Get ready to step back in time while testing basic science principles of engineering and physics. Designed and built at the Science Museum of Virginia, Science Unplugged blends the look and feel of the mid 20th -century with hands-on science experimentation.
 Meet Chester the Tester, his dog Sparky and other friendly characters. Using the scientific method, they'll guide you through really nifty exhibits and help you understand what's going on as you build bridges, stack gravity-defying cantilevers and arches, easily lift a 100-lb. anvil and a lot more! Did you know that in 1940 a large suspension bridge gave way during a wind storm? Watch a video of the dramatic collapse and find out what happened. Experiment with tops. Do some types of tops spin better than others?
Science Unplugged was made possible by the Center for Science Education Endowment, Science Museum of Virginia Foundation.
Carpenter Science Theater Company Tale Tellers present Amazing Tales of Incredible Structures, September 20–November 16, 2008, Saturdays and Sundays at 12:00 pm, 1, 2 and 3 pm. |
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What the heck is the scientific method?
Dr. Eugene Maurakis, the museum's director of science education and museum scientist, describes it as:
A systematic process used to understand the natural world in objective terms. Simply put, asking and answering questions using objectivity. We make observations of natural phenomena, and use them to make an educated guess, the "hypothesis." Then we conduct experiments to test the hypothesis, analyze data from those experiments, and then make a conclusion. We either accept or reject the hypothesis, which can lead to testing other hypotheses.
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