This page contains the material submitted to the local paper - The Davis Enterprise - for Explorit Science Center's news column published in that paper on Fridays.

Article for: The Davis Enterprise
Date: July 2, 2004
Author: Leslie Madsen-Brooks

TIME TO SIGN UP FOR THE CHALLENGE

Quick-what's a sphygmomanometer?

If you answered "a device used to measure blood pressure," Explorit Science Center has an event for you.

Now in its 13th year, the Corporate Science Challenge is a fund-raising event held each fall to benefit Explorit. This year's event, which takes place on Thursday, Sept. 30, begins with cocktails, dinner, and a silent auction before moving on to the main event: a science quiz program that pits as many as 40 teams against each other in live, lightning-quick play to answer multiple-choice questions that range from layperson-simple to expert-tough. 

Teams enter one of two divisions, "Just for Fun" or "Serious Scientists," and may include up to eight people each, with the caveat that at least three members of the team be employees of the sponsoring business.

Questions are presented in six themed rounds of six questions each. Last year's themes included "Survivor Science," "On the Move," and "Time and Again." Teams have 20 seconds to select the correct answer for each question. Questions come from many fields of science, including chemistry, geology, biology, astronomy, geography, and even science fiction. That's right-Star Trek fans can compete against real rocket scientists at this event.

"It is fun, competitive, and you do not have to be a science genius to participate," said Tim Magill, whose enthusiastic Waste Management team took home last year's best-dressed prize. "The Corporate Science Challenge has become tradition for Waste Management. We have participated in the event for a number of years, and now have employees that look forward to this fun way to raise money for Explorit Science Center." 

Twice during the Challenge, teams have the opportunity to bid on a "Science Expert" to join their team for two rounds. Teams bid on these experts, who have backgrounds in applied and theoretical sciences related to the round themes, in a heated live auction.

Local and regional businesses sponsor the Corporate Science Challenge either by purchasing the $1,000 tables that allow them to participate in the quiz or by becoming Silver or Gold sponsors of the event at $2,500 and $5,000 respectively. The Challenge provides an opportunity for these businesses to not only strut their science stuff, but also mingle and network with colleagues and competitors alike. 

The event is Explorit Science Center's biggest fund-raiser. Although many Davis businesses and families are familiar with Explorit's hands-on science center and local outreach programs, Explorit has become famous as well for providing high-quality science education programs to schools and organizations in a 14-county area around Yolo County. The science center reaches nearly 50,000 people annually on a budget of only $500,000. In recognition of this effort, the Sacramento Non-profit Resource Center named Explorit the Outstanding Small Non-profit of the year.

Tim Magill of Waste Management emphasized that while the Corporate Science Challenge is fun, the event supports a much more serious, high-stakes project.

"It is critical to encourage our youth to become involved in science-our future depends on it," he said. "We are fortunate to have this unique science center resource in our area and we must assure its continuation. Science is one area where one human being, given the opportunity, can take one idea and change the world for the better."

To join in this year's Corporate Science Challenge, call Explorit executive director Suzanne Ullensvang at (530) 756-0191. More information about the Corporate Science Challenge, as well as lists of past winners and sample questions, may be found at Explorit's web site at www.explorit.org.
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Explorit Science Center is at 3141 5th St. in East Davis. The current exhibition "From A to Z: Spanning the Science Spectrum" runs through September 5. Public hours are Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and Tuesday through Friday from 2 to 4:30 p.m. For more information, visit www.explorit.org or call Explorit at (530) 756-0191.