By Cindy Himes
It was an amazing day at PPG Paints Arena for youngsters with an interest in science. And although many decades have passed since anyone called me a youngster, I was amazed at the exhibits and demonstrations along the PPG Paints Arena concourse at the Science at Play exhibit!
The August 17th event was packed with high-energy demonstrations, interactive activation stations and a live “Science of Hockey” assembly from instructors with the Carnegie Science Center.
A total of 11 booths were on display along the arena concourse including Puffy Pals, that allowed children to explore chemical reactions that produce heat and expand in size; Cold as Ice, where an Aramark Chef dipped chocolate-covered bananas into liquid nitrogen to create densely frozen treats; and Carnegie Robotics, featuring an autonomous floor scrubber and mine sweeper robot.
Children and their parents visited the exhibits and demonstrations with visible curiosity and amazement.
“The Pittsburgh Penguins Foundation is proud to partner with PPG and the Carnegie Science Center for Science at Play,” stated Penguins Foundation Executive Director Jim Britt. “This program showcases the world of hockey through a new lens, right here at PPG Paints Arena. Hockey is such a dynamic and fast-paced sport; this program perfectly illustrates the many facets of the game. Whether you’re a hockey player, a hockey fan or a lover of science, this program is a thrilling display of the most exciting sport on earth. We hope to make Science at Play a yearly event for our young fans.”
The event had two sessions, one in the morning and one in the afternoon. Each session concluded with the Science of Hockey live show staged on the PPG Paints Arena floor where guests had an opportunity to learn about physics, biology, chemistry, and mathematics using the sport of hockey as examples. Special video guest appearances were made by Penguins team mascot Iceburgh and Penguins Director of Amateur Hockey Shannon Webster.
Whether it’s understanding Newton’s laws of motion or Bernoulli’s principle of lift, the show is geared to capture young students’ curiosity and develop an understanding of the many forces behind science.
The Science of Hockey program is the latest school assembly show from Carnegie Science Center’s Science on the Road outreach initiative. Schools, libraries and organizations can book Science of Hockey as a virtual program or bring the assembly to their location this fall. For more information on booking this innovative Science of Hockey program, visit CarnegieScienceCenter.org/SOR.