Boo! We love Halloween; here are some ways creative innovators are celebrating it.
- Shake, Rattle and STEAM at “Dino-Ween” October 16, 2023
What comes to mind when you hear “natural history museum”?
Whatever you thought of just now, you probably didn’t imagine what’s happening at Las Vegas Natural History Museum, on October 27th. That’s the date of the 2023 edition of “Dino-Ween”! And it’s going to be a party.
Grace Njoroge is Las Vegas Natural History Museum’s Director of Education, while Kate Porter is Co-Executive Director at Las Vegas Natural History Museum. And they offered a preview of this year’s special event.
Annually, “Dino-Ween” turns the museum into a “spooky STEAMfest”, with various “haunted” features. This is an all-day celebration, with everyone in costume and with lots of ideas, maker activities, laughter and innovation.
Attendees create slime and other maker projects. Pumpkins puke. Families join together with other families in problem-solving games and activities. And of course, museum staff, thoroughly in the “spirit” of the day, will be dressed accordingly.
And the dinosaurs? Well, they have a few surprises in store.
The 2023 edition of “Dino-Ween”, themed, “Shake, Rattle and Roll Them Bones”, happens on Friday, October 27th, from 10 am to 3 pm. But once it’s over–the fun and learning continue, with all kinds of special events, including “December to Remember”, starting next month!
Grace and Kate offered a behind-the-scenes look at preparations for the festivities, what’s happening after Halloween, and the resources LVNHM has available for educators–including virtual ones, on their YouTube channel, for next month’s “December to Remember” celebration!
On this edition of Over Coffee® we cover:
- How Grace and Kate first became aware of the power of STEAM to get students excited about natural science;
- Some of the science, technology, engineering, art and math activities in which guests can participate, during “Dino-Ween” 2023;
- An imaginary “tour” of the museum’s “Dino-Ween” exhibits for this year;
- Grace and Kate’s favorite memories from last year’s event;
- What participants can make in some of the workshops;
- The best creative lessons Kate and Grace learned from hosting “Dino-Ween” in 2022;
- A closer look at preparations for a possible VR component for this year’s event, as we discussed in our 2022 interview;
- How the state holiday, “Nevada Day”, will be happening in tandem with “Dino-Ween”;
- What Grace and Kate expect their day to be like, on the 27th;
- A preview of some of the ways “December to Remember” will spotlight holiday traditions from around the world;
- How to support LVNHM;
- A closer look at their online resources for educators.
- Fun, Fear–and Science October 9, 2023
(Photo courtesy of Dr. Margee Kerr, and used with permission.) You’re walking through your favorite Halloween haunt. Eerie creaks and moans surround you. You feel a chill–and have a sense that you’re being watched.
Suddenly, a ghostly figure looms in front of you. You scream.
At that moment, you’re probably NOT thinking of what’s happening with your body’s neurochemicals.
But that’s one area of Dr. Margee Kerr’s expertise.
As a sociologist, haunt consultant, educator and author, Margee has done extensive research on the science of fear.
So much so that she traveled the world for two years, researching her book Scream: Chilling Adventures in the Science of Fear. In the process, Margee explored, first-hand, some of our most common fears.
Fear of heights, fear of ghosts and the ultimate one–fear of death–are among the areas which she covers.
A researcher’s firsthand perspective
With a storytelling style, Scream takes readers along, vicariously, on experiences that include riding the world’s steepest roller coaster, performing “stunts” on the world’s tallest tower and ghost-hunting–at an institution alleged to be the most haunted location in America.
Margee, who is a Faculty Lecturer at the University of Pittsburgh, is the creator of the course “Understanding and Overcoming Fear” on The Great Courses, and the co-author of the new book Ouch! Why Pain Hurts, and Why It Doesn’t Have To, which she co-wrote with Linda Rodriguez McRobbie.
Margee explained the science behind a good scare, discussed some of her experiences while researching Scream and offered some ways that science can work to create an effective, yet enjoyable, Halloween experience.On this edition of Over Coffee® we cover:
- How Margee first became interested in haunts and the science of fear;
- How her book, Scream, ultimately resulted from her research and her work with a popular Pittsburgh haunt;
- Some of her creative challenges, as an artist designing haunt experiences;
- A closer look at some of the scientific reasons we enjoy Halloween scares;
- How being alone, or with others, will affect the ways we experience a scare;
- An important point to remember, about “fun” fear experiences;
- How to use the science of fear, as explored in Scream, to create a compelling haunt experience;
- The haunt that scared Margee the most during her research, and why she found it effective;
- Her experience “ghost hunting”, in the allegedly most-haunted location in the U.S.;
- How real-life fear can be used to create haunt experiences, based on the three types of fear which Margee outlines in Scream;
- Why something that scares us can be empowering;
- Margee’s takeaways for daily life, from her research findings on fear.
- “Dino-ween” Seeks “Mad Scientists” October 23, 2022
(Photo courtesy of Kate Porter/LVNHM and used with permission.) Uh-oh. Mad scientists are just about to descend on Las Vegas Natural History Museum, for “Dino-Ween”!
And it’s going to be a blast.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Subscribe: RSS
“It’s one of the most fun days of the year, at the museum,” says LVNHM Co-Executive Director Kate Porter.
“Dino-Ween” is LVNHM’s annual Halloween celebration–with the “resident” dinosaurs center stage. And the goal: to relate natural science to everyone’s world, while showing just how cool science can be.
Think: special effects, maker activities and thermodynamics. In a setting that’s part Halloween haunt, part educational experience and completely fun.
Items appear to float in mid-air. Staff don “mad scientist” lab coats and conduct Venus flytrap and bat-making workshops. And some of the pumpkins may not be feeling too well…with astonishing results!
This year’s “Dino-Ween” happens Friday, October 28th, at Las Vegas Natural History Museum, from 10 am to 3 pm. The theme: “Mad Science Lab”. And you’re invited!
Meanwhile, if you don’t happen to be in the Las Vegas area, you don’t have to miss all the fun. LVNHM has some great online resources–including videos on making cool stuff, like Halloween slime, on their Facebook page!
Kate offered a preview of what’s going to be happening at this unique celebration, shared a behind-the-scenes view of the festivities and a look ahead at what’s next!
On this edition of Over Coffee® we cover:
- What’s going to be happening for this year’s “Dino-Ween”;
- How this special event came about and evolved;
- An additional celebration which visitors may like to experience;
- A state holiday, unique to Nevada, which the community is celebrating;
- What visitors will experience when they come into “Dino-Ween 2022”;
- A closer look at the science and technology behind some of the Halloween effects;
- An introduction to some of the dinosaurs at LVNHM!:
- One of Kate’s favorite crowd-pleasing Halloween surprises;
- A look at some of the science demonstrations and workshops that will be happening, along the spectrum: from “gross for Halloween” right up to “family crafts”.
- Some of the makers/tech experts whose expertise is making “Dino-Ween” possible;
- The online resources LVNHM offers, for anyone who can’t be there in-person;
- What Kate and the LVNHM staff will be doing on October 28th;
- A preview of one “surprise” to look for;
- The best challenge/opportunity Kate has experienced, in developing “Dino-Ween” into the event it has become;
- A cool technological soon-to-be addition, coming in 2023;
- Another interesting program happening at LVNHM on Halloween weekend!;
- The role of storytelling in the museum’s educational activities;
- Kate’s vision for the future;
- What LVNHM need most, as they continue their mission of inspiring and educating;
- And, what’s next!