San Diego, CA—Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls: Step right up! The Reuben H. Fleet Science Center is unveiling an exciting new summer exhibition. CIRCUS: Science Under the Big Top is coming to San Diego, opening Saturday, May 2, 2015!

­CIRCUS: Science Under the Big Top is a family-friendly exhibition that features twenty multi-station interactive exhibits that delve into everything from clown makeup to the art of contortion to animal communication. Explore the science behind the spectacle while learning the tricks of the sword swallower, uncovering the illusion of the flea circus and discovering the psychology of common circus sounds.

Every feature of CIRCUS: Science Under the Big Top is designed to teach visitors about science in a fun, interactive way. Visitors can test how their center of gravity works on the Balance Bar. The Feats of Strength exhibit shows how leverage, compression and tension are used to do the seemingly impossible. Experiment with The Human Cannonball to learn how the angle and thrust of an explosion can dictate where an object lands. Visitors can experience the science and math involved in juggling and acrobatics, or just have fun clowning around.

The exhibition has something for everybody. Youngsters will enjoy pretending that they’ve joined the circus at the Circus Costume Station, where they can dress up like a ringmaster, a lion or a bear. Older kids will revel in the “daredevil” elements of the exhibition, such as Elastic Acrobatics and The High Wire. The Elastic Acrobatics exhibit will give visitors the chance to practice their best mid-air tricks from the safety of a harness. For the High Wire, adventurous visitors 46 inches or taller will strap into a harness six feet above the ground and test their balance by walking across the nine-foot long wire. Best of all, the opportunity for visitors to test out their high-flying circus skills is included in the cost of admission.

“We're very excited to feature CIRCUS: Science Under the Big Top because it shows that science is everywhere you look,” said Steve Snyder, CEO of the Fleet Science Center. “Scientific concepts have been incorporated into performance and entertainment for centuries. An exhibition such as CIRCUS: Science Under the Big Top gives a context for understanding science outside of the typical realms of classrooms and labs.”

The Fleet is also adding a Sideshow Science performance to the current Don’t Try This at Home live science show. Beginning May 2, the Fleet’s team of science demonstrators will delve into the science behind many popular circus feats. Sideshow Science will be in addition to the current rotation of Don’t Try This at Home shows: Too Loud, Too Messy and Too Shocking.

CIRCUS: Science Under the Big Top was developed by the Ontario Science Centre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It will be featured at the Reuben H. Fleet Science Center May 2 through September 7, 2015.

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Media Interviews. The Fleet is pleased to have a number of representatives available for interview in conjunction with the exhibition, CIRCUS: Science Under the Big Top. Representatives are available from the Fleet and the scientific community, as well as the local San Diego circus and performing arts community.

To schedule a tour, preview or media appearance, please contact Reuben H. Fleet Science Center Public Relations Manager Nathan Young at 619-685-5743 or nyoung@rhfleet.org.