Cranbrook Institute of Science

November 2014

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In This Issue

Mineral Show

Halloween Science

Women of Vision

The How's and Why's of Sight

Young Scientists

Social Media

Celebrate the Holidays with Special Planetarium Programs

Starting November 28 the Institute presents two special Holiday programs in the planetarium every Saturday and Sunday through he end of the year. Let it Snow, a dazzling display of holiday music and light graphics will air at 12:30pm, and The Mystery of the Christmas Star, an astronomical look at the Christmas story, will air at 2:30pm. Special daily programming during the winter break will be offered. Preview times and trailers online.

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November is the month we give thanks and celebrate the bounty we enjoy. In that spirit, it is an especially appropriate time to thank our Members, supporters, and guests for investing their time and resources in Cranbrook Institute of Science. Without you we would not be able to bring science to the hundreds of thousands of people who visit us each year. You make the Institute of Science what it is and we thank you.

During the Thanksgiving Break, we hope you'll join us for special programming and events. If you have not yet seen Women of Vision, please plan to--this national exhibition is not to be missed. November also offers the first look at several newly-acquired meteorites to go on view in the Astronomy Gallery.

Busy during the holidays? Take a break on a Friday or Saturday evening and enjoy reduced admission to the museum and access to the telescope in the Observatory. Reflections Café is now open on Fridays until 8pm. Join us for a light dinner and museum visit!

Go Science!

Artist Linda Huey presents Dark Garden at Cranbrook Institute of Science

The Institute of Science hosts a lecture by clay artist Linda Huey on Tuesday, November 11 at 7pm. Huey will discuss her installation, Dark Garden, which is currently on view January 18. Dark Garden addresses environmental issues and reflects our culture's ambiguous relationship toward nature, and questions what we want to see versus what we don't want to see. A garden is normally a place of beauty and refuge but upon closer inspection problems are revealed in the Dark Garden; caged birds, broken antennas, barbed wire, skeletons, leaves infested with cars, decaying gnomes, bat-like fairies, and actual nails and bolts fired into the plants envision a future Earth covered with artifacts from our disposable economy that eventually become fossils millions of years from now. Linda Huey's lecture and Dark Garden are free. Click here for more information.

Celebrate "Holiday Tables" with the Institute at Cranbrook House

The Institute mixes science and celebration with a table in the annual "Holiday Tables" event at Cranbrook House November 20-23. "Holiday Tables" is the most important annual fundraiser for the preservation of Cranbrook House and Gardens. This year's theme Illuminate the Season, will offer stylish inspirations for the upcoming holidays as local designers (and this year, scientists!) share their creativity and table décor ideas. The Cranbrook Institute of Science table illuminates the season with the glittering treasures found in nature, and the man-made treasures found in the Institute's collections, including mineral specimens and objects of art collected by the Booth family. Tickets are $20 per person for general admission. For more information, or to purchase tickets click here.

It's Science! It's Magic! It's Science-CADABRA!

After Thanksgiving, join Cranbrook's resident scientists and magicians to discover how math and science create illusion and mystery in Science-CADABRA! A complement to the Institute-produced exhibition The Science of Sight, Light & Illusion, the secrets behind "magic" will be revealed and our "Scienti-gicians" will even show you a few tricks to amaze your friends. Science-CADABRA! is free with admission November 28-30 from 1-4pm each day. Daily planetarium and bat shows will be available at an additional charge.

PNC and Cranbrook Institute of Science Present National Geographic's Women of Vision Exhibition

PNC and Cranbrook Institute of Science are pleased to present the first Midwest stop for Women of Vision: National Geographic Photographers on Assignment. Showcasing the influential work of 11 award-winning female photojournalists from National Geographic in nearly 100 photographs, Women of Vision explores the stories of our planet including its people, geography, wildlife, and cultures in the 125-year tradition of National Geographic. In the last decade, some of the most powerful and important stories published by National Geographic have featured the photographic work of a trailblazing new generation of women. From the savannahs of Botswana and rainforests of New Guinea, to the war torn streets of the Middle East, and the beaches of the Jersey Shore to the Mongolian steppe, Women of Vision distills the work of these photographers and the powerful stories their photos tell into a compelling look at life on our planet in the 21st Century. Free with admission through December 30, 2014. To learn more visit Women of Vision.

Explore The How's and Why's of Sight

Enjoy a new way to look at the world around us in The Science of Sight, Light & Illusion, an exhibition created by Cranbrook Institute of Science. More than 20 interactive stations allow visitors to take a bee's eye view of flowers, experiment with green screen technology, examine real cow and sheep eyes, look inside a human eyeball model, get a glimpse of optical artifacts from collections, and more. Topics include the use of color and motion in filmmaking, the biology of the eye and the mechanics of how it works, and how humans perceive color. The Science of Sight Light and Illusion is FREE with admission and is suitable for all ages.

Young Scientists

It's never too soon to ignite in your child a passion for discovering the science of everyday life. Join other

Young Scientist families on select Thursdays through March 25, 2015 as we partake in a weekly investigation through the wonders of the natural world. Hands-on activities in physics, chemistry, botany, patterns of nature, ecology, structures, mimicry, the solar system, dinosaurs and more make scientific concepts a real experience for kids 3-7. For dates, topics and times, visit

Young Scientists.