Destroy all your preconceived notions about old-school science fairs and the anti-climactic experience of watching homemade volcanoes bubble over; because when Milwaukee does a science fair, you are bound to walk away with enlightenment, inspiration and possibly a beer buzz.
Last August, Cedar Block introduced Milwaukee to its first rock and roll science fair, Weird Science. This Saturday, the madness returns with Weird Science II: Your Physics Is Dead at a new location: 757 N. Broadway, 1st fl. The learning and such starts at 6 p.m.
What is a rock a roll science fair, you ask? Filed neatly into its own category of public event, Weird Science takes equal parts one-of-a-kind science projects, artistic creativity, brilliantly crafted music and Lakefront Brewery beer and mixes them -- using safety goggles, of course -- into an evening’s worth of discovery and amazement. The final result? Five hours of fun at its geekiest.
Although some would argue that art and science exist in mutually exclusive realms, Cedar Block director Brent Gohde disagrees and plans to prove it at his fair. (He also recommends reading Leonard Shlain’s “Art & Physics,” for a more in-depth look at just how similar the two disciplines are, but maybe we’ll just trust him on that one.)
Sure, he admits some regret that not one participant sought to prove/disprove the existence of zombies, but there’s no denying that Milwaukee’s brainiest and zaniest put their thinking caps on for this year’s projects. As is standard for any science fair, the 15 participants were to ask a question, answer it using the scientific method, and then present it in an interesting way.
Here’s a sneak peak as to what you can expect:
So, how will they decide who is Milwaukee’s number one mad scientist?
“Jeremy McGovern, an associate editor and writer for “Astronomy Magazine,” Maureen O’Reilly, last year’s first-place winner, and elementary school science teacher Deb Schneider will be ‘grading’ the projects in three categories, and the scientist with the top score will be awarded a trophy, which was once again designed, created, and donated by a brilliant local sculpture artist named Mark Winter,” says Gohde. “This year he built a four-foot tall robot.”
This year Cedar Block is asking a $5 donation at the door, with the proceeds benefiting COA Youth & Family Services. And it wouldn’t be Weird Science without some of Milwaukee’s finest musicians teaming up to create “Music to Split Atoms By,” the official (and free!) soundtrack to the fair. Artists include Lunaversol9, IfIHadAHiFi, Holy Mary Motor Club, The Silence Project, Clementine, among others.
“I think a good portion of Milwaukee’s population has some creative mad scientist in them, and there are some really great projects this year,” says Gohde. “Everyone knows that the coolest people are really the biggest geeks.”
Cedar Block’s Web site is cedarblock.com.
Last August, Cedar Block introduced Milwaukee to its first rock and roll science fair, Weird Science. This Saturday, the madness returns with Weird Science II: Your Physics Is Dead at a new location: 757 N. Broadway, 1st fl. The learning and such starts at 6 p.m.
What is a rock a roll science fair, you ask? Filed neatly into its own category of public event, Weird Science takes equal parts one-of-a-kind science projects, artistic creativity, brilliantly crafted music and Lakefront Brewery beer and mixes them -- using safety goggles, of course -- into an evening’s worth of discovery and amazement. The final result? Five hours of fun at its geekiest.
Although some would argue that art and science exist in mutually exclusive realms, Cedar Block director Brent Gohde disagrees and plans to prove it at his fair. (He also recommends reading Leonard Shlain’s “Art & Physics,” for a more in-depth look at just how similar the two disciplines are, but maybe we’ll just trust him on that one.)
Sure, he admits some regret that not one participant sought to prove/disprove the existence of zombies, but there’s no denying that Milwaukee’s brainiest and zaniest put their thinking caps on for this year’s projects. As is standard for any science fair, the 15 participants were to ask a question, answer it using the scientific method, and then present it in an interesting way.
Here’s a sneak peak as to what you can expect:
- Jennifer Bastian -- "Fool Proof"
- Battomi Oil & Beverage Company, LLC -- "Does Beer Taste Better at the Temperature of Melting Ice?"
- Tea Benduhn -- "The Actions vs Words Volume Comparison Study"
- Dave Hendrick -- "Gravity is Cool"
- Joe Kirschling -- "Is Science Art?"
- Jocelyn Koehler -- "Has Creationism Evolved? or, The Evolution of Intelligent Design"
- Haven Langhout -- "Untitled"
- Milwaukee Association of Psychogeographers -- "Testing the Theory of the Derive"
- Peter J. Morateck -- "Snorks vs Smurfs: A Study in Darwinism"
- Clark Rendall -- "Intelligent Design"
- Dan Schierl & Grant Richter -- "Locating the Quantum Frankenstein Threshold"
- Jennifer Schierl -- "The Effects of the Marquette Interchange Project on The Booty Call Window, or, How Urban Planning Impacts Midwestern Dating Rituals"
- Six Dead Spiders -- "Ultimate Conspiracy Hypothesis"
- Team She Blinded Me With Science -- "The Chach Factor"
- Matt Wild -- "NOW YOU'RE PLAYING WITH POWER: Standardized Intelligence, Psychic Phenomena, and the Nintendo Power Pad"
So, how will they decide who is Milwaukee’s number one mad scientist?
“Jeremy McGovern, an associate editor and writer for “Astronomy Magazine,” Maureen O’Reilly, last year’s first-place winner, and elementary school science teacher Deb Schneider will be ‘grading’ the projects in three categories, and the scientist with the top score will be awarded a trophy, which was once again designed, created, and donated by a brilliant local sculpture artist named Mark Winter,” says Gohde. “This year he built a four-foot tall robot.”
This year Cedar Block is asking a $5 donation at the door, with the proceeds benefiting COA Youth & Family Services. And it wouldn’t be Weird Science without some of Milwaukee’s finest musicians teaming up to create “Music to Split Atoms By,” the official (and free!) soundtrack to the fair. Artists include Lunaversol9, IfIHadAHiFi, Holy Mary Motor Club, The Silence Project, Clementine, among others.
“I think a good portion of Milwaukee’s population has some creative mad scientist in them, and there are some really great projects this year,” says Gohde. “Everyone knows that the coolest people are really the biggest geeks.”
Cedar Block’s Web site is cedarblock.com.
OnMilwaukee.com staff writer Julie Lawrence grew up in Wauwatosa and has lived her whole life in the Milwaukee area.
As any “word nerd” can attest, you never know when inspiration will strike, so from a very early age Julie has rarely been seen sans pen and little notebook. At the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee it seemed only natural that she major in journalism. When OnMilwaukee.com offered her an avenue to combine her writing and the city she knows and loves in late 2004, she knew it was meant to be. Around the office, she answers to a plethora of nicknames, including “Lar,” (short for “Larry,” which is short for “Lawrence”) as well as the mysteriously-sourced “Bill Murray.”
