Night owls and star gazers to gather at Night of the Open Door Festival

It's fitting that a glow-in-the-dark owl will adorn volunteers' shirts at Arizona State University's Night of the Open Door, because for one night only, from 5-9 p.m. on Saturday, March 3, ASU's Tempe campus will shine a spotlight on more than 165 activities to celebrate the sciences, arts, humanities and engineering as part of the Arizona SciTech Festival: http://opendoor.asu.edu/

To get started, all you have to do is find your zone, literally – blue, green, purple, or yellow. Each area of the event map contains hands-on activities, tours, book readings, or access to museums and world-class plant collections.

Study the stars or build your own rollercoaster. Tour the Biodesign Institute or "Reptile Row." Participate in a trebuchet demonstration, a Math Art Walk, an embodied gaming experience, or visit the cartoon voting booth. Solve a cipher or giant word game created by ASU poet Alberto Rios. Talk to scientists, designers or educators about volcanoes, border issues or quantum physics, or settle back to listen to a lap-top orchestra.

There's something for everyone. So whether you are a kid or a kid-at-heart, a current or future student, K-12 educator, life-long learner, alumnus, a Sparky fan, or an entrepreneur, this is the one evening a year when you can discover what inspires you in the worlds of science, education, design and engineering, art, and humanities.

ZONE highlights:

ZONE 1: Digital Culture Festival and Immerge

Showcase of video games, futuristic architectural prototypes, installations and even an interactive mini golf game: 2012 Golf Odyssey. From 7 to 9 p.m. will be Immerge, the premiere of an interactive light performance on the Nelson Fine Arts Plaza complete with entertainment, music and food carts. Visit emerge.asu.edu for more information.

ZONE 2: Film Screening & Book Signings

5:30-7 p.m. or 7:30-9 p.m.; Life Sciences Building A – Rm. 191 (Auditorium) Professor Bert Hoelldobler is the subject of the documentary film and winner of the 2005 Jackson Hole Wildlife Film Festivals Special Jury Prize. Film showing, book signing and Q & A with Dr. Hoelldobler.
The Virginia Piper House offers two readings: 5:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. Conrad Storad, award-winning children's author, editor, and science writer reads his book "Rattlesnake Rules"; and Stephen Pyne, MacArthur Fellow, historian and author of engaging books about exploration and fire, reads from his book "Voyager." Seats are limited to 40.

ZONE 3: Engineering and Exploration

Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering students in the Engineering Projects in Community Service program – EPICS -- demonstrate their cutting-edge projects. Engineering Patio.
Scientists and engineers working in ASU's Quantum Energy and Sustainable Solar Technology lab are exploring the potential of harnessing solar power to help meet the world's growing energy needs At the lab's booth students, families, and teachers will put their engineering skills to use to design and analyze solar-power collection technologies. Engineering Research Center, Rm. 187
The School of Earth and Space Exploration offers activities for kids, including digging for meteorites, exploring the Meteorite Museum, panning for gold and making your own earthquake.

ZONE 4: Biodesign Institute

Attend presentations from faculty and learn about research demonstrations tackling grand societal challenges such as the future of biomedicine and health outcomes, disease prevention, and sustainability.
Tour the largest bioscience facility in Arizona and see for yourself the key discoveries that are improving human health and the health of our planet.

ASU's Night of the Open Door is spearheaded by the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, with partners - the Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts, the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering and the Biodesign Institute.

The first 1,000 to arrive receive a goodie bag filled with things that will make your heart glow, as well as your mind. Register early. For more information: http://opendoor.asu.edu/

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