the achievements of women in the sciences.  The Celebrating Women in Science initiative was launched in 2013 with the help of founding sponsor the Petit Family Foundation, …