Very tippy top of a possible NASA rocket coming to the Franklin Institute this weekend (10/16-17, 9:30am to 5pm)

[ October 16, 2010 9:30 am to October 17, 2010 5:00 pm. ] NASA is touring the mockup of their proposed launch abort system (las) for the Orion spacecraft. So, its the pointy bit that sits atop the passenger bit (Orion), which is supposed to sit atop the Ares rocket. The Ares rocket, however, may or may not ever be built as the president declined to include Constellation [...]

Hear conservation legend Jim “Wild Kingdom” Fowler (11/4 6pm Academy of Natural Sciences)

[ November 4, 2010; 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm. ] Hey, did you know you can watch whole episodes of Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom online?

Don’t feel so bad…until I went looking for a clip of Jim Fowler, I didn’t either.

Watch them chase that polar bear down via helicopter at the three minute mark. Kind of a different take on the plight of the [...]

20 Years of Cheetah Conservation (10/21, 6PM Academy of Natural Sciences)

[ October 21, 2010; 6:00 pm; 6:00 pm; ] OK, I’ll say it, my original title was “Never Say Never: Cheetahs Sometimes Win”

And aren’t you glad I didn’t use that one?

The Academy of Natural Sciences is hosting a free talk by Laurie Marker, one of the world’s foremost experts on cheetahs.

20 Years of Cheetah Conservation, Dr. Laurie Marker
Thursday, October 21
6 p.m. Reception
6:30 p.m. [...]

Scientists weigh in on the Mega Shark Vs. Giant Octopus debate tonight! 5-9pm

[ July 22, 2010; 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm. ] How could I have missed this?

The folks at the Academy of Natural Sciences are assessing the scientific merits of Mega Shark Vs. Giant Octopus.

I love these sorts of scientists-take-on-pop-culture events. Unfortunately, the movie is nearly unwatchable…despite the great acting chops of Debbie Gibson and Lorenzo Lamas

It isn’t free, but it is likely worth [...]

There’ll Be Murder Afoot in National Mechanics: Science on Tap (7/12, 6PM)

[ July 12, 2010; 6:00 pm; ] How could you possibly resist a lecture at a bar that has “Sixteen Good Reasons Not to Drink Whiskey with Strangers” as a subtitle?

The wheel of hosts falls to the Mutter Museum for this month’s Science on Tap, and they’ve picked Stockton College history prof Lisa Rosner as their speaker, appropriately enough. Her new book [...]

Test the limits of human survival with Mary Roach at the Free Library (August 3)

[ August 3, 2010; 7:30 pm to 9:00 pm. ] “Spook” author,Mary Roach, will be at the Free Library of Philadelphia in August to discuss her forthcoming book “Packing for Mars: The Curious Science of Life in the Void.”

The book hasn’t been released yet, but I feel certain it will cover what happens to bodies exposed to the vacuum of space. You [...]

Science Fair First Friday at the Chemical Heritage Foundation (July 2)

[ July 2, 2010; 1:00 pm to 8:00 pm. ] I hope this will start your Fourth of July weekend off with a bang…figuratively, if all goes correctly:

First Friday at CHF – Science Fair
Date: 2 July 2010
Time: 1:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Location: Chemical Heritage Foundation
315 Chestnut Street
Philadelphia, PA 19106

Free and open to the public.

Sponsors: This event has been supported by The Pew Center for Arts & Heritage through [...]