Released on: February 21, 2008, 1:04 pm

Press Release Author: Craig McDaniel, APR, Promote Success

Industry:

Press Release Summary: From sports cars to underwater robots and catapults to
radio-controlled helicopters, Tech Fest at the Museum of Nature & Science on Feb. 23
and 24 will dazzle kids and grownups with an eye-popping look at everyday technology
that is anything but mundane.

Press Release Body: DALLAS (Feb. 20, 2008) -- From sports cars to underwater robots
and catapults to radio-controlled helicopters, Tech Fest at the Museum of Nature &
Science on Feb. 23 and 24 will dazzle kids and grownups with an eye-popping look at
everyday technology that is anything but mundane.
Through hands-on activities, demonstrations and shows, visitors can explore the
engineering behind a suspension bridge, the green design for zero-energy homes and
the latest technology in automobiles and motorcycles.
Science buffs can see the amazing IMAX® films "Aliens of the Deep" and "Super
Speedway," and get jolted out of their seats at the "Electric Theater" show. Tech
Fest caps off National Engineers Week with a celebration that hopes to inspire the
next generation of science leaders.
"Engaging children at an early age to take an interest in science and math is
critical to our economic future and is a central mission of this museum," said Steve
Hinkley, director of education at MNS. "Texas is the leading exporting state in
America and most of the products we export fall into the high-technology category.
We must produce more students with science and engineering degrees to fill the
high-paying jobs that our export-oriented economy requires."
To help encourage kids and their families to consider engineering and other
technical careers, the Museum of Nature & Science has lined up a fun-filled weekend
of experiences during Tech Fest. With presenting sponsor ExxonMobil and supporting
sponsor LOPEZGARCIA GROUP, Tech Fest will feature these and other slices of our
technology-driven lives:
◘ Spend a moment with a Lamborghini or Volkswagen expert to find out how cars
are engineered to go fast, zip around curves, stop on a dime, and protect us when we
use more gas than good sense!
◘ Learn engineering, the medieval way! Catapults are fascinating machines,
capable of throwing massive objects much farther than simple human power ever could.
Explore the world of catapult technology with engineers from the LOPEZGARCIA GROUP's
champion catapult team and learn about mechanical advantage!
◘ Experience two generations of motorcycle technology and see how motorcycles
have advanced over 30 years. BMW enthusiasts will be on hand to discuss the
engineering behind boxer engine construction (and why they call it that), brake
systems, helmets, suspension and drive shafts. Visitors can sit on a bike and see
what it\'s like, and even get their photo taken perched on the machine! Files will be
captured digitally and sent to you at no cost, so hop on and go for a virtual ride.
◘ Independence Energy Homes produces buildings that make as much (or more)
energy than they use. Representatives will show families, through a hands-on
approach, how making certain choices have an impact on the energy performance of the
home.
◘ See the greenest gadgets on the planet. Dallas retailer Current Energy will
display new inventions that help make our world a more functional, cleaner planet.
◘ MOCAP is a technique of digitally recording movements for entertainment,
sports and medical applications. Students from UTD's Institute for Interactive Arts
and Engineering will demonstrate how filmmakers record the actions of humans to
animate digital 3D characters.
◘ IBM experts will show us the technology and engineering behind the latest
generation of ecologically-minded automobiles. Whether you come to just look at the
engine, how the car works, or to take a quick ride, you\'ll be amazed at the peace
and quiet of this amazing machine!
◘ SMU students will proudly show off their \"little robot that could\" -- an
Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (a.k.a. robotic submarine). Robotics Club members will
tell the story of how the \'bot came to be, how it did in a national competition and
its brush with fame along the way!
◘ Fly Summit trains helicopter pilots at Addison Airport will use
radio-controlled helicopters to show the mechanics and engineering behind vertical
flight and just why it is we need to duck when getting out of one of these things!
◘ If your kids have ever wanted to learn about structural engineering and what
it takes to construct a building that stands up to the test of time, this is their
chance! Lockheed Martin engineers will lead a contest using the museum\'s vast array
of Lego pieces and see who can build the tallest building! Or, if firing rockets is
what you prefer, these rocket scientists will work with kids using a paper rocket
launcher to build a spacecraft and launch it straight to the moon - or as high as
possible!
◘ Families will have an opportunity to take a real Segway for a spin! The
Segway, introduced by noted inventor Dean Kamen, has transformed the way we view
personal transportation. Incredible in its complex design yet ease of use, the
Segway truly is a revolution in motion.
◘ Ever wonder how suspension bridges stay up or why the lights all come on at
the flick of a switch? The Dallas Society of Women Engineers will conduct a hands-on
session that gets kids into the action of building and seeing just what an engineer
really does!
◘ Electric Theater, the ultimate in engaging education, details the origins of
electricity and magnetism while tracing the greatest technological innovations made
possible through the discovery of electricity\'s different properties.


◘ Emile Chin Dickey is an expert in zero-energy home design at Independence
Energy Homes in Massachusetts. One of a tiny handful of designers and energy
consultants in this field, IEH is paving the way for truly green engineering taken
to an extreme level! In his 30-minute talk, Emile will walk you through the process
of green home design and how making small choices now can have a large impact on the
energy performance of homes well into the future.
◘ Academy Award® winning director, deep-ocean adventurer, and
space-exploration visionary James Cameron combines his filmmaking talents with his
personal passions on a journey to some of the Earth\'s deepest, most extreme and
unknown environments in search of the strange and alien creatures that live there.
"Aliens of the Deep," shown in our stunning IMAX Theater, is the result of dramatic
and visually stunning expeditions to several hydrothermal vent sites in the Atlantic
and the Pacific oceans. Six-foot tall worms with blood-red plumes and no stomach,
blind white crabs, and an inconceivable biomass of shrimp capable of \"seeing\" heat,
all compete to find just the right location in the flow of the super-heated,
life-giving water or to fry trying.
◘ Buckle up. Another IMAX spectacular, "Super Speedway," delves into the
death-defying drama of Indy car racing and weaves together the stories of some of
the masters of the high-speed track. "Super Speedway" puts audiences in the cockpit
of an Indy car and catapults them into world championship auto racing action at
mind-bending speeds in excess of 230 miles per hour.

For MNS members only:
◘ Try out our brand-new Lego Mindstorms Robotics Kits as they construct and
automated racer and send it down the track! Prizes to the kids who try.
◘ Test your flying skills with one of the newest members of the MNS InsectBot
family, and try to carefully guide a remote-controlled dragonfly. Prizes for picking
up the much-needed dragonfly \"food\".

Tech Fest will be at MNS in the Science Building, 1318 S. 2nd Ave. and the Nature
Building, 3535 Grand Ave. (in Fair Park between gates 5 and 6) from 10 a.m. to 5
p.m. Feb. 23 and from noon to 5 p.m. on Feb. 24. Admission for MNS members is free;
adults $8.75, children 3 to 11 $5.50, youth 12 to 18, seniors 62 and over, and
students 18 and over with an ID $7.75. IMAX tickets are additional. For information
call 214-428-5555 or visit www.natureandscience.org. Media will find pictures at:
https://promotesuccesspr.sharedwork.com/sr/0TPBdWYmhFRFpnc2x2dkdzZoR1UtFzMY1Dcmg2YlRXP1ZCNxUzMx0Ta


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About the Museum of Nature & Science
The Museum of Nature & Science, formerly the Dallas Museum of Natural History, The
Science Place and the Dallas Children's Museum, is a non-profit educational
organization located in Dallas' Fair Park. In support of its mission to inspire
minds through nature and science, MNS delivers exciting, engaging and innovative
visitor experiences through its education, exhibition and research and collections
programming for students, teachers, families and life-long learners. The facility
also includes the TI Founders IMAX Theater and a cutting-edge digital planetarium.
The museum is supported in part by funds from the City of Dallas Office of Cultural
Affairs and the Texas Commission on the Arts. To learn more about the museum, please
visit www.natureandscience.org.


Web Site: http://natureandscience.org

Contact Details: Media Contact:
Craig McDaniel, APR
214-296-0984 ext. 785
214-914-4261 mobile
craig@promotesuccesspr.com