Atlanta Science Festival to Start March 9
This year, the Atlanta Science Festival will be taking over Atlanta and the surrounding metro area from March 9–23. The festival will consist of more than 100 events, many of which feature Georgia Tech faculty or groups, are hosted on campus, or have other connections to Tech.
While the target audiences for these activities range from preschool-age children to adults to families, there are several that feature the Georgia Tech community and could be particularly interesting to students. Note that all ticketed events are subject to price changes or selling out as the festival draws nearer.
Escape Lab
March 9, 2 – 6 p.m.
Fee: $5
Location: Clough Undergraduate Learning Commons
Parts of Georgia Tech’s own Clough Commons will be transformed into abandoned labs, simulating “the ruins of civilization in the year 3018.” Teams of up to 10 will solve biology, physics, and chemistry-based challenges to try and escape these locked-down laboratories.
Margaret Guthman Musical Instrument Competition
March 9, 7 – 9:30 p.m.
Fee: Free
Location: Ferst Center for the Arts
Each year, the Guthman Musical Instrument Competition attempts to discover the next generation of musical instruments and highlight the newest innovations at the crossroads of engineering, music, and technology. In the past, the event has received rave reviews from The Guardian, The New York Times, and Atlanta Magazine, among others.
Unreal Time with Lew Lefton
March 11, 8 – 9 p.m.
Fee: $5 for students, $10 for non-students
Location: Synchronicity Theatre, 1545 Peachtree St. NW #102, Atlanta, GA 30309
Lew Lefton, assistant vice president for research in the College of Sciences, will host an evening talk show that attempts to combine time travel and comedy. He will be pulling scientists from the past into the present to hear how it is that they actually made their discoveries. Rumor has it that Charles Darwin himself will be there.
Preparándonos Para Lo Próximo: Líderes Latinos En Stem/Preparing for the Next: Latino Leaders in STEM
March 13, 6 – 7:30 p.m.
Fee: Free
Location: Meadowcreek High School, 4455 Steve Reynolds Blvd., Norcross, GA 30093
Members of the Georgia Tech faculty will be hosting this bilingual panel to discuss their experiences in STEM and its impact on the Latino community. No registration is necessary to attend.
Science Riot
March 14, 7:30 – 9:30 p.m.
Fee: $15
Location: Highland Inn Ballroom, 644 North Highland Avenue, Atlanta, GA 30306
Another comedy event, Science Riot is what happens when you teach scientists the basics of standup and then throw them onstage for a performance in front of a live audience. The College of Sciences is teaming up with ScienceRiot.org to host this event.
Silver Scream Science Spookshow
March 16, 10:30 p.m. – midnight
Fee: $12
Location: Plaza Theatre, 1049 Ponce de Leon Ave. NE, Atlanta, GA 30306
In honor of the festival, Professor Morte will be tailoring his usual Silver Scream Spookshow to fit the science-y occasion. Morte’s band, Leucine Zipper and the Zinc Fingers, will be playing after the film. Members of the band may look familiar — they claim to be genetically modified versions of Georgia Tech faculty members and alumni. (This performance is for adults, but a family-friendly show will be held at 1:30 p.m. on the same day.)
Exploration Expo
March 23, 11 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Fee: Free
Location: Piedmont Park, corner of 10th St. NE and Charles Allen Drive, Atlanta, GA 30309
Though not specifically hosted by Georgia Tech, the Exploration Expo will come at the conclusion of the festival and will be the city’s largest interactive science event, with more than 100 booths for attendees to visit.
Further details about the festival, including the full event list, can be found on the Atlanta Science Festival’s website.
Tech-Related Events:
- Science of Superpowers (March 9)
- Escape Lab (March 9)
- Guthman Musical Instrument Competition (March 9)
- No Memory of the Past, No Memories for the Future (March 11)
- Unreal Time with Lew Lefton (March 11)
- Neuro-Engineering: Blurring the Lines Between Mind and Machine (March 12)
- Science Teachers at Tech Day (March 12)
- The Science of Cannabis (March 12)
- Preparing for the Next: Latino Leaders in STEM (March 13)
- To Infinity and Beyond (March 13)
- Science Riot (March 14)
- Silver Scream Science Spookshow (March 16) (late show for adults)
- Buzz on Bees (March 19)
- Science Improv (March 20)
- Choose Your Own (Climate) Adventure! (March 20)
- March for Science - Atlanta (March 23)
- Exploration Expo (March 23)
Additional Photos
Leucine Zipper and the Zinc Fingers
Atlanta Science Festival logo
