Join us for SCIENCE-PALOOZA!
Meet a scientist, be a scientist!
Science-Palooza Outdoor Activities
Science at Cal and The Lawrence Hall of Science are hosting a full-blown SCIENCE-PALOOZA on the beautiful and spacious outdoor plaza of The Lawrence overlooking the Bay. This event will showcase over 15 interactive and engaging STEM activities from UC Berkeley departments, student groups, scientists, artists, designers, and our partners. Come enjoy science demos, experiments, hands-on activities, meet-the-scientists booths, and more! Science-Palooza’s outdoor activities on the plaza are completely free and take place between 11 AM–2 PM on April 30.
Entry to Lawrence Hall of Science
Entrance to the museum will be offered between 10 AM–5 PM at a reduced $5 rate. The Lawrence Hall of Science offers free admission to anyone with a state-issued EBT card with valid photo ID, as well as up to five additional individuals. Indoor museum activities are subject to capacity limits, so reservations are required and can be made here. If your group is larger than 24 individuals, please contact The Lawrence Registration Office by email at lhsreg@berkeley.edu.
Transportation
We will also be offering a free shuttle service all day from Shattuck Avenue at Addison Street near the Downtown Berkeley BART directly up to The Lawrence starting at 9:30 AM every hour on the half hour and departing the Lawrence every hour on the hour starting at 10:00 AM. Paid parking is also available at the Lawrence Hall of Science.Food
There will be limited food for purchase so please be prepared to bring your own lunch! You may eat outdoors or, if you choose to enter the museum, in the designated indoor cafe in the Lawrence, which will be open for use as a lunchroom, but will not be selling food.Health & Safety
We will follow any and all county, city, and institutional COVID guidelines in place on event day on the plaza. Masks are optional in our outdoor spaces. Masks are required indoors for all visitors 2 years and older. For those entering The Lawrence, please see their COVID site policies here.Featuring these activities and more:
Evo Games
UC Museum of Paleontology
Spin the wheel, roll the die, and evolve a bacterium! Try out simple games that teach basic evolutionary ideas and connect to human health.
Carnivorous Plants
UC Botanical Garden
Discover some of the fascinating and beautiful plants that can digest insects. See the amazing leaf adaptations close-up as you learn more about them.
Phenomenal Physics
Society of Physics Students
Welcome to the world of Phenomenal Physics! In this lab, you will be introduced to the forces of physics—the basic principles that govern our physical world. As a physicist, you will observe, ask, and experiment on topics ranging from magnetism to mechanics. What will you discover about these forces?
Optical Illusions
Whitney Perception Lab
How does your brain process visual information like light, color, and depth? How do illusions work? Join us for fun and exciting demonstrations and activities that will trick your brain and help you explore the fascinating world of perception!
Face Painting with Artificial Intelligence
Virtual Human, Lawrence Hall of Science
Instead of applying your own face paint, you can create and decorate a digital mask that you can “try on” with the help of Artificial Intelligence.
Parabolic Mirror Marshmallow Roaster, Solar Telescope, and more!
Department of Astronomy
Use light and mirrors to roast your own marshmallow, and use a special telescope to observe the sun!
Catapult Challenge & Balloon Rocket Cars
Community Resources for Science
In the catapult challenge, you will measure how far you can fire a ping pong ball. In balloon rocket cars, you will measure how far their car can travel. Plan out, test, and optimize your designs to model the engineering design cycle.
Bee Colorful
Department of Integrative Biology
You might be familiar with the honeybee, but did you know there are over 20,000 different species of bees in the world? Join UC Berkeley PhD candidate, Nina Sokolov, for a bee trivia activity where you can win hand drawn native bee coloring book pages.
Balance Board Math
Balance Board Math
Rock on wooden boards to explore and create graphs with your friends! Can you find the hidden green, or control the mystery graph?
Unraveling the Dark Matter Mystery
Department of Physics
What is dark matter, and how do we search for something in the Universe that we cannot see? Join us in the search, to understand how scientists are unraveling this cosmic mystery in compelling ways. See how charged particles pass through a cloud chamber, and get up-close for demos of Liquid Nitrogen in action, rotation and galaxy dynamics, elastic scattering, and more! Find out what is Nuclear Astrophysics!
Buoyant Bubbles with Berkeley Lab
Lawrence Berkeley National Lab
Join Berkeley Lab as we devise an ideal bubble-blowing instrument; test dish soap brands to see which makes the biggest bubbles; determine the optimum amount of glycerin needed for the biggest bubbles; use color patterns to predict when a bubble will pop; and create bubbles that last for days. Participants will learn about light and color, aerodynamics, chemical composition, surface tension, and even technology.
The Tiny Superheroes that Make Our Body Work
Department of Molecular and Cell Biology &
Department of Physics
As we breathe, eat, grow, sleep, tiny superheroes in our body drive different reactions to make our bones strong, help us digest, keep bacteria away and keep our mind sharp. These superheroes are proteins, known as enzymes, whose role is fundamental to the functioning of our body. Come and visit us to get a peek into the world of these tiny superheroes, learn about our latest research, how enzymes function and what we can do to make them go faster or even repair them.The Vaccine & You, Maker Microbes, & Growing Crystals
Biotechnology Learning Lab, Lawrence Hall of Science
How do you feel about the COVID-19 vaccine? Learn some of the science behind it. How does it change your ideas? From climate change to sustainable fashion to medicine, scientists are using tiny creatures called microbes to solve important problems. Come get some up close and personal experience with them! Zoom in and watch crystals grow before your eyes!