tinkering

By Jackie Valentine

Just a few weeks ago, the Fleet hosted our second Paper Airplane Day in the theater lobby. Participants mixed aerodynamics with origami techniques to construct a properly balanced plane. The planes had to be the right size and shape to generate enough lift to fly. No cuts or tape were allowed. Drawing on the templates of the current paper airplane distance world record holder, we explored sophisticated “nose locking” folds that helped keep the nose end components of the plane together during flight.

By Studio X

By Ally Browne, Marketing Intern

For a limited time, the Tinkering Studio has expanded into the main gallery, giving tinkerers both young and old a chance to let their inner inventor out with fun new projects. Along with the extra space, the studio also has extended hours, always open whenever the Fleet is open, with both unfacilitated and facilitated activities.

Don’t Try This At Home! is a series of exciting live shows, full of extreme science you won’t see anywhere else. Where else can you see an electrostatic generator make cereal fly out of your hand, or watch what happens when you attach toilet paper to a leaf blower? These shows are shocking, messy and loud, and are both educational and fun. Even the most innovative and creative young scientists can’t do these experiments anywhere else!

The Fleet’s Tinkering Studio, a place where tinkerers of all ages can create, explore and experiment, has expanded to include the Tinkerers’ Club!

The Summer of You is in full swing at the Reuben H. Fleet Science Center. This is our way of saying “thank you” for giving us 40 years of wonderful memories. Without you, we could never accomplish our mission to inspire lifelong learning by helping the public engage with science and technology. We invite you to visit us and join in the celebration of YOU.