The Texas Science Festival, organized by The University of Texas at Austin’s College of Natural Sciences, takes place from February 18 through March 5, with experiences on the UT campus and around Central Texas, including:
- The 25th annual STEM Girl Day
- An open house at Brackenridge Field Laboratory, complete with a “citizen-science” training for volunteer researchers
- Fireside-style chats with world-renowned scientists
- An activity fair at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
- Science-inspired film screenings at Austin Film Society, the Texas Union and the Long Center for Performing Arts Events
- A planetarium event at Austin Nature & Science Center
- Special themed tours at the Blanton Museum of Art and Texas Science & Natural History Museum
- An event at a local vineyard celebrating the science of wine-making
“The Texas Science Festival brings community members together around one exciting idea: discovery,” said David Vanden Bout, dean of the College of Natural Sciences. “With our valuable community partners, campus organizations and science-inspired artists and writers, we’ve put together programming that allows festival-goers of all ages to follow their curiosity and find new appreciation for the wonders science and our natural world.”
The largest event will be Women in STEM’s celebration, STEM Girl Day, happening on Saturday, February 28. More than 10,000 K-8 children will come to campus for hands-on activities, demos and an introduction to the excitement of science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
With dozens of events scheduled over the two weeks, most options are free and open to the public, but a few require tickets or advanced registration.
Read on to learn about more event highlights.
Quantum and Queries Live! at the Cactus Café – Wednesday, Feb. 18
Science comedian and UT alum Brian Malow will host a talk-show style event at the historic Cactus Café, featuring live music, a robotics demo, a stand-up set and interviews with leading faculty about some of the questions scientists get asked most. How is the search for life in the Universe coming along? Why is quantum science so mind-bending? Get the answers to these and other queries at the show.
Brackenridge Field Laboratory Open House – Saturday, Feb. 21
The Brackenridge Field Laboratory’s 82-acre field station is typically closed to the public. For one day this month, its doors will open wide for tours, hands-on activities, research lightning talks, viewings from the UT Insect Collections, giveaways, prizes and a special “citizen scientist” training where volunteers can learn how to help the research enterprise in an upcoming “BioBlitz.”
The Online Brain – Monday, Feb. 23
All of our attention expended on social media, plus time spent online and at computer gaming, must be doing something to our brains. A neuroscience expert and team will cover the latest research and take audience questions on this hot topic.
The Origins of Inspiration and “Computer Chess” – Tuesday, Feb. 24
Where do ideas come from – scientific or otherwise? This book talk and panel discussion will explore that theme with author Karen Olsson, filmmaker Andrew Bujalski and UT professor Lauren Ancel Meyers. Following the talk, there’s a free screening of Bujalski’s award-winning feature film, “Computer Chess,” which is billed as an “artificially intelligent comedy” about computer chess programmers.
STEM Girl Day – Saturday, Feb. 28
UT Austin hosts the world’s largest STEM Girl Day program in the United States, with a wide array of activities that spark creativity, inspire future STEM field careers and show how engineers and scientists can change the world. Elementary and middle school students will engage in activities and hands-on educational experiences, from designing a balloon-powered car to watching physics and chemistry in action, working with volunteers from 180 UT Austin research groups and student organizations, nonprofit organizations and regional businesses.
Museum and Art Tours with a Science Lens – Multiple days
The Blanton Museum of Art will offer special tours of its permanent collection through the lens of STEM; a free walking tour of UT’s Landmarks collection of public art will discuss the science of outdoor art; and Texas Science & Natural History will offer festival-goers a guided tour of its brand new exhibit, the Epic Encounters Paleontology Gallery.
