Bats, Bugs, and Science Wizards To Conjure Up Halloween Fun at Super Science Saturday

BOULDER -- Frighteningly good science awaits students, parents, and teachers this Halloween when the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) presents Super Science Saturday at the Mesa Laboratory. This free public event from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on Saturday, October 28, includes live demonstrations by NCAR's science wizards, tips for getting started on science-fair projects, and hands-on activities that range from learning about bats to making your own slime. NCAR's Mesa Lab sits above Boulder at the west end of Table Mesa Drive.

Throughout the day, activity tables with a "creepy crawly" theme will be hosted by area museums and science-education programs. NCAR's science wizards will showcase "Frighteningly Good Science," which can include anything from glowing pickles to clouds in a jar. Workshops for kindergarten through eighth-grade students will offer ideas and methods for creating successful science-fair projects. The Rocky Mountain Wildlife Conservation Center will have big cats--adult or baby mountain lions--on hand to help illustrate the importance of wildlife conservation.

"The Halloween theme really helps us convey the excitement of scientific discovery," says Linda Carbone of NCAR's Information and Education Outreach Program.

An interactive display using satellite imagery to explain El Nino and La Nina makes its debut in the Mesa Lab on Super Science Saturday. NCAR's other exhibits and art galleries at the Visitor Center will be available to the public as usual (see http://www.ucar.edu/ucar/visitor.html). The NCAR Science Store will be open, featuring science kits, books for all age levels, and unique NCAR-themed items. Lunch and snacks will be on sale in the cafeteria. For more information, contact NCAR Outreach at 303-497-8612. The full schedule of Super Science Saturday events is posted at http://www.ucar.edu/vishome/super.html.

Funded by Friends of UCAR and a grant from the Scientific and Cultural Facilities District, Super Science Saturday is a day of activities designed to promote public science literacy and enrich the science experiences of area students and teachers. NCAR's primary sponsor is the National Science Foundation. NCAR is managed by the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research, a consortium of more than 60 universities offering Ph.D.s in atmospheric and related sciences.