Tuesday, January 1 from 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
EXHIBITIONS IN JANUARY INCLUDE:
Strange Matter - NEW! Opens January 26 - What's materials science? You might call it the study of stuff! Just about everything you use every day - the shoes you wear, the dishes you eat from, the bike or skateboard you ride - it's all made of different kinds of stuff. Get ready for more than a dozen hands-on experiences and exhibits that give you a close encounter with the amazing world of modern materials and materials science. Through May 5.
nano - Don't miss this special limited mini exhibition that engages family audiences in nanoscale science, engineering, and technology. Hands-on, interactive exhibits present the basics of nanoscience and engineering, introduce some real world applications, and explore the societal and ethical implications of this new technology. Explore progressively smaller magnetic materials —magnetite sand, iron powder, and ferrofluid, build a giant model of a carbon nanotube and more. nano was created by the Nanoscale Informal Science Education Network (NISE Network) with support from the National Science Foundation.
Explore More Stuff Lab - January's theme is Robotics: Challenge yourself to program Lego NXT robots while exploring different forms of input and output. Control a robotic arm, have fun building a Robotix creation, and drive strange mechanized creations with simple servo controllers.
Siemens Science Day: (January 26; 10:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m.) Siemens engineers and members of the non-destructive testing department will facilitate hands-on demonstrations of magnetism, infrared light and ultrasound.
Explore More Life Lab - January's theme is Infectious Disease and Inherited Disease: Have you ever wondered how germs spread? What do harmful bacteria do to our bodies, and what is a virus and how do our bodies react to them? Discover the unseen world of pathogenic microorganisms and how they can benefit and harm humans. Presented by Places of Hope.
**NEW this month in Explore More Life: A Focus Station featuring a blue tongued skink [Tiliqua scincoides], children's python, and cool invertebrates from Australia.
Microbiota Day: (January 12; 10:00 a.m. -6:00 p.m.) Use a microscope to safely get up close and personal with virus strains, which are genetic variants of a micro-organism, such as a virus, bacterium or fungus. Learn more about various types of contagious or communicable diseases and how they are spread from one person to another.
Explore More Collections Lab -Nature wears some of the most vibrant hues on the planet. Immerse yourself in a world of color with an all-new display of Museum collections and discover the many places color is found in nature. Many international cultures have even used natural inks and dyes to create colorful art based on environmental observations. Test your ability to decipher nature's colors at a special mystery station by studying the patterns of natural objects as they appear in black and white photographs.
National Australia Day: (January 12; 10:00 a.m. -6:00 p.m.) Learn about the official national day of Australia, celebrated there on January 26, and celebrate Australian culture, history and traditions. Learn more about aboriginal art and even make your own art to take home.
KidScience - KidScience is Discovery Place's early childhood exhibition where young children, ages 0-7, and their caregivers learn about science and math as they experiment, create and play together. January's theme is Alphabet Science: Learn the letter of the week and explore science wonders from A to Z. Monday-Friday; 11:30 a.m.-noon.
MOVIES
Discovery 3D Theatre - Hold on to your seat and your senses and get ready to experience Discovery 3D Theatre, the Museum's digital movie experience. With the help of 3D glasses, movies leap from the screen. Featured films are 15 - 20 minutes in length, show throughout the day and are free with Museum admission. Discovery 3D Theatre is currently showing:
The Majestic Lion
Climb aboard an open-air vehicle for a journey through diverse South African game reserves and come face-to-face with one of the continent's most intriguing creatures, the lion. This ultimate real-life adventure gives viewers a new appreciation for the beauty and grace of these wild animals and the importance of the many conservation efforts being made today to save them. Through November 2013.
The Little Prince
Relive the magic of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry's endearing story in a fully immersive, spectacular journey as the Little Prince leaps from one fanciful universe to another in search of his beloved Rose, accompanied by his hilarious friend the Fox,. Fly alongside these fearless heroes as they scale instruments on the music planet, wake the friendly stone giant and dodge the metal claws of a ferocious dragon! Through June 1, 2013
**Movies in the Discovery 3D Theatre are free with Museum admission.
The Charlotte Observer IMAX® Dome Theatre - The Charlotte Observer IMAX® Dome Theatre is the largest screen in the Carolinas, spanning five stories high and 80 feet wide. The unique curvature of the IMAX Dome surrounds movie viewers with 15,000 watts of sound and light, creating the effect of being in the film! Note: There is an additional charge for IMAX films.
NEW! Flight of the Butterflies - January 18-Summer 2013
The amazing journey of the monarch butterfly takes flight on the giant screen this winter in a triumphant journey of perseverance based on a true story. The breathtaking new adventure tracks the voyage of hundreds of millions of butterflies between Canada and Mexico in a transfixing tale of scientific breakthrough, discovery, and one of the most incredible migrations on Earth. After debuting in New York and Los Angeles, Charlotte's Discovery Place will be one of only 50 exclusive institutions nationwide to show the film in 2013.
To The Arctic - Through April 18, 2013
An extraordinary journey to the top of the world, the documentary adventure To The Arctic tells the ultimate tale of survival. Narrated by Oscar® winner Meryl Streep, the film takes audiences on a never-before-experienced journey into the lives of a mother polar bear and her twin seven-month-old cubs as they navigate the changing Arctic wilderness they call home.
SPECIAL PROGRAMS
Science After Dark: Improv, We'll Make it Up As We Go Along - January 12; 6:00 - 8:00 p.m.
Two premier Charlotte improv groups, the Chuckleheads and Synergismo, will present a night of laughter, creativity, and fun. In addition to a live performance, participants will have the opportunity to take part in improv exercises and games led by Chuckleheads, Synergismo, and Discovery Place performers.
The Chuckleheads perform classic improvisational theatre activities/games made famous on the television game show, "Whose Line Is It Anyway?" and/or the national and international improvisational theatre troupes, "Second City," "The Groundlings," and "Upright Citizen's Brigade."
Sinergismo is a performing arts ensemble formed in 2003 at Winthrop University and is comprised of dancers, artists, poets, and musicians using collaboration as a means to produce performance. Sinergismo has performed at venues throughout the southeast including the Piccolo Spoleto Festival, Sumter Museum of Art, Southern Holiday, NC Dance Festival Saturday Series, Winthrop University, Gettys Art Center, the Democratic National Convention, Twenty-Two Art Gallery and the Charlotte Dance Festival.
Reservations are encouraged. Admission is $5 per person in advance. For more information or to make a reservation call 704.372-6261 x300 or email info@discoveryplace.org.
