San Diego, CA—The Reuben H. Fleet Science Center is excited to introduce a new event for adults debuting thisThursday, April 16, from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. The Fleet Night of Science will feature fun science demonstrations for adults, access to all of the Fleet exhibition galleries and food and drink available for purchase, all for adults 21+ to enjoy in a nighttime setting.

The theme for the evening is the Thrill of Science. In addition to the science demonstrations, the event will be highlighted by two engaging lectures from local scientists, a science-themed comedy set from comedian Robert Timothy and an opportunity for guests to connect with the local scientific community to learn about the exciting discoveries happening right here in San Diego.

The first of the two lectures will be "Thrill Seeker or Adrenaline Junkie" by Summer Moss, a UCSD graduate with degrees in neuroscience and physiology. She will talk about how the brain and the body react in thrilling or scary situations. The second lecture will be by Dr. Greg Gage, co-founder and CEO of Backyard Brains. His lecture, "Your Amazing Brain," will give the audience a basic understanding of how the brain works, including some real-life demonstrations with his "SpikerBox," a small DIY kit that helps people understand the electrical impulses that control the nervous system.

The science-themed comedy set will be by comedian Robert Timothy, creator and host of the popular science-comedy podcast, Science Faction. He works to make science more interesting and accessible to a broader audience by mixing humor and the thematic elements of a podcast with recently published scientific articles and discussions of mainstream scientific reporting. His comedy set will touch on topics from current events in science and will humorously deconstruct outdated and inaccurate science clichés.

As if that's not enough for a fun evening already, there will also be a number of exciting demonstrations for guests to take part in. At the "Here Comes the Boom" booth, guests will use baking soda and vinegar to make Ziploc bags explode into a foamy mess. At "A Heavy Subject," party-goers can use a computer program to see what their weight and age would be on other planets. "You've Got Nerve!" will measure participants' heart rates while they hold their ground in the face of a heavy swinging pendulum or balloon expanding to the bursting point. "Pack This!" will give visitors the opportunity to tell us what they would take with them on a trip to Mars. There is also "The Life of Sci," where guests can talk to local scientists and hear about the thrilling research going on right here in San Diego.

"The point of the Night of Science is to engage people in what is going on with the scientific community here in San Diego," said Steve Snyder, CEO of the Reuben H. Fleet Science Center. "We have biotech, robotics, aerospace and lots of exciting science happening here. Night of Science is a great opportunity for non-scientists to meet scientists and for scientist to meet other scientists. It's a lot of fun to get everybody in the same room."

Tickets for Night of Science are $19.50 for general admission and $15 for Fleet Members and students (with valid IDs). Food and adult libations, including beer from Stone and Ballast Point Brewery, will be available for purchase.

To purchase tickets please visit:

http://fleetnightofscience.eventbrite.com

For more information please visit:

http://www.rhfleet.org/events/night-science
http://www.facebook.com/ScienceontheRocks

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To schedule a preview, interview or media appearance, please contact Reuben H. Fleet Science Center Public Relations Manager Nathan Young at 619-685-5743 or nyoung@rhfleet.org. We can arrange interviews and live on-air demonstrations to help showcase the fun activities of the party to your media audience.

Media Interviews

The Fleet is pleased to have a number of representatives available for interview in conjunction with the Night of Science. Representatives include scientists and a comedian, as well as representatives from the Fleet Science Center. Please contact Reuben H. Fleet Science Center Public Relations Manager Nathan Young to arrange an interview.

Greg Gage

Greg Gage is a DIY neuroscientist and the co-founder and CEO of Backyard Brains. He designs low-cost experiments that teach the basic principles of the brain and neuroscience to high schools, middle schools and the public. "The brain is a mystery to most people. The goal of our work is to make it easier for the public to inquire about neuroscience through hands-on experiments." His experiments include low-cost versions of electrophysiology, i.e., seeing and hearing the brain of an insect on your iPad and functional electrical stimulation that can make muscles move using an iPod.

More info on Greg Gage:

http://www.cnn.com/2013/01/08/tech/greg-gage-lets-start-a-neuro-revolution/index.html

Greg Gage demonstrates his Human-to-Human Interface:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Su37BD7IBc

Greg's Profile on TED.com:

https://www.ted.com/speakers/greg_gage

Backyard Brains:

https://www.backyardbrains.com/

Robert Timothy

Robert Timothy is the creator and host of the popular science-comedy podcast, Science Faction. He works to make science more interesting to a broader audience by mixing the humor and thematic elements of a podcast with recent scientific articles and discussions of mainstream scientific reporting. Mr. Timothy has previously performed at the South Point Casino and M Resort in Las Vegas; for the troops at the San Nicolas Island Naval Base and the Marine Corp Recruit Depot in San Diego; and all around Southern California comedy clubs, including the Comedy Store, Madhouse Comedy Club and the American Comedy Company. 

More info on Robert Timothy:

http://www.RobertTimothyComedy.com/