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Date: January 9, 2010
Follow the journey of a water molecule in hands-on program

Every water molecule journeys from the Earth's surface to the atmosphere and back again every 2 million years, according to the film "Sierra to Sea." The molecules flow through watersheds, and California's watershed will be the focus of a special "Family Exploration" program from 1-4 p.m. Saturday at Explorit Science Center.

Representatives from the UC Davis Department of Land, Air and Water Resources will be on hand to make the topic come alive. They'll play their 30-minute "Sierra to Sea" film, which was made to educate the general public about California's waterways. They'll also provide some hands-on activities and answer questions as visitors explore Explorit's "Flowing Waters" stream-bed table.

The program is free with admission to the museum, 2801 Second St. in Davis.
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Kim Stanley Robinson will speak at Explorit next Saturday, Jan. 16. The celebrated science fiction writer will discuss Galileo Galilei, the Italian physicist and astronomer, at 7:30 p.m. at Explorit's main site, 2801 Second St. in Davis.

As a bonus, those who attend may explore the museum's space and astronomy exhibition after his presentation.

The event is free and open to the public. It is a gathering of the Davis Astronomy Club, which is sponsored by Explorit. All ages are welcome. Plentiful parking is available.

The talk will take place upstairs in Explorit's Gumerlock Family Gallery, currently home of the exhibition "WhatÕs Out There? Exploring Our Universe." Among the most popular exhibits: a rocket-launcher, a remotely controlled model Mars rover and NASA artifacts, including meals created for astronauts.

Robinson, a Davis resident, will discuss his new book, "Galileo's Dream" (Random Spectra, $26). Published Dec. 29, it mixes biography with a sci-fi story set in the 31st century. A mysterious stranger visits Galileo, who lived in the 1600s, one night. The visitor gives him a telescope that allows him to see the future Ð on Jupiter.

Robinson is a winner of the Hugo, Nebula, and Locus awards. He has written 19 previous books, including the bestselling Mars trilogy. Last year he was named a "Hero of the Environment" by Time magazine.
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Students in grades 6-9 are invited to enter the Second Annual Biotech Expo Poster Competition. It is sponsored by BioTech System and co-sponsored by Explorit Science Center.

BioTech System is a Northern California consortium supporting biotechnology education in grades K-14.

Contest participants may work individually or in teams of up to three, researching a current biotech topic and designing an educational poster display.

In the process, the sponsors hope they will learn about basic biotech concepts and the application of science and technology to global challenges in agriculture, medicine and environmental sustainability.

Students may select any biotech-related topic that falls within one of the contest focus areas: agricultural biotechnology, biofuels, biomanufacturing, biomedical applications, forensics, genomics and stem cells.

Applications to enter the contest are available at http://biotechsystem.org. Deadline is Wednesday, Jan. 13. Posters are due Feb. 10.

The posters will be exhibited from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 13 at Explorit's main site. An awards ceremony will be held during the afternoon.

For more information, contact Denneal Jamison-McClung, dsjamison@ucdavis.edu, or (530) 752-5090.
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Explorit's main site, 2801 Second St. in Davis, has two exhibitions showing: "WhatÕs Out There? Exploring Our Universe" and "Move It! Science in Action." Admission is $4; members, teachers with school ID and children ages 3 and under are free. For more information: (530) 756-0191 or http://www.explorit.org.