The robots are coming to Bangor this month, though fans of the TV series “Westworld” or the “Terminator” films need not worry — they’re totally harmless.
Kate Dickerson, founder and executive director of the Maine Science Festival, now in its third year and set for March 16-19, has invited robots — simple little ones, made of LEGOs by the educational non-profit Maine Robotics. They’ll be programmed by festival-goers ages 9 and up to perform various tasks during two hour-long sessions run by Maine Robotics, at 9:30 and 10:45 a.m. on March 18 at the Cross Insurance Center.
“There’s so much to showcase every year at the festival, from computer programming to climate change,” Dickerson said. “There’s something for everybody.”
The Maine Science Festival, which is mostly free and open to the public, doesn’t tiptoe around big topics or explore just a few corners of the scientific world. Virtually anyone with a curious mind can find something interesting to see, hear or do during the event’s four days, from elementary students to adults who might be a bit rusty on their periodic tables.
The varied demographics and interdisciplinary nature of the festival have made it an early success — the 2015 and 2016 festivals combined hosted more than 22,000 people of all ages from across the state, and Dickerson anticipates similar or larger numbers this year.
Linda Silka, a senior fellow at the University of Maine’s George J. Mitchell Center for Sustainability Solutions, has been a board member and volunteer for the festival since Day One. As a passionate supporter of what’s known as citizen science — public participation in scientific research — Silka sees the festival as a vital part of Maine’s economic and environmental future.
“It’s so important to bring people into the fray and get the average person involved in research and learning and contributing,” Silka said. “The festival really shines a light on the incredible scientific work being done here in Maine. If we want to keep our youth in Maine, we need them to know about all the opportunities that are here and get them involved.”
One of the showcase events each year is Five Minute Genius, set for 7:30 p.m., March 17, at the Union Street Brick Church. Six Maine scientists will each give a five-minute presentation on the work they do here in in Maine, followed by five minutes of questions.
This year’s program will feature presentations from six scientists, including Dr. Nadir Yildirim, who earned his PhD in forest resources from UMaine, who will present his work using nanocomposites from forest resources, and Dr. Sandra Rieger, an assistant professor at MDI Biological Laboratory, who will present her work on preventing chemotherapy-induced nerve degeneration.
“Maine is really a leader in finding innovative ways to use forest products,” Dickerson said. “There’s extraordinary work happening here in the state, and it’s our mission to make sure people know about it.”
Other events show the connection between the humanities and science. They include a day-long art project Saturday afternoon at the University of Maine Museum of Art, in which people can help construct a large-scale sculpture of the human cranium, and a screening of Werner Herzog’s documentary “Cave of Forgotten Dreams,” set for 1:30 p.m. at the Bangor Public Library, about the discovery of the perfectly preserved prehistoric cave paintings in the Chauvet Cave in France. Both events come in advance of the Bangor Public Library’s “Exploring Human Origins,” a touring Smithsonian exhibit opening April 4.
Another film, “8-Bit Generation: The Commodore Wars,” a documentary about the Commodore 64, one of the first and most popular personal computers of the 1980s, is scheduled to be screened at 1:30 on March 19 at 58 Main in Bangor.
Dickerson discovered while researching the film that one of the original designers of the Commodore 64, Chuck Peddle, is a Bangor native and University of Maine graduate.
“The movie is cool for a whole host of reasons, but the fact that a UMaine graduate is one of the people that helped start the personal computer revolution is pretty special,” Dickerson said.
There’s also the keynote event: a live taping of National Public Radio’s comedic science program “You’re the Expert,” hosted by Chris Duffy, in which a panel of comedians try to figure out what a distinguished scientist studies all day. That’s set for 7:30 p.m. March 18 at the Hampden Academy Performing Arts Center. It’s the only ticketed event at the festival, and tickets, priced at $20 ($15 for students) can be bought at mainesciencefestival.org.
The featured comedians include Jo Firestone, a writer for “The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon” and a performer on shows like “Broad City” and “High Maintenance”; Michele Buteau, featured on Comedy Central’s “Key and Peele” and “@midnight”; and Roy Wood Jr., a correspondent on “The Daily Show with Trevor Noah.” The featured scientist will be a surprise, since the point of the show is that the comedians have to figure out what it is they do, but Dickerson said that the person is from the University of Maine.
“We’re not going to reveal who it is, but it’s someone who is doing really cool, innovative work at UMaine,” Dickerson said. “Events like this really go along with our mission to make science accessible. It’s extremely entertaining, while also being informative.”
The bulk of the festival will take place Saturday from set for 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Cross Insurance Center. In will include the Exploration Station, featuring booths with hands-on activities from scientific and engineering programs and organizations from around the state, and presentations on topics as diverse as green energy, acoustical engineering, parasites, virtual reality and wireless technology.
Silka said the array of students and adults engaged in scientific learning at the Cross Center last year presented an optimistic vision for the future.
“I’d take breaks in between programs and wander around and listen to what the students were saying about being there,” Silka said. “There were students who were just so excited about what was happenin, and were talking about wanting to learn more and pursue these things further. That’s really promising.”
For a full schedule, visit mainesciencefestival.org.
