Latest news with #ScienceMuseumofMinnesota
New York Times
29-04-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Times
Want to Try Driving a City Bus, Hauling Trash or Building a Skyscraper?
A museum worker climbed behind the steering wheel of a teal-blue city bus, and in place of a windshield, a flat-screen monitor displayed a crowded street in Queens. Eyes on the screen, the worker swerved around jaywalkers and double-parked trucks while picking up passengers at bus stops. A car suddenly backed up to nab a parking spot. On another block, a food cart blocked traffic. 'I think this gives you so much empathy for bus drivers,' said the worker, Dana Schloss, associate vice president of exhibits at the museum, the New York Hall of Science in Queens. The stress-inducing bus drive is the first stop in an interactive exhibit called 'CityWorks,' opening May 3. It unabashedly celebrates cities by exploring how they were developed and built, and has fun getting hands-on with the complex technology and often messy infrastructure required to provide water, sanitation and transportation to millions of residents. It is the museum's largest exhibit in more than a decade and sprawls across 6,000-square feet in its north wing. CityWorks cost $8 million and was designed and built in partnership with the Science Museum of Minnesota. 'The majority of the world's population lives in cities, and it's only growing,' said Lisa Gugenheim, the chief executive and president of the New York Hall of Science. 'Cities have important stories to tell.' Coming post-Covid, the exhibit serves as an ode to the resilience of cities. When the pandemic hit five years ago, people fled in droves from New York and other big cities. Stores and restaurants shut. Office workers and tourists stayed away. Traffic disappeared. Naysayers declared that cities were dead. One online post prompted the comedian Jerry Seinfeld to defend New York. 'And it will sure as hell be back,' he wrote in an opinion piece in The New York Times. As predicted, New York is coming back, along with other big cities, though their recovery is still in progress, said John Mollenkopf, director of the Center for Urban Research at the Graduate Center of the City University of New York. More workers have returned to downtown offices, and trains and buses are filling up. Yet, high living costs and a shortage of affordable housing are still pushing many families out. New York, America's biggest city, is even growing again after its steep slide during the pandemic, reaching 8.48 million people in July 2024 in the latest census estimates. Among the newcomers are tens of thousands of migrants who have arrived in the city since the spring of 2022. They have helped replenish its diverse neighborhoods. At the museum, a graphic of a block of apartment buildings is overlaid onto a towering panel that rises up to 16 feet high. Pulling a cord sends rain racing down in blue lights. Pulling again intensifies the shower. The installation demonstrates how rain combines with household wastewater from toilets, showers, dishwashers and washing machines and can overload the sewage system, overflowing into the city's rivers. The New York Hall of Science, which started out as an attraction at the 1964 World's Fair, had its own recent challenges with water. The museum reopened in July 2021 after being closed 16 months during the pandemic, only to be flooded two months later by Hurricane Ida. It did not reopen again until the following year. Next to the rain display, a replica of a sewer pipe shows all the random detritus that gets stuck down drains or flushed. The result is a slimy blockage called a 'fatberg.' Try picking out the cooking grease, car oil, diaper, tampon, hair, floss, wet wipes and plastic bag, a sign next to it says. There's a station to build skyscrapers from K'nex rods and connectors and plastic pieces custom-made by the museum. At a recycling display, colored balls representing metal (yellow), glass (blue) and plastic (pink) pieces flow across a conveyor belt to be sorted into tubes. In another corner, trash bags in three sizes — eight, 10 or 12 pounds — can be thrown into the back of a city garbage truck fashioned from wood and plastic. A 60-pound trash bag is also on display as a test of strength. CityWorks draws on real-life New York City data, from traffic counts and subway ridership to maps of flood areas. The street scenes used in the bus drive were taken by a videographer the museum hired to film with a GoPro camera aboard city buses rolling through Times Square, Corona in Queens and University Heights in the Bronx. A model of an industrial Brooklyn neighborhood, which can be built from blocks with sensors on an interactive table, was based on data on traffic density, waste generation and flooding risk from Red Hook and the surrounding waterfront to illustrate the impact of development and climate change. There are two other models of neighborhoods in Midtown Manhattan and Queens to play with. 'We really want the exhibit to be a platform for broader conversations,' said Katie Culp, the museum's chief learning officer. CityWorks highlights not only the physical city but also the municipal work force that keeps it running. Sprinkled through the exhibit are recordings by New York City workers, including a bus dispatcher, wastewater scientist and subway conductor. The garbage truck display was designed to show the hard job of a sanitation worker. When it was tested at the museum last summer, some parents were overheard dismissing the career choice. So a sign was added to the display: 'Do you have what it takes to be one of New York's strongest?' In no time, the conversation shifted, museum workers said. As parents learned, it takes a lot of skill to be a sanitation worker. CityWorks will become a permanent exhibit at the science museum, which draws more than 400,000 visitors annually, Ms. Gugenheim said. 'People are drawn to cities,' she said. 'The energy, the complexity, the design are all part of what makes cities special.'
Yahoo
30-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Fun activities to keep kids occupied during spring break
Spring break has arrived for many parents in the Twin Cities. For families staying in town, there are plenty of activities that will make the week fly by, whether you're looking for a staycation or just need to keep kids occupied for a few hours. Force the issue and put thoughts of summer in your life by heading to a conservatory. The mossy, earthy-smelling Marjorie McNeely Conservatory is a reliable bet for a pleasant afternoon at the Como Park Zoo and Conservatory. Plus, it's a great chance to check out the recently revamped Sunken Garden and its spring flower show. There's also the Meyer-Deats Conservatory over at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum. The Walker has programming geared toward younger audiences during spring break. It's not a bad spot to go under any circumstances — it's always free for people 18 and under — but here are the special events you'll find at the museum this week. April 2: Teen Maker Break, 11 a.m.–4 p.m. April 3: Woven Textiles with Andy Jacobs (during free Thursday nights), 5–8 p.m. April 3: Art & Sound Lounge (during free Thursday nights), 5–8 p.m. April 5: Free First Saturdays: Earth Elements, 10 a.m.–3 p.m. The Twin Cities is packed with museums, some of which offer free admission. The Minnesota Children's Museum will be open on Monday during spring break (it's normally closed on Mondays), and there's plenty to see at the Science Museum of Minnesota, Minneapolis Institute of Art, Bakken Museum, Weisman Art Museum, Mill City Museum, and American Swedish Institute, among other places. Here are a few special events taking place during the week. April 1: Makers Mornings (virtual) with American Swedish Institute April 2: Open Studio: Visual Verses at Weisman Art Museum April 3: "On the Shoulders of Giants" w/ films, DJs, and food trucks at Minneapolis Institute of Art April 4: Preschool Program: Easter Witches, Feathers, and Fun at American Swedish Institute April 4: Museum Nights at Science Museum of Minnesota April 5: Art Play! at Minneapolis Institute of Art Any clear night is an opportunity to stargaze with kids. However, if stargazing feels daunting and unfamiliar, join the Bell Museum for one of its free star parties, which will take place at 9 p.m. on April 4. Inside the museum, there are hands-on activities that will illuminate the night sky. Outside, experts have telescopes ready for young eyes and can help kids spot planets and other exciting night sky objects. Here's an easy one: Catch a movie. There are plenty of family movies in theaters right now (Dog Man, Paddington in Peru, A Minecraft Movie, The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie), but some theaters are hosting special screenings that will entertain younger audiences. March 29: Barbie (2023) at Minneapolis Institute of Art (free) Mar. 29–30: Flow (2024) at Riverview Theater March 30: The Mummy (1999) at Emagine Willow Creek Mar. 30–31: Grease (1978) at Oakdale Cinema, Parkwood Cinema, Rosemount Cinema, and West End Cinema March 31–April 3: Sonic the Hedgehog 3 (2024) at Cinema Grill April 3: Hoosiers (1995) at Emagine Willow Creek April 3: Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) at The Parkway Theater April 4: Dune (1984) at Alamo Drafthouse April 5: Spirited Away (2001) at The Parkway Theater April 6: Empire Records (1995) at Audrey Rose Vintage April 6: Little Big League (1994) at Niccolet Island Pavilion (free) Sandbox VR, with locations in Eden Prairie and Roseville, offers a unique virtual reality gaming experience. It doesn't last hours, if you're looking to occupy kids for any length of time, but it will delight. Adventurers don a headset and, for some games, weapons to dive into a fully immersive VR world with multiple adventures available, including a zombie wasteland, a pirate ship, a dragon attack, and a Squid Games-themed experience. It'll pull you into its world as your group follows instructions to complete quests inside each game. The St. Paul arcade and mini golf course — recently named one of the best mini golf courses in the country — is operating with extended hours during spring break, opening at 11 a.m. daily. (And don't forget admission is just $10 on Tuesdays and kids 5 and under are free every day.) There are dozens of arcade games to keep kids entertained for hours. Additionally, it's hosting a skateboard art workshop on always, there are storytimes for kids of all ages all around the Twin Cities. That includes community gathering places like Wild Rumpus bookstore, as well as libraries. (There are multiple storytimes over the week at Hennepin County Libraries and Ramsey County Libraries.) While there are plenty of other activities around the Twin Cities like zoos and indoor adventure parks (see Bring Me the News' list of winter activities for kids for more details on some of those), it's also nice enough to get outside. Go to a park, take a hike, or explore a state park. (And don't forget, many libraries will let you check out a free pass to Minnesota's state parks!)
Yahoo
16-03-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Giant beaver could become Minnesota's official state fossil this year
The Brief A bill before lawmakers would name the Castoroides Ohioensis, also known as the giant beaver, as Minnesota's official state fossil. The giant beaver became extinct around 10,000 years ago, but once reached lengths of up to 7 feet and weighed up to 200 pounds. As the largest rodent ever in North America, it also would have existed with the first people ever to settle in Minnesota, according to a representative from the Science Museum of Minnesota. Minnesota is one of only four states without a current state fossil designation. ST. PAUL, Minn. (FOX 9) - Castoroides Ohioensis, also known as the giant beaver, would be designated as Minnesota's official state fossil under a new proposal before Minnesota lawmakers this legislative session. What we know The bipartisan effort, authored by Rep. Andrew Myers (R-Tonka Bay), would officially designate the giant beaver as the state's official fossil – an effort he says was geared towards introducing students to new species, and came to him from middle school students. What they're saying "I see state symbols as a wonderful educational opportunity, where we can introduce new things to our kids as they're growing up," said Dr. Alex Hastings of the Science Museum of Minnesota during the House State Government Finance and Policy Committee on Thursday. According to Hastings, the science museum carried a vote two years ago in order to make a nomination decision on what the fossil should be, with the giant beaver receiving more than 11,000 submissions. Minnesota is currently one of only four states that does not have a designated state fossil. "There was a very clear winner – none other than the giant beaver," Hastings said before the committee. "One of the fascinating things about this animal is not only was it the largest rodent ever in North America, it also would have existed with the first people settling in Minnesota. There's even some folklore that suggests some personal interactions with them." A skeleton of the giant beaver is currently on display at the Science Museum of Minnesota – found just seven miles from St. Paul, Hastings said. Historians believe the giant beaver was far larger than the current common beaver – reaching lengths of up to 7 feet and weighing up to 200 pounds. Common beavers seen today are around 31 to 47 inches in length, and weigh around 24 to 66 pounds. The bill would also include indigenous translations as part of the designation. The backstory Giant beavers were bear-sized beavers that lived in North America, but went extinct around 10,000 years ago. Scientists believe its extinction coincided with the end of the last ice age, due to several factors, including climate change and the loss of their wetland habitats. Since they primarily ate aquatic plants, they were highly dependent on wetland ecosystems for both food and shelter, which eventually dried up. Unlike modern beavers that make dams and lodges, scientists believe the giant beaver was unable to adapt to the changing landscape. What's next The bill was laid over by the committee on Thursday for possible inclusion in a larger collection of bills – known as an omnibus bill - to be approved later in the legislative session.
Yahoo
05-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
St. Paul: National Park Service's visitor center at Science Museum of Minnesota among sites that could be closed
In downtown St. Paul, the National Park Service Visitor Center within the Science Museum of Minnesota — a draw for kids and families attracted to its eagle-in-flight simulator and other interactive offerings — could soon be shuttered, as could the National Park Service office in the downtown Kellogg Square building. The Federal Highway Administration office in the Great Northern Building at 180 E. Fifth St. is losing its lease. Elsewhere in Minnesota, a U.S. Geological Survey office in Mounds View and National Park Service office in Crane Lake may join them. Also targeted for possible closure and sale are a series of federally-owned buildings throughout Minnesota, including the Paul D. Wellstone Federal Building in Minneapolis, the Minneapolis Social Security Administration Building, the Bishop Henry Whipple Federal Building at Fort Snelling, a motor pool garage at Fort Snelling, the Social Security Administration Building in Austin and the Edward J. Devitt U.S. Courthouse and Federal Building in Fergus Falls. The U.S. General Services Administration — the federal government's real estate arm — is under marching orders from the Trump administration to shutter millions of square feet of leased and federally-owned space, and some of those cuts may land in Minnesota, according to circulated listings of locations. It was unclear when each closure was expected to take effect, but the GSA included several Minnesota structures in its online list of 320 'non-core properties … designated for disposal.' Lease terminations were listed at The National Parks Conservation Association on Tuesday objected to the planned closure of some 34 National Parks offices across the country, noting they house visitor amenities, law enforcement offices, museums and hubs for critical park services. The association pointed out that the Science Museum of Minnesota serves as the headquarters of — and the only visitor center for — the Mississippi National River and Recreation Area, a 72-mile river park spanning 54,000 acres of outdoor area in Minnesota. The corridor stretches from about Dayton, Minn. to just south of Hastings, flowing through Anoka, Dakota, Hennepin, Ramsey and Washington counties. A call to the visitor center and an email to the National Park Service media line were not immediately returned on Wednesday. Emma Filar, a spokesperson for the Science Museum, said Tuesday that the museum was still monitoring the situation, but for now, the visitor center — which has operated at the museum since October 2011 — remains open to the public. 'Yes, we're aware of reports that the federal government plans to terminate leases for the National Parks Service,' said Filar, in an email. 'We do not know any further details about the planned lease termination and are not aware of any steps taken. The Visitor Center is open now.' 'The connection to the Mississippi River is one of the reasons why the Science Museum moved to this location on the river bluffs in 1999,' she said. 'The Mississippi River Visitor Center is a valuable resource for our visitors, demonstrating the river's impact on our region's history, biology and culture.' In addition to the National Park Service and U.S. Geological Survey, offices likely to be impacted by closures across the nation include those connected with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Bureau of Minerals Management, Office of the Inspector General, Bureau of Reclamation and others. Kare11 reported Tuesday that U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar and U.S. Sen. Tina Smith have objected to the closure of several federal buildings, including the Wellstone Building in Minneapolis, which houses federal services such as housing assistance, worker protections and passport processing. Selling underused federal land is hardly unheard of, but the Trump administration appears poised to take that effort into overdrive, targeting dozens of parks offices that are in active use, as well as hundreds of additional leased and federally-owned offices in public-facing properties. Well before Trump took office, the GSA began consolidating underused office space around the country, reducing the government's footprint by divesting more than 1,000 federally-owned properties, or 24 million square feet, since 2015, according to the written statement from the GSA last December. That's in addition to reducing almost 11 million square feet of federally-owned space and almost 18 million square feet of leased space within other buildings and locations. The planned reduction of an additional 1.5 million square feet of leased and owned space was expected to save taxpayers some $475 million over the next 10 years, according to the December statement. The commercial real estate platform CoStar, which tracks more than 7 million commercial properties nationwide, reported Monday that the U.S. has now canceled one-in-10 active federal commercial real estate leases, adding more than 500 lease terminations from last Friday to last Monday alone. The impacts will be felt in all 50 states. Local News | Report: Older buildings that house the very poor are in danger of being sold off as maintenance needs climb Local News | St. Paul: One former homeless woman's story at Dorothy Day Residence Local News | Newspaper delivery delayed by up to four hours on Wednesday Local News | Jean-Efflam Bavouzet, Garrick Ohlsson and Pablo Ferrández are guests for the 2025-26 Schubert Club International Artist Series Local News | Robbinsdale man who said he stabbed St. Paul light-rail rider in self-defense sentenced to probation
CBS News
25-02-2025
- Health
- CBS News
What is math anxiety?
No matter the age, there's one school subject that just doesn't add up for many people, and trying to solve it can bring nerves and even fear. What is math anxiety? Balancing weights, measuring steps and stacking blocks are activities in the Math Moves exhibit at the Science Museum of Minnesota that make the subject fun. "Fun" however, is not the word some might use to describe math, instead favoring words like stressful, annoying or difficult. Liz Hatfield, a teaching specialist at the University of Minnesota Morris, has held workshops to help people work through math anxiety. "Math anxiety is just a persistent negative emotional reaction to situations where math is involved or just perceived to be involved," Hatfield said. Math anxiety can make people panic, increase their heart rate, and struggle to think even when they know how to solve the math problem in question. The anxiety impacts their working memory, making it difficult to remember how to do an equation. In the U.S., about 93% percent of adults say they have some level of math anxiety, according to the National Institute of Health. It can be a cyclical problem. "If you have a negative experience with math, you may want to avoid it. And you go into your coursework unprepared then because you've avoided it and that leads to poor performance. And when you have poor performance, it makes you more anxious," Hatfield said. If someone has math anxiety, does that mean they're bad at math or just anxious? "It doesn't necessarily mean someone's bad at math. High math achievers can still have high levels of math anxiety," Hatfield said. Vanessa Clark, an accountant, falls into that category. "Especially when I'm doing accounting, it makes the math anxiety even worse because I'm doing books and if I mess up, it could cost our business a lot of money," she said. The stressful feeling can also be contagious. "Math anxiety can to some extent be passed from math-anxious adults, parents and teachers," Hatfield said, adding that elementary teachers can have math anxiety. "And their female students in particular will pick up on that." How can someone overcome math anxiety? Taking a brain break helps Clark. "I step away for a few minutes and I come back to it with a fresh set of eyes," she said. Breathing techniques can calm someone down, but Hatfield says a mindset shift that embraces math as a fun challenge is key. "Being good at math is not defined by quick mental math. It's defined by persistence, and struggle, and growth, and curiosity," Hatfield said. Other tips for parents include celebrating their child's progress and growth. They can also show how math is used in positive ways like sports or hobbies.
