October 2021
PRE-FESTIVAL EVENT: Badger Talks Live – The Problems of Invasive Fungi
WATCH RECORDING HERE Anne Pringle, Vilas Distinguished Achievement Professor of Botany and Bacteriology, explores the fascinating world of mushrooms and fungi. The Pringle laboratory focuses on the biology of species whose life histories and body plans seem very different from our own. Fungi encompass a heterogeneous array of both microbes and macrobes. Learn about how Anne Pringle's lab uses fungi as tools to test and elucidate general principles of ecology and evolution, and some of the recent problems that have been…
Find out more »PRE-FESTIVAL EVENT: Badger Talks Live – UW Authors on the Wisconsin Book Festival
WATCH RECORDING HERE Get a preview of one of seven Wisconsin Book Festival talks being presented at this year’s Wisconsin Science Festival and hear more about both festivals coming October 21-24. In “When Bad Thinking Happens to Good People: How Philosophy Can Save Us from Ourselves” authors Steven Nadler and Lawrence Shapiro argue that the best antidote for the current epidemic of bad thinking is the wisdom, insights, and practical skills of philosophy. When Bad Thinking Happens to Good People provides an engaging…
Find out more »PRE-FESTIVAL EVENT: Badger Talks Live – Insiders Guide to the Wisconsin Science Festival
WATCH RECORDING HERE Join Wisconsin Science Festival co-founders, presenters and producers for an in depth look at how to participate in the 11th edition of the annual multi-day, statewide celebration of science, including how to choose from nearly 200 live, in-person and recorded on-demand events for all ages taking place in dozens of communities across Wisconsin. Presenters: Laura Heisler, co-founder and Director, Wisconsin Science Festival and WARF Director of Programming George Tzougros, Executive Director, Wisconsin Arts Board and co-founder, Wisconsin…
Find out more »Wisconsin Science Festival Virtual Expo
Unleash your curiosity with online exploration stations featuring scientists, engineers and MORE! Click around to find self-guided activities, virtual demonstrations and interactive games. There is something for everyone, including a number of activities featuring fantastic fungi! CLICK HERE TO GET STARTED Before starting this activity, please get permission from a responsible adult. This is an online event.
Find out more »Hour of Code
Join Little Explorers for an hour of code using Python & JavaScript programming language. Complete beginners, intermediate and advanced levels. Plus, have a chance to win a FREE prize. Video & Audio Enable | Stable Internet Connection | Please join 5-10 minutes before session starts. This is an online event.
Find out more »DIY Quicksand
This fun (and easy to prepare) experiment will help you explore the physics of quicksand! And the only materials needed are some cornstarch and a little bit of water. Our guided experiment will give you a tour through the process of science (better known as the scientific method) and will allow you to think critically about how we know what we know in science. In this experiment you will be learning about non-Newtonian fluids, a fluid whose hardness changes depending…
Find out more »VIRTUAL FIELD TRIP: A Look Inside Your Brain
VIRTUAL FIELD TRIP: WATCH RECORDING HERE Have you ever wondered what a real human brain looks like? UW-Madison's neuroscience graduate students will be showing a real human brain and describing how your brain allows you to move, see, smell, talk and remember what you learn. This is an online event.
Find out more »VIRTUAL FIELD TRIP: Creating Art with Polarized Light
VIRTUAL FIELD TRIP: WATCH RECORDING HERE Join UW-Madison scientists from the Materials Research Science and Engineering Center (MRSEC) to create your very own work of art that's only visible when viewed between two polarizing filters! Classroom kits available (while supplies last) and will be coordinated once registered. This is an online event.
Find out more »VIRTUAL FIELD TRIP: Finding Buried Treasure!
VIRTUAL FIELD TRIP: WATCH RECORDING HERE Have you ever wondered how scientists find fossils and use them to learn about life on Earth many, many years ago? In this experience, you'll see how scientists find and unearth bones, carefully clean them, and figure out how to fit them into a larger skeleton. After learning about this process, you'll get to chat with scientists who study geology, fossils and more! This is an online event.
Find out more »VIRTUAL FIELD TRIP: Which Way Did They Go? Electrophoresis of Colored Dyes
VIRTUAL FIELD TRIP: WATCH RECORDING HERE Electrophoresis of Colored Dyes introduces students to the physical concepts of separating molecules by charge and size using agarose gel electrophoresis. Participants will draw and analyze results in this fun interactive virtual session. Participants should have colored pencils and plain paper available to fully participate. This activity is offered by the BTC Institute. This is an online event.
Find out more »VIRTUAL FIELD TRIP: Nature Explorers – Join in the Wisconsin BioBlitz
VIRTUAL FIELD TRIP: WATCH RECORDING HERE Scientists who study nature often explore connections between living things like mosquitos, ticks and humans. In this field trip experience, you’ll get to explore nature with scientists from UW-Madison and naturalists from Aldo Leopold Nature Center to learn how to use science to explore the world around you. This field trip is best paired with the Wisconsin Science Festival BioBlitz. Learn more at: https://WiSciFest.org/BioBlitz/ This is an online event.
Find out more »Wisconsin Book Festival: Lifelines (Dr. Leana Wen)
From medical expert Leana Wen, MD, Lifelines is an insider's account of public health and its crucial role—from opioid addiction to global pandemic—and an inspiring story of her journey from struggling immigrant to being one of Time’s 100 Most Influential People. Dr. Wen will appear live on Crowdcast to discuss her newest book, Lifelines. Join the event at: https://www.crowdcast.io/e/wbf-lifelines. Before the event begins, you will see a countdown and the event image. “Public health saved your life today—you just don’t…
Find out more »Virtual Story Time at Antigo Public Library
Join the Antigo Public Library for a bedtime story celebrating science on October 21. In preparation for the Wisconsin Science Fest kicking off on October 21, we will read a book about solar energy and create a simple kit to make your own sun dial that you can pick up at the library beginning October 22. WATCH RECORDING HERE This is an online event.
Find out more »Wisconsin Science Festival Virtual Expo
Unleash your curiosity with online exploration stations featuring scientists, engineers and MORE! Click around to find self-guided activities, virtual demonstrations and interactive games. There is something for everyone, including a number of activities featuring fantastic fungi! CLICK HERE TO GET STARTED Before starting this activity, please get permission from a responsible adult. This is an online event.
Find out more »DIY Quicksand
This fun (and easy to prepare) experiment will help you explore the physics of quicksand! And the only materials needed are some cornstarch and a little bit of water. Our guided experiment will give you a tour through the process of science (better known as the scientific method) and will allow you to think critically about how we know what we know in science. In this experiment you will be learning about non-Newtonian fluids, a fluid whose hardness changes depending…
Find out more »VIRTUAL FIELD TRIP: My Story in Science So Far – From Voices Underrepresented in Science
VIRTUAL FIELD TRIP: WATCH RECORDING HERE Join SciMed Graduate Research Scholars (GRS) for an engaging and interactive discussion with scientists and researchers who are underrepresented in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math careers. Hear about their own science story and their background and see if their journey might be similar or different from your own. This is an online event.
Find out more »VIRTUAL FIELD TRIP: Which Makes Better Bubbles: The Bubble-logy of Skim vs. Whole Milk
VIRTUAL FIELD TRIP: WATCH RECORDING HERE What does a “better bubble” mean to you? Can you design a fair experiment to determine how milkfat affects milk bubble-icity? This BioTrek session includes an activity that requires common household items. Materials list will be provided in advance. This is an online event. ADDITIONAL RESOURCES: Teacher Activity Guide: Which makes better bubbles, skim milk or whole?
Find out more »VIRTUAL FIELD TRIP: Power from Plants?
VIRTUAL FIELD TRIP: WATCH RECORDING HERE Power from plants? Rebecca Smith is a plant biologist at the Wisconsin Energy Institute who researches ways to make fuels from plants like poplar trees and prairie grass. Join us on Oct. 22 to meet Rebecca, tour a state-of-the-art laboratory, and ask questions about how plants can be a solution to climate change. This is an online event. ADDITIONAL RESOURCES: • Article and short video profile of Rebecca • Microbes and More: A 360…
Find out more »VIRTUAL FIELD TRIP: The Physics Experience
VIRTUAL FIELD TRIP: WATCH RECORDING HERE Physics is the study of how things move, how they push and pull on each other, and how they exchange energy. The Physics Experience show is a fast-paced, engaging, and educational physics program, filled with demonstrations that help people better understand the physics in the world around them, while having fun at the same time! This is an online event.
Find out more »Slime Molds
Kathleen Thompson is currently studying mycorrhizal fungi in the Botany Department of UW-Madison and is on the board of the Madison Mycological Society. In this talk, she will discuss slime molds. Slime molds aren't technically fungi, but often get considered in that same realm due to their similar biology. Learn about what makes them so interesting with this presentation from the E.D. Locke Public Library! WATCH EVENT RECORDING HERE This is an online event.
Find out more »Wisconsin Science Festival Virtual Expo
Unleash your curiosity with online exploration stations featuring scientists, engineers and MORE! Click around to find self-guided activities, virtual demonstrations and interactive games. There is something for everyone, including a number of activities featuring fantastic fungi! CLICK HERE TO GET STARTED Before starting this activity, please get permission from a responsible adult. This is an online event.
Find out more »DIY Quicksand
This fun (and easy to prepare) experiment will help you explore the physics of quicksand! And the only materials needed are some cornstarch and a little bit of water. Our guided experiment will give you a tour through the process of science (better known as the scientific method) and will allow you to think critically about how we know what we know in science. In this experiment you will be learning about non-Newtonian fluids, a fluid whose hardness changes depending…
Find out more »Wisconsin Science Festival Virtual Expo
Unleash your curiosity with online exploration stations featuring scientists, engineers and MORE! Click around to find self-guided activities, virtual demonstrations and interactive games. There is something for everyone, including a number of activities featuring fantastic fungi! CLICK HERE TO GET STARTED Before starting this activity, please get permission from a responsible adult. This is an online event.
Find out more »DIY Quicksand
This fun (and easy to prepare) experiment will help you explore the physics of quicksand! And the only materials needed are some cornstarch and a little bit of water. Our guided experiment will give you a tour through the process of science (better known as the scientific method) and will allow you to think critically about how we know what we know in science. In this experiment you will be learning about non-Newtonian fluids, a fluid whose hardness changes depending…
Find out more »Wisconsin Book Festival: Fuzz (Mary Roach in Conversation with Joshua Foer)
Join "America’s funniest science writer," Mary Roach, on an irresistible investigation into the unpredictable world where wildlife and humans meet. Roach will discuss her newest book, Fuzz, in conversation with Joshua Foer, author of Moonwalking with Einstein. Join the event at: https://www.crowdcast.io/e/wbf-fuzz. Before the event begins, you will see a countdown and the event image. What’s to be done about a jaywalking moose? A bear caught breaking and entering? A murderous tree? Three hundred years ago, animals that broke the…
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