By: Beth Post

Imagine this: it's time for the big weekly shopping trip. What do you do? Being a Davis citizen, you'd like to take your bicycle, but you can't carry all the groceries on it. So instead, you unplug your car, hop in and zip down to the store.

Wait a minute - unplug your car? That's right; the car of the not-too-distant future will be electric, according to Dr. Andrew Frank, professor of mechanical and aeronautical engineering at UC Davis. Dr. Frank has worked for 25 years on the design of hybrid electric vehicles, and his most recent model uses 96% electric power and just a splash of gasoline as fuel sources. The car can travel up to 1000 miles after being charged from a basic wall outlet, and does so with 3 times the fuel economy of a traditional gasoline-based car.

Dr. Frank will be the first lecturer in Explorit's 1998-99 Cutting Edge of Science lectures series. His presentation, "Electric Cars: Can They Go the Distance?," will begin at 7:30 p.m. at the Davis Senior Center, 646 A Street in Davis. Come explore with Dr. Frank how this new generation of America's favorite form of transportation can meet the challenges of a culture constantly on the move while cutting fuel emissions and increasing air quality.

The Cutting Edge of Science lecture series is free to the public, and is sponsored by Novo Nordisk Biotech with support from the Davis Senior Center. For more information, call Explorit at (530) 756-0191.

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Explorit's new program brochures are out! The brochures describe the many on-site- and classroom-based education programs offered by Explorit during the 1998-99 school year. Previous program users should be receiving a copy of the brochure soon. If you are new to the area, or are a new teacher, please call Explorit at (530) 756-0191 for your copy. Or drop by Explorit to pick up a brochure and visit our current exhibition, The Way the Ball Bounces: The Science of Toys and Games. Teachers with school ID are always admitted free of charge!

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Keep your calendar open for Explorit's Grand Opening of its new West Wing Expansion, to be held on Sunday, September 20 from 1:00 to 4:30 p.m. It's sure to be a "wing"-ding of an event, with science demonstrations, hands-on activities, games, stories and songs all a part of the fun. Come join us and get a tour of "space" - the new space provided by the West Wing Expansion. All the events are free to the public. Call Explorit at (530) 756-0191 for more information.

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And it's not too soon to mark your calendar for the next meeting of Explorit's Astronomy Club, Saturday, September 26 at 8:30 p.m. at Explorit. The topic of the evening will be "Light Pollution: Photon Torpedoes." A slide show, published by the Astronomical Society of the Pacific for the International Dark-Sky Association, will kick off the two-meeting series focused on the problem of light pollution. Participants will also have a chance to view the night sky. For more information, call Explorit at (530) 756-0191.

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Volunteers are needed now for the 1999 Vintage Master's Wine Tasting and Auction committee. This is your chance to be a part of the team that produces Explorit's annual premier wine-tasting event. As a committee member, you'll recruit wineries and restaurants to participate or provide auction items for the event, slated for Friday, April 23, 1999 at the Hotel Woodland. If you're a whiz at publicity, or enjoy the hustle and bustle of setting up an event, you're needed, too. Call Suzanne at Explorit at (530) 756-0191 if volunteering for a "tasteful" event is your cup of tea - or glass of wine!

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Explorit Science Center is located at 3141 5th Street in East Davis. The current exhibition is The Way the Ball Bounces: The Science of Toys and Games. Public hours are Saturday from 11:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Sunday from 1:00 to 4:30 p.m., and Tuesday through Friday from 2:00 to 4:30 p.m. Regular admission is $3; members, teachers (with school ID) and children under 4 are free.