Upcoming St. Louis Events
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First Friday at the Science Center: Star Trek into Science
January 2, 2015 @ 6:00 pm - 10:00 pm
VariedGeek out on the first Friday of every month at the St. Louis Science Center!
Learn the real science behind science fiction at our First Fridays events! Each month has a different theme, features free hands-on activities and culminates with a free 10pm screening of a classic science fiction move in the OMNIMAX® Theater. First Friday favorites like public telescope viewings, scifi trivia and special prices for OMNIMAX® films are a staple at every event. Tickets for the free 10pm show are available starting at 6pm on the evening of the First Friday event and are distributed on a first come, first served basis.
January 2015: Star Trek into Science
Main Lobby (Main Building, First Floor)
6-9pm Play Johann Sebastian Joust! (Starlite Café)
Boeing Hall (Main Building, First Floor)
6-10pm Visit The International Exhibition of Sherlock Holmes – Non-member Adults: $17.50;
$13.50 for Members. Last entry at 8:30pm.
Center Stage (Main Building, Lower Level)
7:30pm Special Presentation with Dr. Keith Miller and Dr. Gualtiero Piccinini: Is Data a Person?
8:30pm Participate in the Star Trek Fashion Show – sign up at Center Stage, starting at 6pm.
OMNIMAX® Theater (Main Building, Second Floor)
6:30pm Hubble
8:30pm Star Trek: The Next Generation episode, “The Measure of a Man” (46 minutes, 1989)
10pm Star Trek into Darkness (132 minutes, 2013), introduced by Wyatt Weed.
Life Science Lab (Main Building, First Floor)
6 – 9pm Check out our cloaking simulation. (Lab Classroom)
Dino Overlook (Main Building, First Floor)
Can you find the Star Trek 30thanniversary Barbie?
Demos and Activities, 6 – 9pm
- Show off your Star Trek costume in our transporter photo opp.
- See a Vulcan chess set and play a giant game of chess with the World Chess Hall of Fame.
- Look for R2D2 and the Gateway R2D2 Builders – will R2 be accepted to Starfleet Academy?
- Create a tricorder, with the capabilities you desire, at our Maker Space.
- Test video games created by local video game developers, Plazsoft and Tile Isle.
- See what Griffin 3D is creating on their 3D printers.
- Check out the latest from Arch Reactor, St. Louis’ local hacker space
- Participate in a citizen science project with Cosmo Quest.
- Visit Game Nite for tabletop game highlights and demos
- Learn about plans for Kawa Kon 2015.
The Loft (Main Building, Second Floor)
Look for food and drink specials!
6-9pm Learn about local sci-fi convention Anime St. Louis and thermoplastics.
See Star Trek gear from Gateway Geekfest and meet Star Trek celebrity Wyatt Weed.
7pm First Fridays’ Trivia with celebrity host Brett Andrews. (Free to play. Space is limited.)
James S. McDonnell Planetarium – all programs free unless otherwise noted
6-9pm Experience Flight at our flight simulators – $5 and $6
Check out NASA space science activities and try activities related to space exploration and settlement with the Saint Louis Space Frontier and The Moon Society.
7pm Planetarium Show: The Sky Tonight (Star Bay)
6-10pm Public Telescope Viewing (Archery Field – weather permitting)
9pm Star Trek original series episode, “The Menagerie” (100 minutes, 1966)
Answers to Your First Fridays’ Questions
Tell me more about the special presentation, “Is Data a Person?”
Can a robot ever be a person? Both computer scientists and philosophers are debating this question. The Star Trek: The Next Generation episode, “The Measure of a Man”, wrestles with the issue of whether or not the character Lt. Commander Data, an artificial life form, deserves the respect we traditionally reserve for human beings.
Computer scientist Dr. Keith Miller and philosophy professor Dr. Gualtiero Piccinini, both from UMSL, will explore this episode and the questions it raises. Dr. Miller will appear via a telepresence robot.
Tell me more about actor and visual effects artist Wyatt Weed
Also a filmmaker, Wyatt Weed appeared as a Rutian police officer in the Star Trek: The Next Generation third season episode “The High Ground”. He also worked as a visual effects artist on the Caretaker’s array miniature for the Star Trek: Voyager pilot. Other visual effects credits include: Flight of the Intruder (1991), the science fiction thriller Fortress(1992), the horror film Lord of Illusions (1995), the science fiction comedy Muppets from Space (1999), and the action sequel Mission: Impossible II (2000). Weed is also a director. His project Shadowland, a horror thriller, was released in 2010.
How does First Fridays’ Trivia work?
To play you can register your team or as an individual at The Loft. We can accommodate up to 15 teams. There will be five rounds of trivia, with five questions each round. Prizes for the winners of each round!
How can I participate in the Star Trek Fashion Show?
Go to Center Stage, on the lower level of the main building, and sign-up on the sign-up sheet. You will then be asked to fill out a short form, briefly describing your costume and how you want to be introduced. The Star Trek Fashion Show will take place at 8:30pm at Center Stage.
How do I get tickets for the episodes and movie?
Free tickets are available on a first-come, first-served basis at any box office, beginning at 6pm. Each person can get up to four tickets for your group. Once you have a ticket, be in the theater by the start of the episode to claim your seat. If all tickets have been given out, visitors can wait in the standby line. After the start-time, people waiting in the standby line can come into the theater, filling all empty seats.
