STAR WARS Exhibit Opens This Saturday at The Tech!

This week, The Tech Museum of Innovation held a press conference for the upcoming exhibit, STAR WARS: Where Science Meets Imagination. If you've walked or driven past the Tech Museum lately, then you've seen the giant billboard with Yoda and Darth Vader wrapped around the corner of the building.

Well it's finally time to see what they've been hyping the last few months. Starting this Saturday, October 19th and running through February 23, 2014, fanboys and girls from all ages will have the opportunity to learn the science of Star Wars, and check out some pretty awesome movie props at the same time.

Throughout the 10,000-square-foot exhibition will be props, costumes, and models from all six Star Wars films. (Similar to the previous Mythbusters exhibit, if you attended it.)

"Visitors will be exposed to immersive, hands-on experiences and to topics ranging from space travel, mechanical prosthetics, robotics, and levitation technology."

There were many of these hands-on exhibits -- build a robot, ride what looks like a lawnmower that hovers a bit off the ground, and others.

One of the hyped features of this exhibit is the Millennium Falcon™ experience. It is a full-size replica of the cockpit. Which means it's fairly small since it only has four seats. If you or your kids are a big fans of Star Wars, try to sit in the front two seats to get the full experience. Inside this replica you get to learn about "real-world space exploration" narrated by Anthony Daniels (aka, C-3PO.) I glanced at my watch before checking this out and as it turns out it's about five minutes long. Because it's five minutes and only four people can experience it at a time, there might be a long wait to get in depending when you go.

Which is why there are separate tickets if you choose to check it out. At first, I thought it was merely a ticket that simply secured your spot in line at any point in the day. Let me clarify, I thought the ticket was free.

The difference between the two ticket packages, "Jedi Package" and "Star Wars" - tis that "Jedi" guarantees your voyage on The Millennium Falcon Experience while "Star Wars" does not. The price difference? Adult price for "Jedi Package" is $27, "Star Wars" is $22. If $5 is not much to you, buy the ticket and watch the 5 minute educational video on space. Or look at it as spending $5 to possibly sit in the front two seats and push fake buttons and watch the screen go all hyper-spacey in front of you.

I'm not a die-hard Star Wars fan (my husband is, therefore all my exposure to the movies is through his brainwashing influence) -- so personally, knowing what the "experience" is, I would not pay $5 for it. 

However, if you do decide, what the heck, and pay the $5 to sit in the cockpit (it does provide some fun photo opportunities and kids will enjoy it) -- then once you get into the exhibit, walk through the whole thing first, so you can check out the line at the The Millennium Falcon Experience (it's at the end, just before the merchandise area.) There were signs that will give you an idea of how long of a wait you will have - 30 minutes, 90 minutes etc. Check out the current wait, determine when you need to stand in line.

Overall it's a fun exhibit with plenty of things to entertain and educate everyone!

If you'd like to see a few more photos I took, follow this link to my Flickr set.

Where: The Tech Museum of Innovation
When: Oct 19 - Feb 23
Tickets: Various packages/prices

Record number of students shoot for the stars at 26th Annual The Tech Challenge

Record number of students shoot for the stars at 26th Annual
The Tech Challenge: Asteroids Rock!

Competition extended to accommodate more than 3,000 Bay Area participants

SAN JOSE, CA – More students than ever before will aim for top honors
at The Tech Challenge 2013 presented by Cisco, the Bay Area’s largest
team-design competition that harnesses the brainpower of innovative
youth to solve a real-world problem.

A record 3,000 Bay Area students will spill into The Tech Museum of
Innovation Saturday, April 20 and – in another first – Sunday, April 21 for
this year’s out-of-this-world challenge: Asteroids Rock!, in which students
must launch three delicate probes (read: eggs) intact onto the celestial
mass. Now in its 26th year, The Tech Challenge, a signature program of
the museum, reinforces 21st century skills of creativity, problem solving,
design, teamwork, leadership, presentation, risk-taking, perseverance,
and learning from failure.

“Learning happens through doing. Students engaged toward a common
goal increases learning and a connection with others,” said Tiffany
Strickland, program director for The Tech Challenge. “The Tech
Challenge lends itself to both high-tech and low-tech solutions: You can
be as successful with cardboard and rubber bands as others are with a
robot – but either way, students are engaged.”

The explosive growth of the program is the result of several key factors
that include: renewed academic focus on project-based learning, high
returns on deep community outreach, and broader program awareness,
museum officials explained. The extra day was added to accommodate
every student who wanted to participate, Strickland noted.

This year’s competition is already proving to be a landmark occasion: A
record 3,500 participants (1,400 last year), including 500 students from
San Diego and New York who will participate at their respective sites at
an earlier date; a record 49 percent of this year’s participants are girls (48
percent last year), and the highest involvement of Title I schools of any
science and technology competition in the region at 45 percent.

The Tech Challenge is an annual team- design challenge for students in
grades 5-12 that introduces and reinforces the science and engineering
design process with a hands-on project geared to solving a real-world
problem.

“Today’s students benefit from learning that promotes critical thinking
and collaboration,” said Sandra Wheatley, Cisco's director of global
community relations. “Students who use technology develop the technical
and learning skills that are necessary for success in higher education
and the workplace. And perhaps, most importantly, using technology
enhances students’ perception of what they can achieve.”

Designed to inspire the next generation of Silicon Valley innovators,
The Tech Challenge provides months of team learning in science,
engineering, and math, culminating in the Event Days on Saturday, April
20 and Sunday, April 21, 2013. Team efforts are celebrated in an awards
ceremony, recognizing everything from Best Overall Solution to Most
Spectacular Failure.

For 26 years, The Tech Challenge has allowed some 14,000 young girls
and boys throughout California, New York, and other regions to hone their
creativity and innovation on challenges that included building devices
to fight wildfires, remove invasive fish from a lake, explore an Egyptian
tomb, and survey craters on Mars.

For more information on The Tech Challenge, visit: http://www.thetech.org/

The Tech After Hours Tonight!

If you were ever curious to see what happens in a museum after the sun goes down, check out After Hours at the Tech tonight!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

After Hours

Join Us for the Next After Hours

Earth Night

Thursday, April 4

7:00 p.m. — Midnight 

The Tech Museum of Innovation

$10.00 / $8.00 for members

Buy Tickets

After Hours is the monthly evening event where adults 21 and older enjoy science, technology, entertainment, and cocktails together with their friends. Explore the entire museum with other adults under moody lighting and music. Each month provides an exclusive and fun setting of music, giant games, hands-on exhibits, and more! 

Every month you can discover more about science and technology, or just relax and have fun with friends!

• Giant games like 4-foot-tall Jenga-style blocks, over-sized chess, and giant Four in a Row.
• Live music and dancing.
• Glow-in-the-dark Techtinis from our no-host bar.
• Limited cafe menu available for purchase.

Join us on April 4 for our pre-Earth Day celebration: Earth Night! Compete with your friends to see who can be the first to answer all of our Energy Quest Scavenger Hunt questions. Learn about how to use light instead of heat to save energy and lower pollution at our Gelatin Fiber Optics activity. Also, find out how you can participate in Earth Hour and help make a real difference in your own community and the world.

When your energy runs low, you can stop by our no-host bar for a refreshing Terra-Tini , or sample some of the goodies from our food tables. After that, it’s time to dance, play games, or just relax in our Atrium Lounge, with tunes by DjKomodo.

Visit our After Hours Photo Booth and share smiles with your friends. 

Enjoy our bar menu, now with tasty appetizers for only $5 per item!

Celebrate your birthday with The Tech! If your birthday falls within the month of the After Hours event, you can get in for free (with a valid ID).

Like our After Hours Facebook page!  

Buy Tickets

Tickets are $10.00 / $8.00 for members. 

Call for group rate for 10 or more!

For more information or to buy tickets please call (408) 294-8324. 

Service charges may apply. Members’ service charges waived. 

Get directions and parking tips.

11 / 12

The first Thursday of the Month, 7p.m. to Midnight.

Save These Dates

May 2 - Star Tech

June 6 - Maker Shaker

Blockbuster partnership: Cinequest to produce inspiring films for The Tech Museum’s international awards program The Tech Awards

SAN JOSE, CA – A dozen top-flight international filmmakers today were dispatched to capture stories of the people who use technology to benefit humanity around the world, marking a new partnership between The Tech Awards and international film powerhouse Cinequest.

The 90-second films will be shown as part of Silicon Valley’s foremost technology awards program, The Tech Awards, presented by Applied Materials, in association with the Center for Science, Technology, and Society. A signature program of The Tech Museum, The Tech Awards recognizes 12 brilliant innovators who are changing the world with their technologies to eliminate hunger, do away with disease and combat illiteracy, among other global challenges.

The Cinequest partnership is neatly aligned with the goals of The Tech Awards, which seeks to raise awareness about the life-changing work that affects people from Uganda to Uruguay. Over the years, the 257 laureates of The Tech Awards have worked hard to erase stubborn global problems. Thanks to the international reach of Cinequest, these gripping stories will be relayed around the world.

“As we explored different ways to introduce The Tech Awards laureates this year, Cinequest's Film Festival and its Picture the Possibilities project caught our attention—and a new idea emerged,” David Whitman, vice president The Tech Awards.  “Why not convey the compelling stories of the laureates this year through the lenses of 12 diverse, imaginative, and daring filmmakers associated with Cinequest? We pictured the possibilities. And now we're making them into a reality.”

Cinequest has paired a filmmaker with each of the 12 laureates to feature the laureates’ fieldwork and illustrate how their innovations help people most in need. The films will serve as a creative introduction for the nearly 1,500 attendees at the annual The Tech Awards gala November 15 at the Santa Clara Convention Center. After the gala, the films will be available for the laureates to share with media, potential partners and donors or those simply interested in learning more about their work. The films will also be posted on the museum’s website, along with those of past laureates. The top three will be screened during the Cinequest Film Festival, February 26 – March 10, 2013.

“Cinequest and The Tech Museum share a commitment to integrating creativity and innovation. It’s a pleasure to engage Cinequest filmmakers to honor the innovation and powerful work of this year’s laureates,” Halfdan Hussey, director and co-founder on Cinequest, said.

The inspiring work of the laureates has included designing earthquake-resistant construction technology to creating a heat-sensitive label for vaccine vials to make sure children receive potent immunizations to building a simple, low-cost, mobile phone-based device that allows remote monitoring and operation of irrigation pumps.

This year, the laureates will be honored in six categories: Intel Environment Award; Microsoft Education Award; The Swanson Foundation Young Innovator Award; Nokia Health Award; Flextronics Economic Development Award, and The Sustainable Energy Award. The James C. Morgan Global Humanitarian Award will be presented to Indian philanthropist N.R. Narayana Murthy, who founded tech services giant Infosys along with six colleagues and went on to become one of India’s most influential advocates for health care and rural development.
 
The following lists the filmmakers’ names and short biographies:

* Abbey Luck, Awesome + Modest
Abbey is a director and animator whose work has been featured at the Slamdance and Cinequest film festivals and in the feature film, Waiting for Superman. She produced music videos and commercials for General Electric, Gerber, Scion, Nokia, and AOL

*Lee Lanier, BeezleBug Bit
Lee is a leading animator and visual effects designer who has served as a senior animator at PDI/Dreamworks, taught at the Gnomon School of Visual Effects in Hollywood, authored six high-end animation and visual effects books, was featured at 200+ venues worldwide, and is the executive director of the Dam Short Film Festival

*Landon Zakheim, filmmaker
Landon is a short-film programmer for the Sundance Film Festival and a filmmaker whose short films, Delmer Builds A Machine and Another Bullet Dodged, have been featured at over 60 international film festivals around the world

*Mike Blum, Pipsquek Films & Blumayan Films
Mike is an Emmy-nominated and award-wining director, writer, and producer who owns and operates the Pipsquek Films animation studio and Blumayan Films. Mike’s projects include the Emmy-nominated series, The Adventures of Baxter & McGuire (Comedy Central); live-action feature, The Playback Singer; and recent series, Samurai! Daycare (SMOSH/Alloy Digital)

*Evan Mather, filmmaker
Evan is an independent filmmaker and landscape architect based in Los Angeles. His 2007 film,So What?, received the 2008 Communications Award of Honor from the American Society of Landscape Architects and he is a Graham Foundation recipient for his 2009 documentary, A Necessary Ruin

*Mary Skinner, 2B Productions
Mary directs and produces documentary films and corporate media. Her most recent project Irena Sendler: In the Name of Their Mothers, an official selection at this year’s UN Film Festival, was broadcast nationally on PBS and won the 2012 Gracie Award for outstanding documentary for, by, and about women

*Oliver Cukor, Sleeveless Productions, Inc
Oliver has combined his passions for film, music and new technologies to create stunningly visual and immersive experiences. He has produced, edited, and directed several award-winning films, two of which, Sleeveless Heart and Blue Road, have been shown at the Cinequest Film Festival

*Kavi Raz, K.R. Films Hollywood
Kavi is an award-winning actor, writer, producer, and director as well as the founder of his production company. His directorial debut film The Gold Bracelet has been screened at many prestigious film festivals and has garnered several awards

*Vijay Vanniarajan, Siren Song Creations
Vijay is a co-owner of Siren Song Creations, whose work has been featured on national television, Oprah.com, Deepak Chopra’s website, several film festivals, and has produced for companies such as Adobe, ESPN, NBC, Sentilla, Cinequest and Plug and Play. Paramount Pictures also distributed his documentary.

*Sean McCarthy, Guerilla Wanderers Films
Sean McCarthy is the founder and director of Guerilla Wanderers Films, an award-winning, full-service production company that specializes in film, commercials, corporate videos, and music videos. His short films, Superhero, Boxed Up and Raging Cyclist have received high recognition and awards at various film festivals throughout the United States

*Sidney Sherman with Cliff Schmidt
Sidney is the founder and CEO of Rosa Entertainment, an independent film/television production and management company. Sherman produced the IFC Films released Go Tigers!, which had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival and was an Academy Award Finalist and Independent Spirit Award nominee for Best Documentary Feature

*Thomas Mignone, filmmaker
Thomas is a leading filmmaker and music video director who has directed over 150 award-winning music videos for top industry artists and feature film, On the Doll, Thomas utilizes his electrical engineering background to fuse digital audio and video systems and technologies in his filmmaking

For learn more about The Tech Awards, click: http://thetechawards.thetech.org/

For more information about Cinequest, click: http://www.cinequest.org/indexCQ.php

About The Tech Museum
The Tech Museum is a hands-on technology and science museum for people of all ages and backgrounds. The museum—located in the Capital of Silicon Valley —is a non-profit learning resource established to engage people in exploring and experiencing technologies affecting their lives. Through programs such as The Tech Challenge presented by Cisco, our annual team-design competition for youth, and internationally renowned programs such as The Tech Awards presented by Applied Materials, The Tech Museum endeavors to inspire the innovator in everyone.

About Cinequest
CINEQUEST is a leading organization that fuses creativity with technological
innovation to empower, improve, and transform the lives of people and communities,
through Cinequest Picture the Possibilities (PTP), Cinequest Film Festival and Cinequest Mavericks Studio.
• CINEQUEST Film Festival (CQFF): showcases premier films, renowned
and emerging artists, and breakthrough technology—empowering global
connectivity between creators and innovators.
• CINEQUEST Picture The Possibilities (PTP): a transformative leadership
movement, where empowered youth create films expressing visions of a better
tomorrow that inspire global leaders to ignite change.
• PTP World Premiere Event during CQFF: multiple, simultaneous, worldwide
connections between media, business, entertainment, and political leaders where
interaction with PTP films and each other jump-start the ultimate realization of
these youthful visions for a better tomorrow.
Cinequest’s sister company, Cinequest Mavericks Studio LLC, produces, distributes
and markets innovative and transformative motion pictures.

New Interactive Art at The Tech!

The Tech is about to get a new interactive exhibit courtesy of Zero1 and they are doing a special opening with the artists. To learn more, just keep reading or click here.

---

Be part of our opening of the new art installation Resolution
A newly commissioned work by Zigelbaum + Coelho
Part of the Zero1 2012 Biennial Program

Wednesday, September 12, 2012
General Reception, beverages and hors d'oeuvres: 7:00 - 7:30 p.m.
No host bar
Artists' Talk: 7:30 - 8:30 p.m.
$10.00 / $5.00 for members.
Buy tickets now.

Join contemporary art duo Zigelbaum + Coelho for the opening of Resolution, their newly commissioned work at The Tech Museum. The artists will introduce this new highly interactive and social piece with a talk describing the state of the art in materials and practices in tangible media. Learn how emerging forms of "computational materials" will allow visitors to explore, play, and create dynamic light compositions from the piece's 200 magnetic, physical pixels.

Artists' Talk:
Zigelbaum + Coelho
"Computational Materials"
A new class of objects has emerged — viscerally interactive and embedded with computational tools. As computers permeate whole new ecologies of connected physical objects, the language of interaction now finds itself entirely intertwined with tangible things.

In this presentation, polymath art duo Zigelbaum + Coelho will describe their approach to the physicality of computation. Discover how new modes of interaction are enabling the human body to become an integral part of the computation and communication process. Learn how materials with embedded computing are permeating human interaction — at micro and macro levels — and how this is reshaping the art, design, and technology trichotomy.

From the Artists:
In this world one can program computers to display patterns of light by using a series of tools to modify the electrical flow across doped silicon and one can program copper to display a green patina by applying acetic acid and a healthy dose of waiting around. Both of these programmatic behaviors have components that could be considered digital or analog. The polarized light seeping through the liquid crystal gateways enabling our ubiquitous display surfaces is as analog as any glimmer of sun off a car hood and the chemical mechanism of verdigris, some discrete changes of electron configuration across orbitals during oxidization, is as digital as the pits and valleys encoding music on the active surface of the 1986 compact disc pressing of Kraftwerk’s Computerwelt.

We look forward to discussing our practice and the debut of our new permanent piece for The Tech Museum and Zero1: Resolution.

For more event information please email info@thetech.org or call (408) 294-8324.

The Tech Silicon Valley Innovation Gallery
The Tech Museum
201 South Market Street
San Jose, CA 95113

¡VivaFest!, The Tech Museum of Innovation, and CasaQ Partner on Film Showcase and new Festival Events

San Jose, CA---  August 20, 2012 -- For the third year, ¡VivaFest! the San Jose Mexican Heritage and Mariachi Festival has partnered with the Tech Museum of Innovation on a series of films celebrating Latino cultural heritage from independent Latino filmmakers. New this year is a partnership for Cine y Cena™ dinner and movie events with CasaQ by Darlene.

“It has been a wonderful partnership for ¡VivaFest! and The Tech Museum to bring culturally appropriate and timely films to the festival,” said Marcela Davison Aviles, Executive Producer of the festival and President and CEO of the Mexican Heritage Corporation (MHC). “and we are delighted at the curatorial additions of Darlene Tenes of CasaQ, with film and food events celebrating the 20th anniversary of the film Like Water for Chocolate and the end of the Maya Calendar. “

An eclectic series of films will launch the week-long ¡VivaFest! from September 8 - 30. Screenings will take place at The Hackworth IMAX® Dome Theater at The Tech Museum.  Schedule and tickets are available at The Tech Museum box office or online atwww.thetech.org

"As The Tech Museum is committed to reflecting Silicon Valley's richly diverse community and collaborating with Bay Area institutions, we are proud to be part of the long-standing tradition of Vivafest!, serving yet again as a stage for America's largest celebration of Mexican culture and customs," said The Tech Museum President Tim Ritchie. "Vivafest! is a wonderful opportunity to recognize a vibrant tradition and culture while building bridges across communities in Silicon Valley and around the world.”

Series highlights include Mosquita y Mari, a Sundance Official Selection, and a screening and panel discussion of the documentaryTijuana Jews with Hollywood director/producer Isaac Artenstein (A Day Without A Mexican) and festival veteran Michael Ronstadt and Ronstadt Generations.

The opening film on Saturday, September 8, is a special screening that also comes from a Hollywood veteran -- Taco Shop, created by comedian/writer/director Rick Najera, will be shown at the Hackworth IMAX Dome Theater at 7 p.m., and will be preceded by actual taco trucks parked outside of The Tech Museum at 5 p.m.

On Monday, September 10, the classic Mexican movie night Doña Bárbara starring Maria Félix, the most iconic leading lady of the Golden Age of Mexican cinema.

On Wednesday, September 12, Tijuana Jews  portrays an authentic and living testimony set against conceptions and misconceptions of this near-mythic border city, and is a personal exploration of this unique community, which blended Jewish and Mexican cultures and customs in an unlikely place and time. Preceding the screening at 6 p.m. will be a musical performance by Ronstadt Generations, whose family is comprised of German, Jewish and Mexican heritage. A panel discussion and Q &A with the film’s director, Isaac Artenstein, Michael Ronstadt and other guests will follow.

Thursday, September 13 features a timely film, The Weight of the Nation™. Presented by Kaiser Permanente, The Weight of the Nation™ documentary series and public health campaign present a unique opportunity to spotlight the severity of the obesity epidemic, to showcase strategies that work and, most importantly, to catalyze action to end obesity.

On Friday, September 14, celebrating the 20^th anniversary of the movie Like Water for Chocolate, the festival screening will include a chocolate tasting.  An event curated for the festival by CasaQ, the evening includes a tempting array of chocolates by Casa de Chocolates.

Saturday, September 15 brings an amazing cross-cultural story of how an American adventurer and self-taught Mexican artist transformed a dying desert village into a home for world-class ceramics. Included in the event is a showing of Mata Ortiz ceramics by Victoria Martino, an expert and a dealer in these fine ceramics. The Renaissance of Mata Ortiz.

All screenings , except Mesquita y Mari, will take place at the Hackworth IMAX Dome Theater at The Tech Museum. Visit www.thetech.org  or www.vivafest.org to see the complete schedule and to purchase tickets.  Ticket prices range from $8 to $20 per event, with discounts available for The Tech Museum members.

Also, on Wednesday September 19, the series screens Mosquita y Mari, the Official Selection 2012 of the Sundance Film Festival, directed by Aurora Guerrero. It tells the story of a “first crush” between two Chicana girls growing up in Los Angeles. This film will be screened on the campus of San Jose State University, Morris Daily Auditorium, and is being sponsored by a Horizons Foundation grant, and the San Jose State Student Union. The film will be followed by a panel discussion with the director and the actors in the film.

 # # # 

About The Tech Museum:

The Tech Museum is a hands-on technology and science museum for people of all ages and backgrounds. The museum—located in the Capital of Silicon Valley —is a non-profit learning resource established to engage people in exploring and experiencing technologies affecting their lives. Through programs such as The Tech Challenge presented by Cisco, our annual team-design competition for youth, and internationally renowned programs such as The Tech Awards presented by Applied Materials, Inc., The Tech Museum endeavors to inspire the innovator in everyone.

About the Mexican Heritage Corporation:  Now in its 21^st year, VivaFest! is Northern California’s leading Latino cultural destination event. With a mission to affirm, celebrate and preserve the rich cultural heritage of the Mexican community and showcase multicultural arts within the region and nationally, MHC both presents and produces a vibrant array of multi-disciplinary arts programs in theatre, dance, and music education and in the visual arts. Visit www.mhcviva.org or www.vivafest.org.

MythBusters Audition Tomorrow

Do you love science? Have you ever watched the popular show MythBusters on the Discovery Channel? Would you like to "bust" a few myths of your own? Well, come audition August 20 from 2 - 7 p.m. for MythBusters: The Explosive Exhibition, the blockbuster exhibition is making its West Coast premiere at The Tech Museum. You may earn a spot on the museum's team of "MythBusters" that perform live MythBusting demonstrations for hundreds of visitors!

This is a paid position. Rehearsals start in September and the exhibition runs October 13, 2012 through January 6, 2013.  Shifts available from 9 a.m. through 9 p.m. daily during the run of the exhibition.  Audition will consist of a reading from a provided script and an improv exercise so dress appropriately.

Please arrive 30 minutes before your scheduled time for registration.
Bring a current resume, headshot and your availability for September 2012 though January 6, 2013

Audition Location:
The Tech Museum
201 S. Market Street
San Jose, CA 95113

Please call:
(408) 795-6116

The Tech Museum After Hours Today

6:00 p.m. – Midnight (new time!)   [Josh: the event now goes one hour later]

Celebrate your birthday at The Tech Museum's After Hours event! If your birthday occurs in the month of June, get in FREE to our June After Hours event! Just show your ID and YOU get in for FREE!

After Hours is the only monthly evening event, in downtown San Jose, where adults 21 and older enjoy science, technology, entertainment, and cocktails together with their friends.

Each month provides an exclusive and fun setting of music, games, hands-on exhibits, and more. Explore the entire museum with other adults under moody lighting and music as you play a bevy of giant games, discover more about science and technology, or just relax and have fun with friends! 

• GIANT GAMES like 4 Foot Tall Jenga-Style Blocks, Over-Sized Chess, and Giant Four in a Row.
• Live music and dancing.
• Sip on a glow-in-the-dark Tech-tini from our no-host bar.
• Limited cafe menu available for purchase.

In June, DJ Komodo is back in the house and will be joining The Tech Museum After Hours to give us some beats to jam to! So bring your friends for an exciting evening of fun, games and music!

Don't forget to go over to After Hours Photo Booth and share smiles with your friends. We'll post your photos on our After Hours Facebook page and share your pictures! Enjoy our new bar menu with tasty appetizers now for only $5 per item!

Admission Prices:
General: $10
Member: $8
Group of 10 or more: $8

For more information or to buy tickets please call (408) 294-8324. Or buy online now. (Service charges may apply. Members service charges waived.)

Get directions and parking tips.

Like our After Hours Facebook page!

Come Party at the Tech Tonight!

The Tech Museum After Hours

Special Presentation
The Science of Suds
Sponsored by Gordon Biersch Brewing Company
With special musical guests Daze in the Green
Wednesday, May 2
6:00 p.m. – 11:00 p.m.
We are teaming up with San Jose's only local brewery, Gordon Biersch, for our first ever beer tasting event! Join us for lots of fun activities exploring the "science of suds".

Special Offer May 2 Only!
Purchase one Gordon Biersch beer glass for $10.00 and get 3 Gordon Biersch beers FREE! Choose from 5 different styles of beer: Marzen, Czech Style Pilsner, Hefewesizen, Blonde and SommerBrau. Mix and match!

Each month provides an exclusive and fun setting of music, games, hands-on exhibits, and more. Explore the entire museum with other adults under moody lighting and music as you play a bevy of giant games, discover more about science and technology, or just relax and have fun with friends! 

• Gordon Biersch beer tasting.
• GIANT GAMES like 4 Foot Tall Jenga-Style Blocks, Over-Sized Chess, and Giant Four in a Row.
• Live music and dancing.
• Limited cafe menu available for purchase.

This May, Daze on the Green is "in the house" and will be joining The Tech Museum After Hours to give us some beats to jam to! So bring your friends for an exciting evening of fun, games and music!

CELEBRATE your birthday a whole new way! If your birthday falls in between April 29 - May 6, YOU can get in for FREE (with a valid ID)!

Don't forget to go over to After Hours Photo Booth and share smiles with your friends. We'll post your photos on our After Hours Facebook page and share your pictures! Enjoy our new bar menu with tasty appetizers now for only $5 per item!

Admission Prices:
General: $10
Member: $8
Group of 10 or more: $8

For more information or to buy tickets please call(408) 294-8324. Or buy online now. (service charges may apply. Members service charges waived.)

Get directions and parking tips.

Like our After Hours Facebook page!   

"Hack the Future" Event at the Tech!

BAY AREA KIDS LEARN HOW TO CHANGE THE WORLD AT “HACK THE FUTURE”

Over 100 students will participate in a full day “hackathon” to learn about innovation from rock-star tech leaders like Pong creator Allan Alcorn and engineers from Facebook.

SAN JOSE, SILICON VALLEY, CA - On Saturday, January 28, 2012, the third Hack the Future will take place at The Tech Museum in San Jose, California. Hack the Future is a one-day hackathon, designed to inspire and encourage middle and high school geeks to take learning into their own hands and show them what it's like to be a hacker.

Joe Mathes, startup engineer and Hack the Future co-creator, explains, "Hack the Future is the first chance many kids will have to enter the exciting, advancing field of technology. Programming is literacy. To be great, you have to start when you're young, and you have to learn it from someone who knows the language. As professionals on the cutting edge, we wanted to teach what we know straight from the front lines."

Over 30 mentors will teach the day-long event, which consists of a series of stations where young hackers can experiment with everything from creating computer games to soldering. Lee Felsenstein, the designer of the first mass-produced portable computer, will be helping to inspire the next generation of future tech leaders. Local engineer Allan Alcorn, best known as the designer of the wildly popular 1970s video arcade game Pong, will also be on hand to share his remarkable story and to help guide students’ tech creations.

“The highlight of the day is seeing the kids accomplish something they are proud of,” says mentor Sarah Elliott. “You should see their faces when they create code that ends up moving a half million dollar robot. It’s incredibly rewarding.” 

Mentors from companies including Facebook, Twilio and other Bay Area-based startups will mentor the students. Microsoft is one of the event’s primary sponsors, as well as The Tech Museum.

Jeff Lindsay, Founding Director at Hacker Dojo, says “With a laptop, you can change the world, start the next Facebook. Nowhere is this passion more evident than at Hack the Future.”

For Willie Yee, 12, the event is like Christmas in January; it's the reason he signed up so quickly. "I like programming," says the San Jose 7th grader. "But I really want to learn more complex commands for some programming languages." 

Reporters interested in interviewing Hack the Future mentors or students should contact Daniel Jabbour at 516-642-1119 or daniel@hackthefuture.org.

For more information on Hack the Future visit http://www.hackthefuture.org/

The Tech Museum After Hours Tomorrow!

Time	Wednesday, November 2 · 6:00pm - 11:00pm
Location	The Tech Museum 201 South Market Street San Jose, CA
Created By	The Tech Museum After Hours
More Info	After Hours is the new monthly themed event where adults only can enjoy science, technology, entertainment and cocktails together with their friends. Each month is new and different. Cosmos Under the Cosmos Wednesday, November 2nd 6:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. • Sip on a glow-in-the-dark Cosmo from our no-host bar as you enjoy the cosmic music stylings of Lynda Williams, also known around the Bay Area as the Physics Chanteuse. • Learn about cosmic dynamics with hands-on activities by UCSC astrophysicists, led by Enrico Ramirez-Ruiz. • Journey through the universe in the Holt Digital Starlab. • Be the first to see NASA’s brand new image collection, “From the Earth to the Solar System”. • Explore the entire museum under moody lighting and music as you decide whether to play a bevy of giant games, lounge in our Cosmic Cabaret, or just relax with friends! • Limited cafe menu available for purchase. Tickets are $12 $10 for members Group rate for 10 or more! For more information or to buy tickets please call +1 (408) 294-8324, or visit our website at http://tickets.thetech.org/calendar/view.asp?id=24551 Service charges may apply. Members’ service charges waived. For guests 21 and over only. Please be prepared to show I.D. at the door.

MathWorks @ TheTech

Just a quick post to mention a free program at the Tech to teach children and their families about math and science. Contact Tammy for more details!

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Event Name:
2011-2012 MathWorks 

Event Description:
MathWorks is a free, bilingual Spanish program for children and their families. These math and science activities are designed to teach parents and families how to help reinforce math skills that are being taught in school. These basic skills have been identified as those needed in order to be successful in math and science. Snacks are provided for participants. 

Event Time:
Saturdays at 10:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. or 2:00-3:30

MathWorks schedule: 
October 22 - December 3, 2011 (No class on Thanksgiving weekend)
January 7 - February 11, 2012
February 18 - March 24, 2012
April 14 - May 19, 2012

Each MathWorks session is 6 weeks of Saturday classes.

Cost:
Free

Event Venue:
The Tech Museum 
201 South Market Street  
San Jose, CA 95113

Event Contact:
Tammy DelaMora
Tdelamora@thetech.org
408.795.6330

The Tech Museum After Hours Tomorrow!

I was able to make it out to this event last month and can say it's a very welcome addition Downtown! Out of all the things to do at After Hours, my favorite was actually the live band on the roof. You're not able to access this area during normal operating hours and it features a gorgeous sweeping view of Downtown San Jose. It also helped that they had a great band playing that night and a bar with glow-in-the-dark drinks.

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The Tech Museum After Hours
First Wednesday of the month
NEW Longer Hours!
6:00 p.m. – 11:00 p.m.After Hours is the new monthly themed event where adults only can enjoy science, technology, entertainment and cocktails together with their friends. Each month is new and different.

Like our new After Hours Facebook page!   Super-Powered Pajama Party
Wednesday, October 5
6:00 p.m. – 11:00 p.m.

Get your game face on.

• Wear your favorite Super Character costume or pajamas to fool your arch-enemies (costumes are optional, clothing is not)!
• Enhance your Super Powers with nifty tools like lasers, electromagnets, electrons, and air!
• Let the Spidey in you try and tackle the giant "Super Sticky Obstacle Challenge".
• Take a photo of you and your trusty sidekick scaling the wall of a city skyscraper.
• Engage in a Super-Powered tug of war!
• Enjoy GIANT GAMES like 4 Foot Tall Jenga-Style Blocks, Over-Sized Chess, Giant Four in a Row.
• Sip on a glow-in-the-dark "Krypto-Tini" from our no-host bar.
• Explore the entire museum under comic book inspired lighting and music as you decide whether to play a bevy of giant games, move to XBox "Wipeout", or just relax with friends!
• Limited cafe menu available for purchase.

For more information or to buy tickets please call (408) 294-8324. Or buy online now. (Service charges may apply. Members service charges waived.)

Get directions and parking tips.

The Tech After Hours is Happening Tomorrow!

First Wednesday of the month 
NEW Longer Hours!
6:00 p.m. – 11:00 p.m.After Hours is the new monthly themed event where adults only can enjoy science, technology, entertainment and cocktails together with their friends. Each month is new and different.

Like our new After Hours Facebook page!   DNA with a Twist
Wednesday, September 7
6:00 p.m. – 11:00 p.m.

Get your game face on.

• Test your CSI skills with "Biotech Tool Time", take home a DNA Necklace, or try your hand at Ear Wax Chromatography (Great for First Dates)!
• Enjoy the sunset on our roof while listening to tunes from local live band Sunrunners.
• Enjoy giant games like 4-feet-tall Jenga-style blocks, Over-Sized Chess, Giant Four in a Row. Plus, get tangled up on our behemoth inflated Twister Board!
• Sip on a glow-in-the-dark "Tech-Tini" from our no-host bar.
• Explore the entire museum under moody blue lighting as you decide whether to play a bevy of giant games, move to XBox "Dance Central", or just relax with friends!
• Limited cafe menu available for purchase.

For more information or to buy tickets please call (408) 294-8324. Or buy online now. (service charges may apply. Members service charges waived.)

Get directions and parking tips.

New Exhibit at The Tech Opens Tomorrow

California Premiere of
Islamic Science Rediscovered
Opens to the public Saturday, September 3.

Challenging Misconceptions, Illuminating Diversity.

Did the Wright Brothers soar in the sky first?
Was Leonardo the first to describe "machines of the future"?

Long overlooked or often misattributed, the remarkable contributions of Muslim scholars in science and technology have quietly floundered as no more than common footnotes of world history.

• Centuries before Orville and Wilbur Wright took flight, Abbas ibn Farnas was soaring over the hilly Spanish countryside in a one-man glider - a thousand years before the famed Wright flight in North Carolina.


• Al-Jazari busied himself laying the foundations of modern engineering and writing the Book of Knowledge of Ingenious Mechanical Devices in 1206, where he described fifty mechanical devices along with instructions on how to build them, more than 200 years before Leonardo da Vinci became revered for this technological ingenuity.

This global touring exhibition celebrates the contribution of Muslim scholars to science and technology during the Golden Age of the Islamic World (circa 8th to 18th centuries CE) and the influence of their discoveries and inventions on contemporary society.

Amazing ancient Islamic inventions are brought to life by more than 40 stations with interactive and sensory exhibits and videos. The exhibition covers the main fields of Islamic scientific endeavor including architecture, arts, astronomy, engineering, exploration, flight, mathematics, medicine, optics and water control.

Complement your Islamic Science Rediscovered Experience
See Arabia in The Hackworth IMAX Dome Theater.
Only $5 more per person.

Arabia (45 minutes) is a thought-provoking learning adventure about a land steeped in myth and mystery. Experience the story of one of the most powerful, yet least understood, regions on Earth today. Audiences will hurtle back into the Islamic Golden Age of Invention. Join three million Muslims on the Hajj pilgrimage, and get to know the young Arabians transforming tomorrow's world.

Plus New Hands-On Science Workshop: Ingenious Inventions
Opens Sept 3, 2011
Free with museum admission
Limited Capacity. First-come, First-served.
Space is limited. See museum signs for times.
The Tech Innovation at Play Gallery, Lower Level.

Travel back to the Golden Age of Islam to explore the properties of light as you make a take-home pinhole camera.

• Devise a way to move water using simple machines.
• Be dazzled by the geometric tessellations to be found in arabesque mosaic art.
• Discover how Hindu-Arabic numerals and the power of zero transformed the world. Design a balancing mobile made from geometric shapes as you get math equations in your hands, and then balance and solve your own algebraic equations.

Prices
Adults: $18.99
Seniors: (65+) / College Students with ID: $16.99
Children: (ages 3-17): $13.99

Includes admission to Islamic Science Rediscovered AND admission to all the regular galleries of The Tech Museum (when available). Pricing does not include IMAX.

Or buy tickets in person at The Tech Museum or call(408) 294-8324.

The Tech After Hours

The Tech Museum is planning to but open from 6pm -11pm one day each month. The next night-time museum event is scheduled for next Wednesday and will include glow-in-the dark drinks, games, music, and dancing. Sounds pretty interesting! More details below:

The Tech Museum After Hours
First Wednesday of the month
NEW Longer Hours!
6:00 p.m. – 11:00 p.m.After Hours is the new monthly themed event where adults only can enjoy science, technology, entertainment and cocktails together with their friends. Each month is new and different.

Like our new After Hours Facebook page!   Music and Games Galore
presented by homefrys
Wednesday, August 3
6:00 p.m. – 11:00 p.m.

Get your game face on.
Enjoy music, dancing and games galore! From Nintendo Wii, made-up games by guests, and lots more board games.

Sip on a glow-in-the-dark "Tech-Tini" from our no-host bar.

Explore the entire museum under moody blue lighting and contemporary sounds as you decide whether to play a bevy of board and party games!

Limited cafe menu available for purchase.

Buy Tickets
Tickets are $12.00; $10:00 for members.
Call for group rate for 10 or more!

For more information or to buy tickets please call (408) 294-8324. Or buy online now. (service charges may apply. Members service charges waived.)