Home
Museums
Back Issues
Membership
Rangos Omnimax Theatre
Every winter, as the first cold front hits, do you think,
“Boy, I’d like to hop a plane to Florida about now?” Well, chalk it
up to instinct. About 350 species of migratory birds in North America,
and thousands of other creatures around the globe take “vacations”
to escape heat or the cold. Six of these incredible expeditions–from the
tiny Monarch butterfly to the mammoth gray whale–are explored in Amazing
Journeys: Great Migrations at the Rangos Omnimax Theater. It’s
pretty incredible what these creatures go through for a little fun in the
sun.
The Monarch butterfly, weighing no more than a paper clip,
travels 2,500 miles to Mexico to flee our winter’s chill. Gray whales swim twice
as far in the longest mammal migration on Earth–from their Arctic feeding
grounds to summer in Mexico’s warm lagoons. Thousands of migratory birds
embark on trips so arduous they can lose from 10 to 50percent of their body
weight en route, and East Africa’s 600,000 zebra migrate more than 500
predator-filled miles to escape the drought-ridden Serengeti plains.
In addition to showcasing some astonishing nature footage,
Amazing Journeys explores hypotheses of how and why these animals
migrate–do gray whales use a form of echolocation, like bats, to create
underwater “maps?” Do birds have a “compass” in their
brains? Maybe one day we’ll have the answer to the biggest question of all:
do birds earn frequent flyer miles?
In another Omnimax film, Adventures into Amazing Caves
you embark on a hair-raising descent into the Earth’s depths with two
experienced cavers–a microbiologist and a cave rescue specialist. Hazel
Barton and Nancy Holler Aulenbach lead you into a world few, if any, have
every seen: a 6,000-foot, cathedral-like ice cave in Greenland; a flooded
cenote (Mayan for “well”) beneath the Yucatan Peninsula jungles;
and the rugged, never-before-explored limestone caverns of the Little
Colorado River Gorge near the Grand Canyon. Barton seeks microorganisms
that live in environments with no light and few nutrients in hopes they may
point to new drugs or antibiotics to fight human diseases. Aulenbach studies
how caves are formed and searches for ways to protect them for future
geological, historical, and paleontological study.
This is your opportunity to venture into a dark and dangerous
world–brought to you big as life thanks to the Omnimax Theater’s four-story-high
screen. So grab a seat…and journey into the abyss.
There�s more!� Go behind the
scenes of these new Omnimax films at two unique events. On March 26, join a
panel of experts from the Pittsburgh Zoo, Carnegie Museum of Natural History,
and the National Aviary for a discussion on the incredible behavior of
migratory creatures. The evening concludes with a private viewing of Amazing
Journeys: Great Migrations and a reception with the panelists.� On April 7, Dr. Hazel Barton, the star of Adventures
into Amazing Caves, drops by Carnegie Science Center to enlighten you about
what went on underground, under water, and under ice�during the film’s
production. Stick around for the movie and a reception where you can chat
with Dr. Barton.� Both lectures are 7
to 9:30 p.m. Price is $10, members/$12, nonmembers. Call 237-3335 for
reservations/information.
The SciTech
Festival Returns
March 24 � 31
The name may have changed, but the fun remains the
same. Last spring Carnegie Science Center held its first-ever Science Festival–an
event showcasing Pittsburgh’s science excellence. The week was a rousing
success, but the event planners realized something was missing: input from
the area’s many technology companies. A little tweak to the title and lineup
and the SciTech Festival emerged. An estimated 50,000 visitors will
attend the festival from March 24 to31–the only event of it’s kind in the
United States. We could fill the whole magazine with information on the 90
components that showcases engineering, medicine, science, and technology for
all ages and interests, but we hope you’ll settle for this teaser:
�
The Carnegie Mellon University Technologies’ display
features robots that explore other planets, wearable computers, and
telescopes that see to the farthest galaxies.*
�
Science for Tots has cartoons, storytelling, a Pajama
Jamming’ concert, and activities.
�
At Scientific Storyteller, Catherine Hughes, from the
Boston Museum of Science, presents stories and songs about dragons,
dinosaurs, and bats.
�
Joe Woos, Pittsburgh Children’s Museum resident
cartoonist and storyteller, demonstrates the science of cartoons at Cartoon
Science.
�
Descend on Indoor Kite Flying to meet Fly Pittsburgh
Kite Club engineers and learn about kite design.
�
See Joe Lyon, President of Pittsburgh Jugglers
Association, juggle eggs, machetes, and bowling balls at Juggle Science.
�
Take an hour-long walking tour of the city with the
Pittsburgh History and Landmarks Foundation at Science in the Streets.
�
And don’t miss the family stargazing workshops,
visits from some National Aviary residents, and demonstrations/workshops with
featured guest Dr. Ed Sobey, author of 14 children’s science books.
Hey, the SciTech Festival is so
big even George Westinghouse is coming! (Okay, it’s really actor Edward
Neiss.) Most events will be held at Carnegie Science Center, but other Pittsburgh
venues will have programs as well. Call 237-3335 for a complete
schedule.
Home
Museums
Back Issues
Membership
Copyright (c) 2001 CARNEGIE magazine
All rights reserved.
E-mail: carnegiemag@carnegiemuseums.org
