Look for New Layout, Themed 'Neighborhoods' at UA's Science City at Festival of Books
The University of Arizona open the doors to its science-rich campus as part of the nationally recognized Tucson Festival of Books, March 15-16.

By Lisa Romero, BIO5 Institute
March 10, 2014


Powered by the University of Arizona's College of Science and the BIO5 Institute, Science City at the Tucson Festival of Books is a major highlight of the two-day, community-based celebration of literacy and learning held on the UA campus.

Scheduled for March 15-16, the festival will draw an estimated 120,000-140,000 visitors from across the U.S.  and generate a $4 million economic impact to the Tucson community. TFOB is one of the largest book festivals in the country, and Science City is the single largest STEM-themed event in the state of Arizona.

This year, Science City has a larger footprint to accommodate a new, visitor-friendly layout that will include thesemed "neighborhoods" like the Science of Everyday Life, the Science of Tomorrow, the Science of You, and the Science of Natural World. Across these neighborhoods, 80 groups will feature hands-on activities and interactive demonstrations where science lovers of all ages can learn about innovations in health, science, engineering and technology.

The UA College of Science and the BIO5 Institute host Science City in partnership with the Arizona SciTech Festival, and in association with the UA College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. With the continued support of its primary sponsor, the Helios Education Foundation, and additional support from Raytheon, the Research Corporation for the Advancement of Science, Rincon Research, and Tucson Electric Power, Science City continues to grow and excite.

Visitors to Science City will experience the connection between their daily lives and advances in science, as well as see the groundbreaking research being done at the UA. Forty-five different UA-affiliated participants will engage visitors with activities, discussions, tours, events and open houses meant to spark curiosity and encourage learning.

Faculty, students and volunteers from programs like Biosphere 2, the OSIRIS-REx Asteroid Sample Return Mission, the Science of Baseball, the VIPER Institute, plant sciences, Cooperative Extension, optical sciences, insect discovery, computer science, natural resources and the environment, health sciences, and many others will be on hand to share the passion the UA has for science.

Tours and open houses will be conducted at many UA facilities and departments throughout the weekend, including the Steward Observatory Mirror and Solar labs, the Flandrau Science Center and Planetarium, the Laboratory of Tree-Ring Research, and the Lunar and Planetary Laboratory, among others.  

In addition, a diverse lineup of presentations is scheduled for the always-popular Science Stage and Science Café, including the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum live animal show, the Magic of Science with author Sandra Markle, the Science of Meteorite Hunting with "meteorite man" Geoff Notkin, as well as fascinating talks by world-class UA researchers on timely topics like Alzheimer's disease, the Earth's population capacity, and the history of scorpion antivenin.

A special section in the March 9 Arizona Daily Star details the entire festival, including Science City. For up-to-date information, visit Science City online and follow TFOB Science City on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook. Festival admission and parking are free.

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