{image1} If somewhere deep inside you lies a mostly suppressed desire to be an 11-year-old kid, fueled by the burning curiosity that only a 5th grade science class can provide, your day is fast approaching.
Whether it was blowing stuff up, dissecting something, or randomly setting things on fire, science class was almost always full of fun and mischief. But now that we're adults, are our science experiment days long gone? Brent Gohde, Promotions Director for WMSE and self-proclaimed science geek extraordinaire, says no.
Having decided one night that kids shouldn't be the only ones having all the fun, Gohde has since formed Cedar Block Production Company with friend Steve Tiber, which then organized "Weird Science," a rock and roll science fair to be held on August 6, from 6 to 10 p.m., at Stella Fortunato (formerly Luckystar Studio).
"It happened in my apartment," says Gohde of the moment the idea came to him. "I made a diorama of a giant, SUV-killing robot for my friend for her birthday. It was fun to make and I believe my exact words were, 'I should make more dioramas. Everyone should make more dioramas. I should have a science fair so that people can make more dioramas.'"
And the rest, as they say, is history, er, science. Ironically, as cool as they are, dioramas were not encouraged as projects for his fair, nor were baking soda volcanoes or any other played-out science fair clichés. Gohde sought out creative, one-of-a-kind experiments to make his science fair a genuinely unique experience.
"I think the fact that it's in an art gallery has encouraged people to be more creative with their projects and not fall into the baking soda volcano trap."
{image2} Gohde held a two-month open call to the public, to which many responded but only fifteen proved to truly be "Weird Science" material.
"Milwaukee is filled with some truly brilliant people who just needed a venue in which they can shine," says Gohde of the many science nerds who've come out of the closet to heed to the unyielding duty of formulation and experiment. "Some of the great questions of our time will be answered at this fair."
The simple criteria were to ask a question, answer it using the scientific method, and then present it in an interesting way. A few of the featured experiments are:
* Do vegans have a sense of humor?
* Do taller gamers experience success more often in Dungeons & Dragons?
* Are dogs capable of complex pattern recognition?
* Are hipsters a separate species?
* Is it possible to tell a man's status by how he wears his pants?
* Scientists or Scientologists: Who's cooler?
In addition to Gohde's slew of mad scientists, the evening of "Weird Science" will also include artwork from Harvey Opgenorth, a new collectable "Weird Science" print from Stella Fortunato, music by Opgenorth's alter ego DJ White Bread and M.Dries, and free beer.
The rock and roll element of the fair comes into play when guests receive their complementary copy of "Are We Not Nerds?," the official soundtrack of "Weird Science," comprised of 12 original songs about science by Milwaukee musicians.
Creator of the best science project will receive a specially crafted piece by Milwaukee sculptor Mark Winter.
Gohde says that despite all the extras, this is still a science fair in the true sense, and he is taking it seriously. "It's just like the science fair you had in grade school, but with much more creative latitude and probably more drinking and music."
Stella Fortunato is located at 207 E. Buffalo St.
Cedar Block's Web site is cedarblock.com
OnMilwaukee.com staff writer Julie Lawrence grew up in Wauwatosa and has lived her whole life in the Milwaukee area.
As any “word nerd” can attest, you never know when inspiration will strike, so from a very early age Julie has rarely been seen sans pen and little notebook. At the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee it seemed only natural that she major in journalism. When OnMilwaukee.com offered her an avenue to combine her writing and the city she knows and loves in late 2004, she knew it was meant to be. Around the office, she answers to a plethora of nicknames, including “Lar,” (short for “Larry,” which is short for “Lawrence”) as well as the mysteriously-sourced “Bill Murray.”
