Digging the science of sports
PITTSBURGH — Carnegie Science Center has unveiled its new Highmark SportsWorks, billed as the only science-of-sport exhibition of its kind in Western Pennsylvania.
The 12,000-square-foot exhibit is located in a new $5 million, 20,000-square-foot building adjacent to the main Science Center. With four classrooms and nearly 30 interactive experiences, the exhibition unites the experience of sports for every age level with the laws of science that control sports.
Admission to SportsWorks is included with general admission to the Science Center.
The new space provides experiences in three thematic areas: LifeWorks, Physics of Sports, and Sports Challenge.
LifeWorks conveys the fundamental science of, and latest information on, the benefits of a healthy, active lifestyle.
In Physics of Sports, visitors put their inner daredevil to the test. For example, exhibit-goers can scale a 25-foot rock wall or become a human yo-yo at the new You-Yo, an exhibit that demonstrates the principle of potential and kinetic energy by whisking visitors high in the air, up and back down — and then up again by the use of cable-tethered handles.
Sports Challenge gives visitors a chance to be part of the game. Visitors can compare their time against that of Olympic silver medalist and local track star Lauryn Williams in Olympic Sprint; test their reaction speed against an ice hockey goalie at Reaction Time Hockey, or see just how fast their fastball is in a pitching cage with radar.
SportsWorks originally debuted in 2001 in the former Miller Printing building on the Science Center's property.
The Miller Building was meant to serve as a temporary exhibit space. So in August 2008, the building was closed to make way for the extension of the North Shore light-rail station.
The Science Center features hundreds of hands-on exhibits, three live demonstration theaters, a four-story Omnimax theater, an interactive full-dome digital planetarium, a comprehensive robotics exhibition, and the Miniature Railroad and Village display.
The center is at One Allegheny Avenue on the North Shore.
Regular hours are 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sundays through Thursdays; closed holidays. except for New Year's Day when the fourth annual MessFest will take place.
MessFest from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday will give visitors the chance to get slimy with Oobleck, a gooey substance that has both liquid and solid characteristics; take part in a 'pi'-eating race as they learn about the mathematical constant; become messy artists with finger painting; create their own "Mars" soil as they explore the characteristics of the Red Planet's dirt; make New Year Boogie Bug Bots, and blow bubbles of all shapes and sizes.
Premiering during MessFest will be "Animalopolis," a film that brings a variety of animals to life on the screen in the Rangos Omnimax Theater, home of the biggest screen in Pittsburgh.
About 32 minutes long, "Animalopolis," designed for viewers age 10 and younger, explores the humor and wonder of animals. Omnimax tickets cost extra.
Regular admission is $14 for adults and $10 for senior citizens age 62 and older and children 3 to 12. Parking is $5. Call 412-237-3400 or visit the Web site, www.carnegiesciencecenter.org.
