Discovery Space of Central Pennsylvania

Do you know a 9-15 year old who is interested in pottery? Sign them up for the Youth Pottery Apprentice Program at The Rivet! This four session class starts on Jan 9 and is perfect for young beginner potters looking to build their throwing skills + explore clay as a medium. Visit their website at therivet.org/classes-and-events/ for more information and to sign up!

Discovery Space will implement a new weather exhibit in the near future with a donation from AccuWeather founder

Do you recognize this boxing shrimp? This animal is native to the oceans of Indonesia and is, perhaps, one of the most widely distributed shrimp in the sea! It’s the banded coral shrimp and we have one in our marine life tank with quite the personality. They like to snatch their food right from the tongs during feeding time. In their natural habitat, they hang upside down in caves or on rocks to catch their food

The Rivet is offering a Youth Pottery Apprentice Program for ages 9-15! This four session class starts on Jan 9 and is perfect for beginner potters looking to build wheel throwing skills and explore clay as a medium. Students will learn throwing techniques like centering, pulling a form, and trimming. Cost is $115 to attend. Find more info + sign up on their website at therivet.org/classes-and-events/

Happy holidays from Discovery Space! Thank you for supporting us this year

Happy Winter Solstice! Today is the shortest day of the year and the official start of the winter season for the northern hemisphere of the globe

It’s Computer Science Education week! Celebrate by learning how to code with TurtleArt. It’s an easy way to learn to code while creating your own art. Check it out at exploratorium.edu//o/digital-drawing-studio-with-turtleart #CSEdWeek

Our pre-K program Science Adventures has had a wonderful time this year exploring energy! We've made shadow puppets and rainbows to learn about light, plus homemade handwarmers and insulating coolers to discover heat. Join us when we begin again on Thu, Jan 7 to investigate sound and motion! Science Adventures is a free pre-K program for scientists aged 3-5 years old with caregivers, held on Zoom on Thursdays at 10:30am. Register your interest at discoveryspace.org/for/2020-interest-in-science-adventures/

Our LEGO League team produced a magnificent and accessible obstacle course for this year's Playmakers challenge! They incorporated many different aspects of physical fitness into their design, plus added some moving and programmable parts as well Congratulations team!

Did you know that today is #WorldSoilDay? This year's theme focuses on keeping soil alive and protecting its biodiversity. Learn more about World Soil Day and the importance of soil biodiversity at un.org/en/observances/world-soil-day

Are you looking for resources to understand COVID-19 and its vaccines? Click the link below to hear from Penn State professor, Dr Shamim Sinnar (MD PhD), on her YouTube channel 'Science for the Non-Scientist' youtube.com/channel/UCjCVpi9IOheBp3fdVULKY8Q/videos

This #GivingTuesday, please consider giving your support to Discovery Space and our makerspace, The Rivet. 2020 has been a challenging year and we are so fortunate and grateful to be a part of such a strong community. If it is within your means, we ask that you consider making a gift today so that Discovery Space may continue to give back to the people and families that make Pennsylvania so great.

Did you know that today is #BlackHoleFriday? Check out NASA's black hole safety guide or get the answers to your top black hole questions on their website at svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/13322 Credit: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center

Thank you to Harner Farm for generously providing fresh apples to Discovery Space staff and volunteers as a holiday treat

This Fighting Conch Snail (Strombus pugilis) is a valuable member of our marine tank's clean-up crew at Discovery Space! It feeds on nuisance algae in our tank, with a similar diet of plants and algae in its natural habitat throughout the Caribbean Sea and Western Atlantic Ocean These snails prefer muddy or sandy bottoms and are not found deeper than 10 meters below the ocean's surface. You can often see our conch's eye stalks poking out of the sand with the rest of its body completely buried!

The Rivet will be closed starting Saturday, December 12th through at least Monday, January 4th, 2021. We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience, but The Rivet remains committed to protecting the health and safety of our community.

Is your family, pod, or group looking for safe place to hold a gathering? Our building is open for private facility rentals! Visit our website at discoveryspace.org/plan-your-visit/facility-rental/ or email [email protected] to get started.

This Thanksgiving we're thankful for all of our members, supporters, and the multitudes of ways that STEM learning benefits our society! Hope you enjoy a break and make sure to check back with us next week for Science Adventures on December 3: discoveryspace.org/programs-events/current-programs/

Join Penn State chemistry graduate students on Sun, Nov 22 at 2pm for a webinar on DNA! Find more information and sign up on their website at sites.psu.edu/chemgsc/virtual-scientist/

It's International #LGBTQSTEMDay and we're celebrating LGBTQ+ people in all different parts of STEM with a rainbow activity! Make your very own rainbow and investigate light with a flashlight, handheld mirror, and container of water Place the mirror in the container of water, facing upwards but at an angle. Shine the flashlight at the mirror under water. Adjust your flashlight position to see the rainbow appear on a wall, the ceiling, or on a white piece of paper. What's ha...ppening? The light from the flashlight bends as it hits the water in the container and travels at a slower speed (refraction). But white light is made up of a spectrum of visible colors (red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, & violet light), and the different colors bend different amounts because they travel at different speeds. The mirror reflects the differentiated colors back to you and so you see the rainbow appear! See more

Today is International #LGBTQSTEMDay! Here are a few LGBTQ+ role models in science

Our STEMPOWERED program to empower fifth-grade girls to pursue #STEM careers was another huge hit this year! STEMPOWERED participants got to meet female STEM professionals as they explored heart physiology, rocket engineering, animal nutrition, and so much more. Huge thanks to all of our wonderful hosts at Penn State Equine Facilities, Architecture, Penn State Stuckeman School, Penn State Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Microbiology and Biotechnology, Penn State Aerospace Engineering, Swine Center, and Animal Medical Hospital of State College!

Tuesday, November 10 was United Nation's World Science Day for Peace and Development! Scientists and scientific investigation are crucial for solving problems like climate change, global health, and food and water sustainability. Here's to making the world a better place, with science for everyone at every age #ScienceDay

The Rivet at Discovery Space in State College just opened its doors in February. After having to close them again for the shutdown, it's been actively helping the community through the pandemic. Now, its looking to support local artists at Winter Market at The Rivet.

Join Tumblehome Books on Nov 18 for an exciting learning experience all about saving the endangered animals. Expert plant biologist and author, Eva Pell, will guide attendees through an interactive lesson designed to spark a conversation on protecting our world order from species extinction. Register today at tumblehomebooks.org/upcoming-tumbleocity-programs/

The Rivet is giving away a set of mugs over on their Instagram. Visit their IG page at instagram.com/therivetds/?hl=en and click on the picture of the mugs for a chance to win! The Winter Market at The Rivet is this weekend! Come check it out on Friday, Nov 13 from 3pm-7pm and Saturday, Nov 14 from 10am-4pm. RSVP today at therivet.org/rsvp/

The case for science and non-profits written by our board chair Eva Pell. Check it out at centredaily.com/opi/opn-columns-blogs/article246963357.html

Thanks for joining us last week for Nights to Discover with Pendred Noyce and Leo Liu! You can still watch the full video on our YouTube page at youtu.be/cwzpkFMVteI

Discovery Space is part of The Mid-State Literacy Council's Barnes & Noble Book Fair from November 20-22. Check out our interactive session, Reading the Night Sky, at 12pm on Saturday, Nov 21! For the full list of programs and event descriptions, visit their website at mid-stateliteracycouncil.org/event/barnes-noble-bookfair/

We'll see you at 7pm tonight for our online chat with Pendred Noyce and Leo Liu! Want to join us for the event? You can still register on our website at discoveryspace.org//2020-nights-to-discover-speaker-series/

In this video, we try to shatter unusual objects using the power of liquid nitrogen! Check it out on our YouTube page at youtu.be/we1YPP0byRw

There’s still time to sign up for our free, online conversation on Thursday (Nov 5) at 7pm with Pendred Noyce and Leo Liu! They will talk about how you inspire children to embrace science through story and discuss how life’s experiences have helped to inform Pendred’s writing. Register today on our website at discoveryspace.org//2020-nights-to-discover-speaker-series/

What if you didn't have a skeleton? Check out the video below to join Sue for our final Skeleton Saturday

Come check out the Winter Market at The Rivet on Nov 13+14! Attendance is free, however, The Rivet is requiring people to RSVP with an arrival time to help manage the number of people at the event. RSVP + find more info on their website at therivet.org/rsvp

Discovery Space and The Rivet will be serving as two separate polling places during the election on November 3rd. Precinct 49 Ferguson NE 1 will be using Discovery Space (Head to the front door of the science center, close to N. Atherton St). Precinct 50 Ferguson NE 2 will be using The Rivet (Head to the garage door adjacent to the parking lot)

Don't miss our free, online conversation on Nov 5 at 7pm with Pendred Noyce, a physician turned children’s author, and Leo Liu, an infectious disease doctor! They will share their views on how you inspire children to embrace science through story and discuss how life’s experiences have helped to inform Pendred’s writing. Sign up today at discoveryspace.org//2020-nights-to-discover-speaker-series/

Have you noticed changes in plants and animals around you in the Fall? You're observing a phenophase - a stage in the lifecycle of a living thing responding to seasonal changes. Check out this video to take a walk in central Pennsylvania's woods with Haley, as she explains what happens in the fall youtu.be/ymPbNemSZJo

Our fall science kits can be found in little free libraries around the community! Click the link below to find a kit near you discoveryspace.org/programs-events/discover-at-home/

Check out this video for a colorful and gluey chemistry activity! To learn how to create your own stained glass follow along with the full video on our website at discoveryspace.org/programs-events/discover-at-home/

October has lots of skeletons about, but not all of them are accurate! For this #SkeletonSaturday, check out these photos of Halloween decorations and see just how inaccurate some of these skeletons are Have you spotted any imperfect skeleton decorations or depictions? Comment below or share a photo with us!

Are you a maker, artist, or artisan? The Rivet is still accepting vendor applications for the Winter Market on Nov 13 & 14! Vendor space is available for ages 14+ and up. Email [email protected] for more information.

Get to know a little bit more about protoreaster nodosus, commonly known as a chocolate chip sea star! Check out this video to see the sea star move on its tube feet and learn about the other ways they interact within their ecosystems.

Join us on Nov 5 at 7pm for a conversation that will bring together the themes of Covid-19 and infectious disease, with children’s literature! Pendred Noyce, a physician turned children’s author, will share her views on how you inspire children to embrace science through story. Pendred will be joined by her husband, Leo Liu, an infectious disease doctor who has worked on the front lines of infectious diseasefacing down Ebola in Africa, and more recently Covid-19 here at home. They will talk about how life’s experiences have helped to inform Pendred’s writing. Register today for this free, online event at discoveryspace.org//2020-nights-to-discover-speaker-series/

It's National Chemistry Week and this year's theme is Sticking with Chemistry! Celebrate with activities and resources from American Chemical Society at acs.org//en/educat/outreach/ncw/educational-resources.html #ncw #nationalchemistryweek

Have a 6-8 year-old who would want to brew some creepy chemistry? Sign them up for the day camp on Oct 30! Grab a spot today at https://discoveryspace.org/programs-even/current-programs/

This week is your last chance to sign your 7-10 year-old up for an exciting encounter with marine life, at a day camp at Discovery Space on Oct 29! Grab a spot today at discoveryspace.org/programs-events/current-programs/

Another #SkeletonSaturday, another skeleton fact Joints between your bones allow them to move so you can dance, run, and jump! But there's one lone bone that isn't connected to any others in the human body... do you know which one it is? Comment your best guess below and check back on Monday for the answer!

The season of giving is coming! The Winter Market at The Rivet is a safe place to buy gifts and support local artists. It will feature potters, jewelry makers, photographers, woodworkers, and more! To attend, you must RSVP on their website at therivet.org/rsvp

Check out Tumblehome Books free zoom on October 21 to learn all about the penguins in Antarctica Find more information and register today at tumblehomebooks.org/upcoming-tumbleocity-programs/

Looking for a safe, fun way to have your kids spend time with friends? Join us for a day camp this month! On Oct 29, we're hosting Live the Life Aquatic (ages 7-10) with our marine life exhibit and on Oct 30, we'll brew some Halloween Chemistry (ages 6-8) Find more info and register for the limited places today at discoveryspace.org/programs-events/current-programs/

It's the month for all things spookySue from Discovery Space is here to teach you some spooky skeleton facts each Saturday this month

Penn State chemistry graduate students are hosting a Zoom webinar on surface tension this Sunday (Oct 11) at 2pm! To join and access other recorded sessions of at-home science demos, check out their website at sites.psu.edu/chemgsc/virtual-scientist/

Look at the energy of this Science Adventurer and his rubber band racer! If you want to join in the pre-K fun every Thursday at 10:30am, register your interest today at discoveryspace.wufoo.com/fo/interest-in-science-adventures/

The Rivet's Winter Market will have a socially distant, open air, one-way pathway for maximum safety. They will follow safety protocols like using hand sanitizer, temperature checks, and enforcing masking to ensure your safety while at the market. To find more information and RSVP for the Winter Market go to therivet.org/rsvp

The Rivet's Winter Market will take place on Friday, November 13 from 3pm-7pm and Saturday, November 14 from 10am-4pm (rain or shine). It will feature local makers, artists, and artisans along with a socially distant open air, one-way pathway. To attend the market, please RSVP on their website at therivet.org/rsvp

The gobies main food source in the wild are parasites they pick off larger fish. In an aquarium, they will eat almost anything suitable for a carnivore like fish flakes, mysis shrimp, and even pieces of scallop! Check out this video of our yellow-line goby attempting to eat a piece of scallop left behind by a sea star. What other animals can you spot in this video?

Tumblehome Books is having a free zoom with the Puffins off the coast of Maine. Be sure to check it out on October 7 at 5pm! Find more information + sign up at tumblehomebooks.org/upcoming-tumbleocity-programs/

Thanks for joining us last week for Nights to Discover with Dr. David Ho and Dr. Peter Hudson! You can still watch the full video on our YouTube page at youtube.com/watch?v=1e155ry9YQ4. Our next conversation in the Nights to Discover series will take place on November 5th. We will hear from Pendred Noyce, a physician turned children’s author and Leo Liu, an infectious disease doctor who has, among many other things, worked on Ebola in Africa. They will talk about how life’s experiences have helped to inform Pendred’s writing.

Check out the Moon this evening for International Observe the Moon Night! This event occurs annually when the Moon is around its first quarter, so the Moon is about half-illuminated. You can celebrate with resources and activities from NASA at moon.nasa.gov/observe-the-mo//10-ways-to-observe-the-moon/ #ObserveTheMoon Photo Credit: NASA/Jennifer Baer

Winter is coming! Safely shop and support local artists and artisans at The Rivet's first ever open market on November 13 and 14

We'll see you at 7pm tonight for our online chat with Dr. David Ho and Dr. Peter Hudson. Want to join us for the event? You can still register on our website at discoveryspace.org/get-involved/night-to-discover/. *The Zoom link was emailed out at 5pm yesterday for previous registrants. Be sure to check your junk email box if you did not receive the link.

Have a pre-K scientist at home? Sign them up for our free, online program, Science Adventures! Every Thursday (starting 9/24) we’ll explore energy through books, movement, songs, and experiments. Click the link below to sign up todaydiscoveryspace.wufoo.com/forms/z1s97h9d06j1ng4/

It's not too late to sign up for our free, online event tomorrow from 7pm-8pm! Join us as we listen to and engage with Dr. David Ho and Dr. Peter Hudson. Registration for the online event closes today at 4pm! Be sure to sign up at discoveryspace.org/get-involved/night-to-discover/

Interested in galaxies, planets, and black holes? Be sure to check out Tumblehome Books free zoom on September 24 at 5pm. Find more information and sign up today at tumblehomebooks.org/upcoming-tumbleocity-programs/

Happy first day of Fall! Do you know why leaves change colors? The chemical chlorophyll (what helps trees convert sunshine into food through photosynthesis) makes leaves green and is so strong that it hides a leaf's other natural colors. As the seasons change and the weather starts to cool down, trees gradually stop producing chlorophyll. This causes other colors in the leaves, like the yellows and oranges, to show through!

Don’t miss our free, online event with two of the world’s top infectious disease researchers this Thursday (9/24) from 7pm-8pm! Dr. David Ho and Dr. Peter Hudson will draw on their experiences to discuss the challenges involved in wrestling down COVID-19. Register today at discoveryspace.org/get-involved/night-to-discover/