Opportunities for coverage at Wisconsin Science Festival
This tip sheet highlights coverage opportunities at the 2016 Wisconsin Science Festival, held Oct. 20-23. All events below will be held in the Discovery Building at 330 N. Orchard St.
For more details and the full event list, visit http://www.wisconsinsciencefest.org.
CONTACT: Laura Heisler, festival director, 608-316-4392, laura@warf.org
Science Arcade
Friday, Oct. 21, 6-9 p.m.
Science Arcade is a hands-on science event that connects all ages to the science, technology, engineering, and math behind games. The evening will showcase vintage arcade games, virtual reality with the Living Environments Laboratory’s Oculus Rift, augmented reality, board games and more. Three keynote presenters will speak in the H.F. DeLuca Forum about innovation in games.
Zika: An Epidemic in Context
Saturday, Oct. 22, 2-3 p.m.
In early 2016, Zika exploded onto the scene in Latin America, and the story quickly became sensational due to the links between the apparently benign virus and severe neurological birth defects. The experts on this panel will put Zika in its proper context, explaining where we should (and shouldn’t) place our concern.
Should We Edit the Genome? When, Why and How Much?
Saturday, Oct. 22, 3:30-5 p.m.
This forum-style program encourages in-depth discussion about the potential ways CRISPR, a new technology for genetic engineering, could be used across a variety of applications. Participants will learn about genetic engineering and the related ethical and societal dimensions.
Big Ideas for Busy People
Saturday, Oct. 22, 7-8 p.m.
Five of Wisconsin’s best and brightest will discuss topics ranging from Shakespeare’s genome to Google Earth for the body — for five minutes — with another five for audience Q & A. To keep the event moving, anyone going over five minutes will be gonged.
Science Storytellers Jam
Saturday, Oct. 22, 8:30-10:30 p.m.
A special evening of science storytelling is supported by Nerd Nite Madison and Jen Rubin, a many-time Moth storytelling champion. The stories will intertwine science with more personal experiences.
One in a Billion
Sunday, Oct. 23, 2 p.m.
Journalists Mark Johnson and Kathleen Gallagher will tell the story of Nic Volker, who had a never-before-seen disease and a mother and team of scientists who would stop at nothing to ensure his survival. The two Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reporters won the Pulitzer Prize for their reporting on this story.
