MythBusters join lineup at N.C. Science Festival :: STEM Education at WRAL Tech Wire

Updated Jul. 22, 2010 at 5:39 a.m.

MythBusters join lineup at N.C. Science Festival

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CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – The North Carolina Science Festival is bringing two TV stars specializing in science entertainment – Adam Savage and Jamie Hyneman – hosts of the Discovery Channel’s Emmy-nominated show MythBusters.

"An Afternoon with Adam and Jamie" will begin at 2 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 19, at the Dean E. Smith Center in Chapel Hill. Tickets go on sale Monday, July 26, through www.tarheelblue.com.

Lower-level tickets are $28 per person. Upper-level tickets are $18 per person.

A limited number of premium tickets are available at $100 per person. Each premium ticket includes a meet-and-greet reception before the event (with an opportunity to have your photo taken with Adam and Jamie), reserved seating in front of the stage, and a North Carolina Science Festival t-shirt.

During the 90-minute program, Adam and Jamie will share stories from behind the scenes of their popular show. They'll also feature video presentations of spectacular explosions and other "for fans only" outtakes.

In each episode of their show, Adam, Jamie and their team of investigators apply scientific methodologies to test commonly-held beliefs – testing myths with lava lamps, rockets, sharks, port-a-potties, and other items not found in a typical science lab.

Their mix of scientific method with gleeful curiosity and ingenuity has created a signature phenomenon of explosive experimentation. Their experiments have included converting a vacuum cleaner into a jet engine, swinging 360 degrees around a swing set and floating on a raft filled with helium, just to name a few.

Adam and Jamie have completed nearly 170 episodes and tested more than 700 myths for the hit show, which first aired in 2003 and just received its second Emmy nomination for Outstanding Reality Program.

The North Carolina Science Festival is scheduled for Sept. 11 through Sept. 26 and features events across the state. It's a partner event in concert with the USA Science & Engineering Festival in Washington, D.C., and the first state-wide festival of its kind in the United States.

The SAS Institute, Biogen Idec, Inspire Pharmaceutical, and BB&T have signed up as sponsors of the festival.

Other supporters include the Burroughs Wellcome Fund, UNC Health Care, The Childers Foundation, NC STEM Community Collaborative, UNC School of Education, N.C. GlaxoSmithKline Foundation, N.C. Biotechnology Center, and The Research Triangle Park.

The two-week festival also includes the new UNC Science Expo, hosted by UNC-Chapel Hill on Saturday, Sept. 25.

The festival's Web site offers a searchable calendar for festival events for all ages, including many free activities.

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Tags: STEM education, NC SMT, NC STEM, UNC-CH, SAS

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STEM News is generated through a collaborative effort between the NC STEM Community Collaborative, MCNC, and WRAL Tech Wire. To submit story ideas, please email WTW Editor Rick Smith rsmith@wral.com or Noah Garrett noah@thinkngc.com. Read more articles…

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