WHAT ARE YOU AFRAID OF?
Face your fears in Great Lakes Science Center's newest exhibition, Goose Bumps! The Science of Fear

September 6th, 2011

CLEVELAND (September 6, 2011) – Why do our hearts race, our knees shake and our bodies sweat when we are scared? Find out in Great Lakes Science Center’s brand new exhibition, Goose Bumps! The Science of Fear, which opens October 1. Through fun, interactive challenges, guests can experience fear in a safe environment and explore the science behind their physical and emotional responses.

“Fear is an emotion that everyone experiences, but many of us don’t understand why,” said Linda Abraham-Silver, president and CEO of the Science Center. “As we continue to lead informal science education, we’re excited to introduce an exhibition that not only allows visitors to experience fear in a safe and authentic way, but also teaches them how the brain and body work together in response to danger.”

This exhibition is made up of more than 20 exhibits about the often-dreaded emotion. Highlights include:

• Fear of animals – Can you reach inside an opaque box connected to terrariums filled with snakes and other creatures? It’s easier said than done!

• Fear of electric shock – Think you can handle it? Feel your heart beat faster and your muscle tense as you anticipate a mild electric shock.

• Fear of falling – Can you stay cool as a cucumber as you wait to fall backwards without warning? See how fear registers on your face.

• Mr. Goose Bumps – Meet this larger-than-life animated figure that comes alive to playfully illustrate how his body changes when he gets scared.

• Freeze Game – Can you outsmart a leopard? Play an immersive video game and collect fruit without being seen by the leopard. If he sees you move, he’ll pounce!

• Make a scary movie – Like to be scared? Experiment with different soundtracks and frightening sound effects to create your own scary movie!

• Fear Theater – Can you learn fear? Participate in a live demonstration by Science Center staff, experience fear conditioning first-hand and see how scientists measure fear in the lab.

Programming:
The Science Center has wrapped a variety of original programming around this exhibition. All programs include admission to Goose Bumps! The Science of Fear. Advanced registration is required for all programs. Please call 216-621-2400 to reserve.

FREE Lecture by Ki Goosens, Investigator, McGovern Institute for Brain Research & Assistant Professor, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Thursday, October 6, 2011, 7:30 pm
“Making Memories in a Dangerous World: How Scary Experiences Shape the Brain”
Neuroscientist Ki Goosens discusses the relationship between fear, anxiety and stress, and shares some of the current research into the science of fear. Presented in cooperation with the MIT Club of Northeast Ohio.

Mad Scientist 101
NEOEA One-Day Camp
Friday, October 14, 9 am – 4 pm
Get ready for hands-on, Halloween-themed fun! Learn frightening facts about everything scary—spiders, skeletons, black cats and bats. Watch electricity experiments, see the OMNIMAX movie, Dinosaurs Alive, experiment with chemistry and tap into your inner mad scientist! Grades K – 8. $42 ($39 members).

Fright Night Family Sleepover
Friday, October 14, 6 pm
A ghastly good time for the whole family! Explore the Science Center for things that go bump in the night, see the OMNIMAX movie, Secrets of the Pharaohs, and tour the Mather Steamship after dark…if you dare! Then grab your sleeping bag and spend the night. $39 per person.

Brick-or-Treat LEGO Workshop
Saturday, October 15, 9 am – noon
Create creepy, crawly creations and program them to trick, treat or scare! Learn the basics of robotics from our trained staff using LEGO Mindstorm NXT kits. Discover how sensors are used on robots and control a robotic arm to select candy! Grades 4 – 8. $20 ($15 members).

Family Science: Dissection Discovery
Saturday, October 15, 2 – 3:30 pm
Perform an actual cow eye dissection! Through hands-on exploration and discussion, you’ll learn about the amazing structure and function of the eye. Trained staff will be on hand to demonstrate and assist. Age 6+ with adult. $10 ($5 members) with the purchase of general admission.

Spooky Science Nights
Friday, October 21 and 28
Saturday, October 29
5:30 – 9:30 pm
After-dark fun for the whole family! Take a haunted tour on the Mather Steamship, touch live creepy creatures, see pumpkin explosions, mix up spooky concoctions, watch the OMNIMAX movie, Mummies: Secrets of the Pharaohs, and experience our Fear Factor activity carts. $12 ($10 members). Separate OMNIMAX admission applies.

Admission:
Admission to this exhibition is free to Great Lakes Science Center members. Exhibition entry is $14 for adult non-members and $12 for children, and includes admission to the hundreds of hands-on exhibits at the Science Center and NASA Glenn Visitor Center. Admission is free on Tuesdays for all youth 18 and under when accompanied by an adult.

Design, Development and Support:
This exhibition was developed by the California Science Center and supported, in part, by the Informal Science Education program of the National Science Foundation under grant ESI-0515470. Opinions expressed are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the National Science Foundation.

Local support is provided by Rockwell Automation and Cuyahoga Arts and Culture. Promotional support is provided by The Plain Dealer and Cleveland Magazine.

About the Great Lakes Science Center:
Great Lakes Science Center is one of the nation’s leading science and technology centers and home to Northeast Ohio’s NASA Glenn Visitor Center. Its mission is to stimulate interest in and increase understanding of the sciences, with a particular emphasis on the interdependence of scientific, environmental and technological activities in the Great Lakes region. It features hundreds of hands-on exhibits, themed traveling exhibits, daily demonstrations, the awe-inspiring OMNIMAX® Theater and the Steamship William G. Mather. The Science Center is open daily 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Discounted parking is available for guests in the attached 500-car garage. Great Lakes Science Center is generously funded by the citizens of Cuyahoga County through Cuyahoga Arts and Culture. For more information, contact the Science Center at (216) 694-2000 or visit www.GreatScience.com.

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