Cal Science & Engineering Festival

New date and location!
January 23, 2011 | 11am – 3pm
Sutardja Dai Hall at UC Berkeley

A community celebration of Science@Cal!

Science/engineering festival satellite event logo Explore the wonders of science with activities for the whole family at the first-ever Cal Science & Engineering Festival.

It’s all about science in action! You’ll put solar power to the test, get hands-on with ancient fossils, discover the “science” of unicycling and basketball, make your own earthquake, journey to the stars—and more!

The Cal festival is hosted by Science@Cal, an initiative of the UC Berkeley Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research, and is presented in conjunction with the inaugural USA Science & Engineering Festival.

Festival Presenters & Activities

(check back for updates)

  • Astronomy Bonanza by the UC Berkeley Astronomy Department 
    Take an astronomical journey in an inflatable planetarium and with solar telescopes.
  • Science, Song & Celebration! Featuring the acclaimed Banana Slug String Band 
    Join the Slugs for some earth-loving, musical fun! Showtime @ 1:00 pm. 
  • The Many Colors of Gold at the Nanoscale by the Berkeley Nanosciences and Nanoengineering Institute
  • Breaking the Code: What Do Genes Do? by the Berkeley Phylogenomics Group
    Check out what scientists are discovering about genes, and what the germs that are in and on us
    are doing. Free handouts include a toy example that will help you break the code yourself!
  • Unicycle Basketball: Science on the Court! by the Berkeley Revolution Unicycle Basketball Team
    Watch this amazing team play, and discover surprising science connections. Game-time is 
    10:00am to noon.
  • Earthquakes in Your Backyard by the Berkeley Seismological Laboratory
    Make your own earthquake, using a block slider model.
  • The Magic of Chemistry by the American Chemical Society (California Section)
    Be amazed by Chemistry “Magic” Demos.
  • Community in the Classroom Science Demos by the College of Chemistry
    Have a blast exploring the effects of dry ice and liquid nitrogen.
  • 4-inch, 0.5-ounce Six-Legged Biomimetic Running Robot by the 
    Center of Integrated Nanomechanical Systems 
    Come see a small bio-inspired robot being developed for search-and-rescue and remote-sensing operations!
  • From Cellulose to Fuel by the Energy Biosciences Institute
    Experience the process of creating this cutting-edge alternative energy source.
  • Start Your QUEST by KQED-QUEST Science Series
    Explore new Bay Area science, environment and nature stories with KQED’s award-winning, multimedia science series QUEST. Discover Bay Area science hikes, play a critter habitat match-up game, take a pollinator quiz, and more.
  • Solar Energy Challenge by the Lawrence Hall of Science
    Test your skills at getting household appliances to run on solar power.
  • Before the Cal Bears there was WHAT??? by the UC Museum of Paleontology
    Come “meet” the critters that roamed the Bay Area in the distant past.
  • The Science of Natural History by the Museum of Vertebrate Zoology
    Learn about our research, see live animals, discover fun animal facts, silly animal games—and more!
  • Physics Phenomena by the Physics Department
  • How Scientists Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence and How YOU Can Help! by SETI@Berkeley
    and CASPER. Discover how you can use SETI@Home (free software) to participate in the search for extraterrestrial intelligence. Learn about radio astronomy and see your own wireless devices transmit.
  • Surfin’ the Solar Wind by the Center for Science Education at the Space Sciences Laboratory
    Have fun with solar science and multimedia activities designed by and for high school students.
  • Feeling Brains! by Cognitive Science Student Association
    Explore the study of the mind using real human and animal brain specimens. 
  • Calculate This! by Expanding Your Horizons Network
    Play hands-on science and math activities, designed especially for middle school girls.

Check back for updates, or sign up for our mailing list


With special thanks to our sponsors for their generous support:


Parking is extremely limited in the campus vicinity. Travel to the Festival by BART and AC Transit is convenient and strongly advised. Festival activities are subject to change without notice.