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Next 50 Science and Tech Month is … AMAZING!

The Next Fifty Science and Technology month launches on June 1, with science festivals, speaking and film series, interactive explorations and more through June 30 at Seattle Center, South Lake Union, and downtown Seattle.

Work in science is a high form of human joy – with great responsibilities, challenges, and promise. Echoing the emphasis of the 1962 Science Exhibit, Science and Technology month celebrates the relationship between science and the humanities, allowing participants to explore this region’s global leadership in science and technology.

The month is divided into several thematic areas including: Ecosytems (E), Engineering and Robotics (ER), Gaming (G), Life Sciences (LS),  Science and the Arts (SA), Science and Discovery (SD), Space and Aerospace (SE), and Technology and Innovation (TI).  Following is a listed of the scheduled activities:

(G) Next 50 Video Arcade, Sundays Thursdays, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m., Fridays – Saturdays, 10 a.m. – 7 p.m., June 2012, Seattle Center Armory/Center House, FREE. Play videos games from throughout the decades for free and learn about video game development.

(SA) Next Fifty Film Series, 7 p.m. – 9 p.m., Wednesdays, SIFF Film Center, FREE.  Fiction and nonfiction film exploring science and the cosmos – June 6:  Sputnik Mania; June 13:  For All Mankind; June 20:  Plug & Pray; June 27:  Queen of the Sun.

(SA) red black GREEN: a blues, 7:30 p.m., May 30 – June 2, Playhouse/Intiman. Marc Bamuthi Joseph’s newest multi-disciplinary project layers poetic text, dance, music and film to jumpstart a conversation about environmental racism, social ecology and collective responsibility in the climate change era.

(LS) Science Luminaries Series:  Reinventing the Toilet, 8 p.m., June 1, Seattle Repertory Theatre. Lack of access to toilets is the largest cause of disease worldwide.  In July 2011. the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation launched the ‘Reinventing the Toilet’ Challenge to reduce disease and improve the lives of the 2.6 billion people who lack access to safe and affordable toilets. Experts from around the world will come to Seattle for a dynamic evening filled with “potty talk.”

(SA) GRAMMY Music Tech Summit, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m., June 2, EMP Museum. Focusing on the current state and evolution of digital music, visuals, and performance, music and technology leaders will participate in lively discussions and hands on workshops.

(E) Our Sustainable Futures Experience Exhibit, Saturdays and Sundays, 10 a.m. – 6 p.m., June 2 – June 24, Next 50 Pavilion, FREE. The exhibit addresses the choices we make and presents some surprising elements of our region’s collective efforts when we look back fifty years from now.

(E) The Emerald City Reptile Expo, 10 a.m. – 6 p.m., June 2, and 10 a.m. – 7 p.m., June 3, Exhibition Hall A two-day family event with thousands of live reptiles, amphibians and insects on display and for sale. The Emerald City Reptile Expo focuses on proper “herp”-keeping and wildlife observation. 

(G) iFEST, 10 a.m. – 6 p.m., June 2, Next 50 Activity Tent, Next 50 Plaza, FREE. A one-day festival for anyone who thinks they might have what it takes to imagine, design, build and market games indie-style. Local game development studios and groups such as geek girl will speak on everything from programming to arts.

(ER) Robothon, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m., June 2 – 3, Seattle Center Armory, FREE. Robot competitions and workshops in line following, line maze, mini-sumo and Robo-magellan, along with displays and demos of projects done by our club members.

(SD) Science Festival Expo Day, 10 a.m. – 6 p.m., June 2, Seattle Center grounds, FREE. An exciting, large-scale, family-friendly entertaining extravaganza features more than 150 interactive exhibits, stage performances, and demonstrations.

(SA) Design a Martian Habitat Contest Awards, 2:45 p.m. – 3 p.m., June 2, Seattle Center, FREE. Students from around the state have spent countless hours designing a Martian base habitat for the planet’s first human explorers. Join us as we honor the winners of “Design A Martian Habitat” contest!

(ER) Seattle Mini Makers Faire, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m., June 2 – 3, Northwest Rooms. Maker Faire events inspire, inform, connect and entertain thousands of Makers and aspiring Makers of all ages and backgrounds through the public gathering of tech enthusiasts, crafters, educators, tinkers, hobbyists, science clubs, students, authors and commercial exhibitors.

(E) Seattle International Film Festival: The Last Reef 3D, 7 p.m., June 3, Pacific Science Center. An uplifting, giant-screen journey that explores the beauty and mysteries of the world’s reef ecosystems:  a distant yet parallel world, with living cities undeniably connected to our own human communities.

(SA) Science that Soars!, 11 a.m. – 2 p.m.,  June 3 – 8, Museum of Flight. This series of education programs celebrate milestones and anniversaries from the history of aerospace. Programs will feature hands-on activities, planetarium programs or special tours.

(TI) Computer Program Symposium, 9:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m., June 4, Playhouse / Intiman. Learn how computers and the internet work and what it’s like to write computer programs.  Your instructors are computer innovators and entrepreneurs Hadi Partovi and Nat Brown, and Helene Martin, a former high school University of Washington faculty member. For students in grades 9 – 12.  

(ER) Architectural Grooves: A Guided Tour of Frank Gehry’s EMP Museum, 2 p.m. – 3 p.m., June 4. This engaging 60-minute guided tour features behind-the-scenes images, accounts of the building’s construction, and an in-depth discussion of its key architectural features.

(SD)Science Week Summer Camp, June 4 – 8, The Children’s Museum, Seattle. Discovery Days! From A to Zolo is a summer camp program designed by The Children’s Museum, Seattle. Each day features unique and engaging activities for children ages 4-10.

(LS) Ideas to Change the World, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m., June 5, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Visitor Center. All over the world, people are putting science to work fighting poverty, improving health, and increasing opportunities for everyone. Join us for short talks, demonstrations and films showing how it’s working.

(SD)South Lake Union Science Trek, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m., June 8, South Lake Union, FREE. Meet the research institutions of SLU! Our science trek from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. offers elementary age students interactive science experiences and continues, 1 p.m. -4 p.m., with programming for teens and adults focusing on exciting careers in the STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) disciplines.

(SA) Trash Fashion, 8 p.m. – 10 p.m., June 8 and 9, Playhouse/Intiman. Quite possibly sourced from a dumpster near you, exotic models flaunt designer detritus on the catwalk like never before as our celebrity MC announces the surprising source and vision behind each design.

(G) NW Pinball and Arcade Show, various times, June 8 – 10, Northwest Rooms. This family-friendly show feature over 300 pinball and arcade games all set on free play! With guest speakers and personalities from the world of pinball and video games, from designers and manufacturers to world record high score holders.

(TI) Seattle Science Festival Luminary: Hackers, 8 p.m., June 9, Town Hall Seattle. Identity theft, cyber-attacks, viruses, worms, and botnets…these terms strike fear into the hearts of all computer users. Meet some of the world’s foremost experts as they shine a spotlight on this important topic… complemented by ‘the Inadvertent Hacker:  an Operetta’ performed by musician Amy Denio.

(SA) Once in a Future: The Oscillating Human – Electronic Music as an Innovating Force in the Future. 7 p.m. – 10 p.m., June 11, Playhouse/Intiman, FREE. These live musical performances and panel discussions explore the history, present and future of music in the Northwest and beyond.

(E) Seattle Science Festival Luminary:  Evolution, 8 p.m., June 16, Paramount Theatre. Presentations by one of the greatest minds of our time, Dr. Stephen Hawking, world renowned paleontologist Dr. Jack Horner of Jurassic Park fame and award-winning biologist, Dr. Leroy Hood, are interwoven with hip hop and modern dance, in a presentation by three luminaries of the science world with interpretations of evolution from the art world!

(ER) Ark.i.tek 2062, June 17, Digital Classroom, FREE. This online event engages and guides young Seattle citizens in learning the process of architecture and design, developing their skill sets and assisting them to shape their vision of the future, ultimately empowering them to make a difference in Seattle. 

(SD)Ashoka’s Youth Venture Community Panels and Showcase, June 21, Northwest Rooms, FREE. An exhibition of in-progress social ventures launched by Youth Venture teams!  Support Changemaker youth as you learn about innovative, youth-led solutions to social problems.

(LS) 4th Annual P4 Medicine Summit, 3:30 p.m. – 6 p.m., June 21, Marion Oliver McCaw Hall. Discussions highlight the rapidly advancing field of proactive P4 medicine that is predictive, preventive, personalized and participatory, with keynote by Dr. Leroy Hood.

(SA) Seattle Science Festival Luminaries of Space, 8 p.m. – 10 p.m., June 22, Museum of Flight. The Space Gallery at Seattle’s Museum of Flight is the setting for this event featuring astronauts Dr. Bonnie Dunbar and Dr. George ‘Pinky’ Nelson as well as Mr. Mark Sirangelo of Sierra Nevada Corp. 

(ER) Seattle Bot Battles 10, 12 p.m. – 5 p.m., June 23, Seattle Center Armory, FREE. Combating robots battle it out – one on one!

(G) Academy of Interactive Entertainment Cyber Summer Camp, June 25 – Aug 25, Armory. Looking for a summer computer camp that’s all fun and games? Try the AIE’s Seattle summer camp, where you’ll get a front row seat to the thrilling world of video game development and game art. 

(TI) Technology Alliance Innovation Showcase, 3:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m., June 26, Playhouse/Intiman. The Innovation Showcase helps bridge the gap between research and commercialization by highlighting the most promising discoveries and new technologies ready for commercialization in Washington. This quarterly event, attended by our state’s startup leaders, investors, service providers, and serial entrepreneurs, promotes the idea sharing and networking that helps turn research into result.

(E) Sustainable Path Idea Club Imagining the Future: Our Resources, 5 p.m., June 26, Digital Classroom. Playhouse/Intiman, FREE. This summer’s series, entitled Imagining the Future, will include informal discussion group on science and sustainability issues on the next fifty years.

(G) Seattle Science Festival Luminary Event:  Gaming, 6 p.m., June 29, Benaroya Recital Hall. This event features inventors and developers of the most popular and successful computer games, offered in conjunction with a performance by Seattle Symphony of The Matrix.

The Next Fifty continues through Oct 21 with events, attractions and family activities focusing on  Arts, Culture and Design, History, Global Health, Learning, Commerce and the Innovation Economy, and Civic Action. Seattle Center Foundation heads up the 50th anniversary celebration.  For more information on Next 50 and Seattle Center, visit www.seattlecenter.com or call 206 684-7200.