Einsteins of all ages invited to science festival

The third annual Las Vegas Science and Technology Festival is scheduled to begin Sunday with more than 20 activities planned throughout the community, most free. The weeklong festival is set to culminate May 4 with an expo at the Cashman Center, 850 Las Vegas Blvd. North.

Throughout the week, local scientists and engineers will also visit about 50 schools, said Craig Rosen, the festival’s new executive director. He said the goal of the school visits and the festival is “to promote science and science education.”

Rosen also said he hopes the festival can “make scientists into rock stars.”

“You ask a kid what Kim Kardashian did last night, and they can tell you,” Rosen said. “Ask them to name a scientist, and they might know Albert Einstein or Thomas Edison, but none today.

“We want young people to think about how the work they’re doing in school applies to the jobs of the future ... so they can achieve some of the amazing jobs available in Southern Nevada.”

As part of Science is Everywhere Day, events and activities are planned Sunday at the National Atomic Testing Museum, 755 E. Flamingo Road; the Bellagio Gallery of Fine Art and the Bellagio Fountains, 3600 Las Vegas Blvd. South; the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, 4505 S. Maryland Parkway; Vegas PBS, 3050 E. Flamingo Road; Circus Circus Adventuredome, 2880 Las Vegas Blvd. South; the College of Southern Nevada, 700 College Drive; the Nevada State Museum, 309 S. Valley View Blvd.; Vanderburg Elementary School, 2040 Desert Shadow Trail; the Las Vegas Natural History Museum, 900 Las Vegas Blvd. North; the CSN Planetarium, 3200 E. Cheyenne Ave.; the Silverton, 3333 Blue Diamond Road; Shark Reef at Mandalay Bay, 3950 Las Vegas Blvd. South; The Mirage, 3400 Las Vegas Blvd. South; Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area, 1000 Scenic Loop Drive; and the Las Vegas Review-Journal, 1111 W. Bonanza Road.

Monday through May 3, the festival is scheduled to host afternoon and evening events. Space is limited at many events, and registration is required.

Event highlights include:

–– CSI Forensic Investigations: Fact vs. Fiction is scheduled from 6:30 to
8:30 p.m. Monday at the Springs Preserve, 333 S. Valley View Blvd.

–– Science activities are scheduled from 2:30 to 5 p.m. April 30 at the Rise Education Resource Center at the United Advent Methodist Church, 3460 N. Rancho Drive.

–– Paleontologist Elizabeth Rega is scheduled to speak about the Tyrannosaurus rex and other dinosaurs from
6:30 to 8:30 p.m. April 30 at the Las Vegas Natural History Museum.

–– A tour of the Nevada Test Site is set to be offered May 1 by the Atomic Testing Museum. The tour is scheduled to depart the museum at 7:30 a.m. and return about
4:30 p.m.

–– The Meatball Spot in Town Square Las Vegas, 6605 Las Vegas Blvd. South, plans a three-course meal for $27 from 6 to 9 p.m. May 1. The meal will include a science discussion, guest speakers, presentations and activities.

–– A downtown Las Vegas “science crawl,” with stops at the SYN Shop, Drink and Drag and more, is set to start at 6 p.m. May 2 at the Downtown Project Construction Zone, 102 S. Seventh St. The first two stops are family-friendly, but the last three are for adults only.

–– The Red Rock Canyon Visitor Center plans to offer arts and crafts activities from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. May 3. There is a $7 fee per vehicle to enter Red Rock Canyon.

–– The festival is teaming with First Friday Las Vegas to offer science-themed art exhibits scheduled from 5 to 9 p.m. May 3 in the Las Vegas Arts District downtown.

–– Several of the Las Vegas-Clark County Library District branches also have activities scheduled throughout the week for younger kids. Visit lvccld.org for more details.

–– The main event, the Science and Technology Expo, is scheduled from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. at the Cashman Center. The event is free and is expected to feature more than 80 interactive exhibits from local organizations.

Expo director Katy Mason said there will even be a live shark on display.

“We try to make it a learning experience and whole lot of fun,” Mason said. “... I’ve learned that truly there’s science in everything. It’s been fun to see how companies you might not expect to have a science element to them totally do.”

The expo will feature a Rubik’s Cube competition with students from 13 local schools. New this year will be a rock wall, a “tech zone” featuring more interactive robotics demonstrations than years past and more live animals, which are back “by popular demand” from kids, Mason said.

“It’s just a great experience the whole family can do together,” she said. “They can make a whole day out of it.”

Contact View education reporter Jeff Mosier at jmosier@viewnews.com or 702-224-5524.