Thursday, September 23, 2010
We love big kids
Raucous laughter reverberated down the hallway and we wondered who was having such a great time. Students from ASU Beebe were in the house, earning continuing education credits. Here they play with our heat-sensing camera. Notice how they tried to act more 'grown up' once they realized a camera was on them. :-) It's ok, kids, carry on.
You don't have to be a kid or have a kid to have a roaring good time at the Museum of Discovery!
Monday, September 20, 2010
Harry behind the scenes
WHEW! After 5 days of setup, the exhibit is open!
Many thanks to the folks at Terminix and Clarkworks
for their wonderful work.
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| The "Zoom Room" |
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| Connecting the water tubes in the water habitat. |
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| Ernest from Clarkworks introduces Cuddles the Scorpion |
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| The floor plan. |
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| Harry, uncrated. |
Saturday, September 18, 2010
Jayme the Bug Chef
Chef Jayme from the Audubon Insectarium
in New Orleans explains what's on the menu.
"Buzz in" to the Museum of Discovery see him
Saturday 9/18/10 9am-5pm and Sunday 9/19/10 1-5pm!
Jayme and his culinary creations are part of the exhibit (and included in your museum admission)
Thanks to our local sponsor
Friday, September 17, 2010
Meet Harry!
I’ll even be bringing my own exhibit with me. It’s called Harry’s Big Adventure: My Bug World! It’s a fun, interactive exhibit that will give you a bug’s eye view of the world. Every weekend, you’ll even get a chance to touch bugs at our insect petting zoo and taste bugs that are prepared by our renowned bug chef.
A praying mantis like myself likes to travel incognito, and sometimes I hide so I can blend in with the scenery. But if you’re at the museum I promise to come out and play, so stop by and say “hi” sometime after the 18th.
If you’d like to find out what I’m doing during my stay in Little Rock, visit my blog. I check in there every couple of weeks to let my friends know what’s going on in my life, and I’ll be back on there regularly after I complete my move to Little Rock, so check it out!
ABOUT HARRY:
Harry is a Chinese Praying Mantis who hails from Memphis, Tennessee, although his ancestors are Chinese. He likes eating, traveling, eating, hanging out with friends and sometimes, eating. He turns up his nose at opera, rampaging rhinos and an annoying little fish named Coy Koi. Harry is a Southern-fried fanatic and loves to eat anything fit for The King (Elvis, that is) like jelly donuts, biscuits, bacon, grits, gravy, Gus’s Fried Chicken, Soul Burgers, sausage, ice cream, pancakes and deep-fried Twinkies. His biggest dream is to visit every single state in America and blog about it. You can read more about Harry (and his friends) here.
Thursday, September 16, 2010
The Mane Point-The Science & Art of the Beard - Part 3 of 3
Editor's Note: "MOD Voices" guest blogger Ryan Byrd wraps up his campaign to teach science through a humorous approach.
COIF CARRIER: Whether you’re facing fear-inducing grizzly bears in the forest or marching with the penguins in Antarctica, you simply have to carry supplies. Let’s say you’re an ornithologist—a scientist who studies birds. You’ll probably need binoculars, a pen and paper for notes and some nets for collecting a few birds. Likewise, if you were a glaciologist—a scientists who studies glaciers—in Antarctica, you’d need varying supplies as well such as an ice pick, a compass and a pick axe for collecting ice specimens.
Naturally, you could carry it all in a backpack or wear cargo pants or flash back to 1994 and wear a fanny pack. All these things sound perfectly logical…to a clean-shaven man.
But you, the bearded wonder, knows better. Why weigh yourself down with unnatural bags and cloth compartments when you have a perfectly groomed and full beard swaying from your animal-like jowls? You see, if nothing else, a fully-developed beard can serve as the perfect tote for all the necessary supplies needed to navigate life.
More than storage, though, you never know what you’re going to find in a beard. Reach in. What’s that? A piece of this morning’s doughnut? That one sock you couldn’t find? A copy of your 3rd grade report card? That love note little Susie Joyner gave you on the playground last week? You never know. Beard: 3 – Cargo Pants: 0.
So there you have it. If there were ever 3 good reasons to grow a beard someday, these are it. So, give it a try. You never know when you might meet Mr. Grizzly, crash land in Antarctica or need to carry your bird watching supplies around.
About Ryan Byrd:
When Ryan Byrd isn't spending time manscaping his facial coiffure, you can find him enjoying his beautiful wife, Christen, and 3 children: Lucy, 3; Olive, 20 months and Max, 2 months. To pay the bills, he works as Advertising Art Director at Arkansas Business Publishing Group. To keep his sanity, he's the lead guy at Eikon Church. Follow his nonsensical ramblings at http://www.beingryanbyrd.com/
Naturally, you could carry it all in a backpack or wear cargo pants or flash back to 1994 and wear a fanny pack. All these things sound perfectly logical…to a clean-shaven man.
But you, the bearded wonder, knows better. Why weigh yourself down with unnatural bags and cloth compartments when you have a perfectly groomed and full beard swaying from your animal-like jowls? You see, if nothing else, a fully-developed beard can serve as the perfect tote for all the necessary supplies needed to navigate life.
More than storage, though, you never know what you’re going to find in a beard. Reach in. What’s that? A piece of this morning’s doughnut? That one sock you couldn’t find? A copy of your 3rd grade report card? That love note little Susie Joyner gave you on the playground last week? You never know. Beard: 3 – Cargo Pants: 0.
So there you have it. If there were ever 3 good reasons to grow a beard someday, these are it. So, give it a try. You never know when you might meet Mr. Grizzly, crash land in Antarctica or need to carry your bird watching supplies around.
About Ryan Byrd:
When Ryan Byrd isn't spending time manscaping his facial coiffure, you can find him enjoying his beautiful wife, Christen, and 3 children: Lucy, 3; Olive, 20 months and Max, 2 months. To pay the bills, he works as Advertising Art Director at Arkansas Business Publishing Group. To keep his sanity, he's the lead guy at Eikon Church. Follow his nonsensical ramblings at http://www.beingryanbyrd.com/
The Mane Point-The Science & Art of the Beard - Part 2 of 3
Editor's Note: "MOD Voices" guest blogger Ryan Byrd continues. Remember, look for science learning along the way!
HOLDING ON FUR LIFE: Now you're trekking across the continent of Antarctica, the coldest place on Earth, with an average temperature of -58°F. One problem: your plane to the Bahamas got lost and you and your suitcase full of Bermuda shorts and tank tops ended up landing on the southernmost place in the world, where 1-mile deep ice covers 98% of the continent.
You and your pilot set off to find any other signs of life. Shivering and staggering across the icy surface, the only signs of life you spot is the occasional Emperor penguin and fur seal, because only cold-adapted animals are able to survive. Losing hope, the elements begin to take their toll.
In a cold climate, the threat of hypothermia—a condition in which one’s core temperature drops below 95°F—is at the forefront.
Engage survival of the fittest.
Never fear, friends! You’ve got a beautiful coat of chin-fur to wrap your shivering body in. Your clean-shaven pilot friend has little to cling to other than hope. Beard: 2 – Antarctica: 0.
Stay tuned for Reason #3!
About Ryan Byrd:
When Ryan Byrd isn't spending time manscaping his facial coiffure, you can find him enjoying his beautiful wife, Christen, and 3 children: Lucy, 3; Olive, 20 months and Max, 2 months. To pay the bills, he works as Advertising Art Director at Arkansas Business Publishing Group. To keep his sanity, he's the lead guy at Eikon Church. Follow his nonsensical ramblings at http://www.beingryanbyrd.com/
You and your pilot set off to find any other signs of life. Shivering and staggering across the icy surface, the only signs of life you spot is the occasional Emperor penguin and fur seal, because only cold-adapted animals are able to survive. Losing hope, the elements begin to take their toll.
In a cold climate, the threat of hypothermia—a condition in which one’s core temperature drops below 95°F—is at the forefront.
Engage survival of the fittest.
Never fear, friends! You’ve got a beautiful coat of chin-fur to wrap your shivering body in. Your clean-shaven pilot friend has little to cling to other than hope. Beard: 2 – Antarctica: 0.
Stay tuned for Reason #3!
About Ryan Byrd:
When Ryan Byrd isn't spending time manscaping his facial coiffure, you can find him enjoying his beautiful wife, Christen, and 3 children: Lucy, 3; Olive, 20 months and Max, 2 months. To pay the bills, he works as Advertising Art Director at Arkansas Business Publishing Group. To keep his sanity, he's the lead guy at Eikon Church. Follow his nonsensical ramblings at http://www.beingryanbyrd.com/
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
The Mane Point: The Science & Art of the Beard- Part 1 of 3
Editor's Note: "MOD Voices" guest blogger Ryan Byrd presents reason #1 for having a beard. Pay attention for science learning along the way!
BEAR NECESSITY: Say you're strolling through the forest. You're enjoying the majesty of nature, basking in the peaceful tranquility of the great outdoors.
Suddenly, you feel the warm breath of a towering grizzly bear on the back of your neck. Grizzly bears—also known as silvertip bears—are considered to be the most aggressive species of bears. They’re primarily found in the western part of North America and can weigh as much as 1,500 lbs and stand as tall as nearly 8 ft when on their hind legs.
Grizzly bears are omnivores, primarily eating berries and plants, but suddenly, to Mr. Bear, you look pretty tasty. What do you do?
First, you're going to want to pause to thank your beard. Why? Because you turn sharply, swinging around your flowing man-mane. As the bear spots it, he pauses and with a whimper of defeat, slugs away, realizing that he could never defeat what he can only reasonably determine must be a Sasquatch. Beard: 1 – Bear: 0.
Stay tuned for Reason #2 tomorrow!
About Ryan Byrd:
When Ryan Byrd isn't spending time manscaping his facial coiffure, you can find him enjoying his beautiful wife, Christen, and 3 children: Lucy, 3; Olive, 20 months and Max, 2 months. To pay the bills, he works as Advertising Art Director at Arkansas Business Publishing Group. To keep his sanity, he's the lead guy at Eikon Church. Follow his nonsensical ramblings at http://www.beingryanbyrd.com/
BEAR NECESSITY: Say you're strolling through the forest. You're enjoying the majesty of nature, basking in the peaceful tranquility of the great outdoors.
Suddenly, you feel the warm breath of a towering grizzly bear on the back of your neck. Grizzly bears—also known as silvertip bears—are considered to be the most aggressive species of bears. They’re primarily found in the western part of North America and can weigh as much as 1,500 lbs and stand as tall as nearly 8 ft when on their hind legs.
Grizzly bears are omnivores, primarily eating berries and plants, but suddenly, to Mr. Bear, you look pretty tasty. What do you do?
First, you're going to want to pause to thank your beard. Why? Because you turn sharply, swinging around your flowing man-mane. As the bear spots it, he pauses and with a whimper of defeat, slugs away, realizing that he could never defeat what he can only reasonably determine must be a Sasquatch. Beard: 1 – Bear: 0.
Stay tuned for Reason #2 tomorrow!
About Ryan Byrd:
When Ryan Byrd isn't spending time manscaping his facial coiffure, you can find him enjoying his beautiful wife, Christen, and 3 children: Lucy, 3; Olive, 20 months and Max, 2 months. To pay the bills, he works as Advertising Art Director at Arkansas Business Publishing Group. To keep his sanity, he's the lead guy at Eikon Church. Follow his nonsensical ramblings at http://www.beingryanbyrd.com/
Monday, September 13, 2010
The Mane Point: The Science & Art of the Beard-Intro
Editor's Note: "MOD Voices" welcomes guest blogger Ryan Byrd who presents his reasons for having a beard. We appreciate his humorous approach to "informal learning" of science!
Hi, I’m Ryan. I’d like to share a little with you today about the southern portion of my face. "Why write a blog post about that?" you might ask. Well, it’s simple really. Hanging proudly from my face is an ever-growing, breathing mass of furry tender loving care. What is it? A beard, of course.
For the last several years, the skin on the southern hemisphere—bottom half—of my face hasn’t seen the sunlight, as a carefully crafted beard has adorned it. Of course, it hasn’t been there my entire life. A long time ago in a magical land of pre-adolescence, I eagerly anticipated the day I could grow facial hair. Sure enough, when the testosterone—the hormone that makes your facial hair grow—kicked in, I was able to groom the bottom half of my face just like the top half. It was monumental day and I haven’t since looked back.
So, I thought I’d share with you 3 good reasons to grow a beard. I think you’ll be turned into a believer.
EDITOR'S NOTE: Stay tuned this week for Ryan's THREE REASONS TO GROW A BEARD.
About Ryan Byrd:
When Ryan Byrd isn't spending time manscaping his facial coiffure, you can find him enjoying his beautiful wife, Christen, and 3 children: Lucy, 3; Olive, 20 months and Max, 2 months. To pay the bills, he works as Advertising Art Director at Arkansas Business Publishing Group. To keep his sanity, he's the lead guy at Eikon Church. Follow his nonsensical ramblings at http://www.beingryanbyrd.com./
Monday, September 6, 2010
Adventures in Room To Grow
Editor's note: The Museum of Discovery is proud to kick off our "MOD Voices" guest blogger series! First up is our good friend Savannah Butler.
My kids love a good adventure. They’ve never been to Disney World, they’ve never ridden a rollercoaster, but my kids know an adventure when they see one. And stepping into the Museum of Discovery’s "Room to Grow," each one of them spotted an adventure.
Immediately my six year old Boy was transfixed by the sleeping dragon at the gate. He jumped, he flailed, he stood “soldier still,” all in hopes that he could figure the thing out. My 19 month old Baby headed straight to the Under 4 farm area. She delighted herself screaming “MOOOO!” at the big cow.
When my almost-4 year old princess-in-training Girl saw the castle theater, it was a drama queen dream come true! It took some poking and prodding, but we finally managed to move our kids past the first two activities in Room to Grow. The Boy scaled the rock wall while his sisters cheered him on. He read plaques about health in the Fitness Forrest to the Girl, who then tried her balance on a balance beam.
My husband and I knew we were doomed once the two big kids spotted the pirate ship and lighthouse. “There goes another two hours,” my husband quipped. My Boy must have raced up and down the lighthouse stairs ten times (which in itself is a feat!) before he joined his sister as they became co-captains of the ship.
When we finally managed to pry them away, we headed to the Alice’s Wonderland exhibit. It was an amazing area, full of the science of Wonderland.
Our Baby marveled in the shrinking hall. The Girl was surprised at the mirrors that made it look like you were above- or below-ground. The Boy even walked away with a new favorite vocabulary word: parabola.
Once again we promised the kids that WE COULD SEE MORE THINGS! and just in time, we caught the Big Electric Show. It was certainly a hair-raising experience for us all. My husband was brave enough to hold a fluorescent bulb close to a Tesla coil. Both the Boy and the Girl put their hands on The Van de Graaff generator as we all watched their hair spring to life!
We never even made it downstairs. After almost four hours, we left the Museum and headed back across the river, promising the kids- and ourselves- that we would return soon to finish the tour. Though, I’m afraid when we go back they will take up their positions at the helm of the pirate ship and refuse to ever leave again!
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Savannah Butler is a wife and stay-at-home mother to three darling and extremely pleasant young children. She loves giving her kids opportunities to explore and discover the world around them. She occasionally escapes from beneath the laundry pile long enough to pose as Conway Community Editor for Little Rock Family magazine. Savannah likes babies, popcorn, and napping. She writes about her family’s big and small adventures on her personal blog.
* Editor’s note: The Museum of Discovery gave the author complimentary admission for her family’s visit.
My kids love a good adventure. They’ve never been to Disney World, they’ve never ridden a rollercoaster, but my kids know an adventure when they see one. And stepping into the Museum of Discovery’s "Room to Grow," each one of them spotted an adventure.
Immediately my six year old Boy was transfixed by the sleeping dragon at the gate. He jumped, he flailed, he stood “soldier still,” all in hopes that he could figure the thing out. My 19 month old Baby headed straight to the Under 4 farm area. She delighted herself screaming “MOOOO!” at the big cow.
When my almost-4 year old princess-in-training Girl saw the castle theater, it was a drama queen dream come true! It took some poking and prodding, but we finally managed to move our kids past the first two activities in Room to Grow. The Boy scaled the rock wall while his sisters cheered him on. He read plaques about health in the Fitness Forrest to the Girl, who then tried her balance on a balance beam.
My husband and I knew we were doomed once the two big kids spotted the pirate ship and lighthouse. “There goes another two hours,” my husband quipped. My Boy must have raced up and down the lighthouse stairs ten times (which in itself is a feat!) before he joined his sister as they became co-captains of the ship.
We only lost the Baby once (she has a fearless tendency to walk away… she’s an explorer), and it turned out that she was around the corner in the Construction Zone, working her fine motor skills on some magnetic letters. As much as we tried to convince our kids that there was SO MUCH MORE TO SEE, they were more than content to stay in the Room to Grow.
Once again we promised the kids that WE COULD SEE MORE THINGS! and just in time, we caught the Big Electric Show. It was certainly a hair-raising experience for us all. My husband was brave enough to hold a fluorescent bulb close to a Tesla coil. Both the Boy and the Girl put their hands on The Van de Graaff generator as we all watched their hair spring to life!
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| look carefully...you can see his hair standing up! |
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* Editor’s note: The Museum of Discovery gave the author complimentary admission for her family’s visit.
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
We're about to be invaded...
The exhibit is great for ALL ages, even adults!
Harry’s Big Adventure: My Bug World! is "hosted" by Harry, a Chinese praying mantis, and his insect friends. It features live bugs, video, audio, games and more.
Every Saturday and Sunday of the exhibit, we will have special programming which includes a live insect petting zoo, cricket spitting competitions, roach races and a bug chef making tummy-tickling treats with bugs as the main ingredients.
What do you think about bugs?
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