The Factory Floor

We have a mission! Not like we're going to the moon, but to engage children in a learning environment, to make science come alive. And we are always looking to accomplish and extend that mission. But to birthday parties?

Yes! To birthday parties! We are introducing two new birthday party packages. The Experiment Package, and the Experiment Plus Package. In each, our party guests will get hands on with science, enjoying both a demonstration and an interactive science activity. It's not only celebratory, but cerebral, not only entertaining, but engaging, not only (how many of these can I come up with? Apparently two.)

Check out our new packages on the Birthday Party page (which, though exciting isn't nearly as exciting as the actual party will be.)

The Tricycle, our classic design

How many of you love the mini-racers. You've built the car pictured at the right, put on a spring motor, and raced it down the track? Sure you have! And you'd love to do it again. But what if you could do that and more?

What is this crazy more of which I speak? Well, our classic design, the tricycle, sometimes doesn't work very well. It doesn't go straight, and when it hits a side wall, the friction slows it down so much, it can't travel the length of the track. So we challenged Summer Camp campers to design a better car. And now we present you with two new designs, created by them!

The Chariot

While we figured kids would mainly concern themselves with making the car go straighter, Anthony had a different approach. So what if it hit the sides, just so long as it could bounce off. He created a four wheel design with bumpers, that we have affectionately named The Chariot.

The Dragster

But perhaps the most surprising design was Dominic's. Yes, believe it or not, it only has two wheels. But it runs like a dream! What better name for a car that drags its front end on the track than The Dragster?

And now, all three of these designs are available with step by step instructions for you to build on your next visit to Mini-racers. Or design a new car of your own. The possibilities are endless. But isn't that always the way at the Fac?

Okay, that title was supposed to imply, "What you got cooking?" Not grammatically perfect, but works well as a lyric. And what does that have to do with anything? Well, it's an extension of a metaphor. I'll try to get to the point.

Introducing the Science Café! No, we're not actually serving food. We're serving science, mathematics, and engineering. And you can get your hands dirty with it! That was a metaphor too, so don't worry about cleaning your hands afterward. Actually, for some activities you'll need to.

The Science Café is a new space that will be making its debut at the Fac's second birthday party on January 22. Wait until you see the sleek lines, the bright colors, and the incredible activities we'll have available. It's going to be fun! I'd put up a picture, but I don't want to give away the surprise!

Stop in later in January or any month thereafter and check out our newest addtion. You'll think it's Cafériffic! Okay, that was a terrible made-up word. Somebody help me come up with something better. Please.

Welcome to the first blog entry in The Factory Floor. As I write this, I realize currently nobody can see it yet. Well, I can, but nobody else. And there's little point in a blog for my eyes only.

Fortunately, that will change. Soon, this website will be live, and in The Factory Floor, I will want to introduce you, our guests and website friends, to what's new and soon to be at the Fac.

Science Zone

This blog is just one of the many things in our new Science Zone. I'm a big believer in the idea that science is a lot more than facts and textbooks. In fact, those aren't really science as much as descriptions of science. Now, can a website be science? Sure! At least, we can do plenty here that involves some real science. What do I mean by real science? You ask a lot of questions.

Real science is exciting, it's a game. We ask questions, guess at answers, and then try to create a set of rules that let us find out if our guess was right or wrong. And anyone who tells you it's bad to be wrong, they're wrong. (But that's not bad.) We learn as much from being wrong as being right. Sometimes more.

Science is competition, science is discovery, science involves moments in which you know you have discovered/invented/perceived something bigger than yourself.

The Science Zone is our web community for doing some "real science". Some of it will be goofy. Some of it will be odd. Some of it may be downright disgusting! But that's exactly what makes it important, relevant, and so cool!

So enjoy our new website. Enjoy the Science Zone. And don't just read what I have to say. Participate. Science is a team sport. Join my team or find another, but play!

- Erich