The North Carolina Science Festival is bringing four television stars who specialize in science entertainment to the state in April, with tickets for the events on sale now.
The North Carolina Science Festival is bringing four television stars who specialize in science entertainment to the state in April, with tickets for the events on sale now.
The statewide festival will run April 13-29 and is produced by the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s Morehead Planetarium and Science Center.
The three science TV-themed events are:
- “An Evening with Jeff Corwin,” starring the wildlife biologist and Animal Planet TV host, 7:30 p.m. April 13, War Memorial Auditorium, Greensboro;
- “An Evening with Neil deGrasse Tyson,” starring the astrophysicist and host of PBS’s “NOVA scienceNOW,” 7:30 p.m. April 26, Memorial Hall, Chapel Hill; and
- “An Afternoon with Adam and Jamie,” starring Adam Savage and Jamie Hyneman, hosts of the Discovery Channel television show “MythBusters,” 2:30 p.m. April 29, Halton Arena, UNC Charlotte.
To see more events and to access the ticket portal, visit www.ncsciencefestival.org.
Corwin has been working for the conservation of endangered species and ecosystems around the world since he was a teenager. Audiences best know him as host of “The Jeff Corwin Experience” on cable television. The series reaches over 13 million viewers in the United States and is viewed in more than 70 countries worldwide.
The family-friendly Greensboro event will feature live animal encounters with this Emmy-award winner and a question and answer session with members of the audience.
Orchestra-level tickets are $38 per person, mezzanine-level tickets are $28 per person, and balcony-level tickets are $12 per person. A limited number of VIP tickets are available at $125 per person. Each VIP ticket includes a pre-show meet-and-greet opportunity with Corwin, premium seating in the orchestra pit and a festival T-shirt.
Tyson is the director of the Hayden Planetarium at the Rose Center for Earth and Space and a research associate at the American Museum of Natural History. He will be featured on the sequel to Carl Sagan’s award-winning television series, “Cosmos: A Personal Voyage.” Tyson earned his bachelor’s in physics from Harvard University and his doctorate in astrophysics from Columbia University. He is a regular guest on “The Daily Show,” “The Colbert Report” and “Real Time with Bill Maher.”
In his Chapel Hill appearance, he will present “10 Things Everybody Should Know About the Universe,” followed by a question and answer session with members of the audience.
Ticket prices range from $18 to $52. A limited number of VIP tickets are available at $125 per person. Each VIP ticket includes an exclusive pre-show planetarium viewing at Morehead Planetarium and Science Center with remarks by Tyson, starting at 5:30 p.m.; light refreshments; reserved stage-front seating at Memorial Hall; and a festival T-shirt.
Savage and Hyneman apply scientific method to commonly held beliefs, testing myths with lava lamps, rockets, sharks, port-a-potties and other items not found in the typical science lab. Their experiments have included converting a vacuum cleaner into a jet engine, swinging 360 degrees around a swingset and floating on a raft filled with helium. Attempting to debunk myths and urban legends and popular misconceptions through scientific testing and experimentation, the show they host has explored hundreds of myths over the past nine years.
Their Charlotte event will be a 90-minute look behind the scenes of the “Mythbusters” show, with special video presentations of spectacular explosions and other “for fans only” outtakes. The program includes a moderated question and answer session.
Floor-level tickets are $75 per person, lower-level tickets are $45 per person, and upper-level tickets are $28 per person. A limited number of VIP tickets are available at $150 per person. Each VIP ticket includes a meet-and-greet reception before the event with an opportunity to have a photo taken with the stars. VIP tickets also include reserved stage-front seating and a festival T-shirt.
The North Carolina Science Festival is a two-week statewide series of events showcasing science, technology, engineering and mathematics. The festival highlights the educational, cultural and financial impact of these disciplines on North Carolina. Through hands-on activities, science talks, lab tours, nature experiences, exhibits, performances and other events, it engages a wide range of audiences, encourages students to pursue careers in these disciplines and for businesses to invest in North Carolina. The 2012 Festival Champion is Time Warner Cable. Platinum sponsors include Burroughs Wellcome Fund, NC GlaxoSmithKline Foundation and SAS. Gold Sponsors include Biogen Idec Foundation, Duke Energy and News 14 Carolina. Charlotte’s Discovery Place is a key strategic partner.
North Carolina Science Festival media contact: Julie Rhodes, (919) 962-5842, jcrhodes@email.unc.edu