Nebraska Science Festival

Above and Beyond
2023-04-01 09:00 - 17:00, 2023-04-02 09:00 - 17:00, 2023-04-03 09:00 - 17:00, 2023-04-04 09:00 - 17:00, 2023-04-05 09:00 - 17:00, 2023-04-06 09:00 - 17:00, 2023-04-07 09:00 - 17:00, 2023-04-08 09:00 - 17:00 (America/Chicago) | Strategic Air Command & Aerospace Museum, 28210 W Park Hwy, Ashland, NE, 68003, United States
Stop by the Strategic Air Command & Aerospace Museum to view their latest exhibit, Above and Beyond.
Above and Beyond celebrates the power of innovation. Packed with interactive challenges; vehicle concept models and prototypes; immersive media presentations; and inspiring innovator stories, this exhibition invites you to experience what it takes to make impossible dreams take flight.
Regular museum admission.

Science Saturday Storytime
2023-04-01 10:00 - 11:00, 2023-04-08 10:00 - 11:00 | A.V. Sorensen Branch, 4808 Cass St., Omaha, NE, 68132, United States
Join Omaha Public Library for Science Saturdays at A.V. Sorensen all April long! In celebration of NE Science Fest and City Nature Challenge, Science Saturdays will offer a science-themed storytime at 10am followed by a family-friendly hands-on activity from 10:30-11am.
Storytime children of all ages are welcome, as storytimes will be tailored for the age of the children present. We explore the early literacy skills of singing, playing, reading, talking and writing in each storytime.
Childcare groups and other groups larger than 10, please call in advance.

Hall of Heroes
2023-04-01 10:00 - 16:00, 2023-04-03 12:00 - 16:00, 2023-04-04 10:00 - 16:00, 2023-04-05 10:00 - 16:00, 2023-04-06 10:00 - 16:00, 2023-04-07 10:00 - 16:00, 2023-04-08 10:00 - 16:00 | The Durham Museum, 801 S 10th Street, Omaha, NE, 68108
Stop by The Durham Museum now until April 16 to see the Hall of Heroes exhibit.
This popular traveling exhibition celebrates and explores both the history and science behind America’s fascination with superheroes and how they impacted our popular culture throughout the 20th century and beyond. Visitors of all ages are encouraged to explore, learn and test their heroic abilities at engaging and challenging interactive stations.
Ever wonder how your favorite super-powered characters were created? Hall of Heroes provides an immersive experience for visitors to understand the world of heroes, crime-fighters and gadgets. Their journey takes them through several themed environments with surprises around every corner. Visitors will explore the histories of heroes and the circumstances that created them, while discovering the ideals that make them the heroes that we know and love.
Regular museum admission.

Omaha Children's Museum Visits Swanson Branch
2023-04-01 13:00 - 14:00 | W. Clarke Swanson Branch, 9101 W. Dodge Rd., Omaha, NE, 68114, United States
The Omaha Children’s Museum is visiting the W. Clarke Swanson Branch! Explore what happens to molecules when they are put to the test! Watch liquids become solids, soap become fluffy, and chip bags shrink in this Molecular Mayhem show all about molecules and chemical reactions!
The program is geared for kids grades K-5, but all ages are welcome!

NE SciFest Storytime
2023-04-03 09:30 - 10:00 | Millard Branch, 13214 Westwood Ln., Omaha, NE, 68144, United States
Join Omaha Public Library for a special storytime all about science. Explore stories and experiments inspiring scientific exploration!

Hall of History Hands-On Weekly Activities
2023-04-03 15:00 - 16:30, 2023-04-04 15:00 - 16:30, 2023-04-05 15:00 - 16:30, 2023-04-06 15:00 - 16:30, 2023-04-07 15:00 - 16:30 | Boys Town Hall of History, 14057 Flanagan Blvd., Boys Town, NE, 68010, United States
This April, visit the Boys Town Hall of History and learn about various science topics with weekly activities. Each week the Hall of History will host staff-led science activities from 3:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Plus, our hearing display including a hearing simulator will be featured throughout the month to teach visitors young and old about the science of hearing, what causes hearing loss and what hearing loss sounds like to a person with no hearing concerns.
Monthly feature: Hearing Display, available during Hall of History open hours
Weekly features:
Marble Run (physics, gravity) M-F April 3-7, 3:00pm – 4:30pm
Printer Press (ink pressing) M-F April 10-14, 3:00pm – 4:30pm
Molding Process (molds, statues) M-F April 17-21, 3:00pm – 4:30pm

Crime Scene Investigation: DNA
2023-04-04 13:00 - 14:30 | W. Clarke Swanson Branch, 9101 W. Dodge Rd., Omaha, NE, 68114, United States
It’s what makes you, you and me, me. It can also be used to help law enforcement solve crimes. It’s Deoxyribose Nucleic Acid, aka DNA!
Participants will get the opportunity to learn what DNA actually is and how CSI investigators use it to catch the bad guy. Participants will construct DNA using K’Nex®, discover how DNA sequencing aids investigators, and get to extract their own DNA and see it with their own two eyes!
All supplies will be provided. This program is suitable for children ages 10-15. Registration is required.
Call Swanson staff at 402-444-4852 or email Stephanie at spoletti@omahalibrary.org to sign up.

Omaha Science Cafe - "Understanding the Aging Brain"
2023-04-04 19:00 - 20:00 | Slowdown, 729 N 14th St., Omaha, NE, 68102, United States
Join Gaelle E. Doucet, Ph.D., Director of the Brain Architecture, Imaging and Cognition Laboratory at the Boys Town Institute for Human Neuroscience, for the April 4 Omaha Science Cafe as she presents, “Understanding the Aging Brain,” 7pm at the Slowdown.
It is clear that people do not age at the same rate. Scientists are still trying to understand why there are differences amongst individuals, but factors such as physical activity and education seem to play a significant role in these changes. At this Science Café, Dr. Doucet will present findings from her scientific research and share what we know about the impact of age on the brain and what can influence it.
Gaelle E. Doucet, Ph.D., is the Director of the Brain Architecture, Imaging and Cognition Laboratory. For the last 10 years, Dr. Doucet’ research interests have involved the investigation of the brain’s architecture and its relationship to cognition in health and disease. She is a cognitive neuroscientist with expertise in functional MRI (fMRI), and particularly on resting-state fMRI. Her research has involved the use of multi-modal MRI to characterize the brain functional organization and she has applied this technology to answering questions about the impacts of disease on brain functional organization.
Dr. Doucet received her doctoral degree in cognitive neuroscience from the University of Caen (France) in 2010. Her work provided a description of the healthy brain intrinsic organization underlying the complex relationships between brain networks at rest in young adults. This finding offered one of the first schematic models of the brain’s functional architecture and provided a normative framework for the study of intrinsic interactions between brain networks. During her postdoctoral fellowships, she further investigated the impact of neurological (i.e., epilepsy) and neuropsychiatric (i.e., schizophrenia and bipolar disorders) disorders on the brain architecture.
Prior to joining Boys Town National Research Hospital, Dr. Doucet was an assistant professor at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai (New York, NY). She has been awarded a grant from the National Institute on Aging (NIA) to identify the brain networks in aging populations. This work aims to provide the first reliable brain functional atlas for older adults. By mapping the brain networks underlying late adulthood, this work has the potential to elucidate how dysfunction of the brain networks contributes to neurodegenerative conditions. At Boys Town Hospital, she plans to expand this research by focusing on age-related changes on brain activity and cognition, from childhood to late adulthood.
Dr. Doucet has authored more than 45 peer-reviewed publications that have been cited more than 1000 times.
Science Cafés address the latest hot science topics in casual settings like pubs and coffeehouses. The events are open to everyone (21 and older).
Using plain language, an easygoing atmosphere and inclusive conversation, these interactive events are welcoming and comfortable for people with no science background. Each presentation is followed by a question-and-answer period.

Legos at the Library
2023-04-06 15:45 - 16:45 | City of Kearney Public Library, 2020 1st Avenue, Kearney, NE, 68847, United States
Join the Kearney Library for some brick-snapping fun! Come design and build your own creations. The library will provide the Legos, you just need to bring your imagination along. No registration is required for this event.

Day Camp – Across the Desert
2023-04-07 08:00 - 16:30 | Lincoln Children’s Museum, 1420 P Street, Lincoln, NE, 68508, United States
Join the Lincoln Children’s Museum on April 7 for a school-out CAMP PLAY! day: “Across the Desert.”
We’re headed to the desert for this day camp! We’ll take a look at the desert’s climate along with desert animals and their habitats, plus explore a variety of nature topics through hands-on activities and experiments.
Themed activities and play time will include exhibit floor time where public visitors may be present.
Schedule:
Check-In: 8:00am – 8:30am
Check-Out: 4:00pm-4:30pm
Day Camp Pricing: Member $48/ Non-Member $63
Registration required.

INVESTIGATE
2023-04-08 10:00 - 13:00 | University of Nebraska State Museum – Morrill Hall, 645 North 14th Street, Lincoln, Nebraska, 68588
Join Morrill Hall on Saturday, April 8 for their Investigate program. The April 8 Investigate event will feature hands-on activities exploring the many green energy options we use!

Pop In Storytime
2023-04-08 10:30 - 11:00 | University of Nebraska State Museum – Morrill Hall, 645 North 14th Street, Lincoln, Nebraska, 68588
Join Lincoln City Libraries and Morrill Hall to learn more about green energy through stories, songs, and movement at the April 8 Pop In Storytime event.
