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Innovation and inspiration for kids at Philadelphia Science Festival

  • Visitors wait in line to enter Pennovation Center at Forgotten Bottom. The site is one of 18 that opened its doors to the public for the Philadelphia Science Festival on Sunday.

    Visitors wait in line to enter Pennovation Center at Forgotten Bottom. The site is one of 18 that opened its doors to the public for the Philadelphia Science Festival on Sunday. (Bastiaan Slabbers for WHYY)

  • At Pennovation Center, Monroe Kennedy explains the functionality of a humanoid robot.

    At Pennovation Center, Monroe Kennedy explains the functionality of a humanoid robot. (Bastiaan Slabbers for WHYY)

  • Aspiring scientists learn about the inner workings of robots, their functionality, and how to program them, at the Pennovation Center.

    Aspiring scientists learn about the inner workings of robots, their functionality, and how to program them, at the Pennovation Center. (Bastiaan Slabbers for WHYY)

  • Aspiring scientists learn about the inner workings of robots, their functionality, and how to program them, at the Pennovation Center.

    Aspiring scientists learn about the inner workings of robots, their functionality, and how to program them, at the Pennovation Center. (Bastiaan Slabbers for WHYY)

  • At Pennovation Center, Sonny Viscelli, 5, and his dad, Steve, work on a bee-shaped TrashBot, made of items found in the trash.

    At Pennovation Center, Sonny Viscelli, 5, and his dad, Steve, work on a bee-shaped TrashBot, made of items found in the trash. (Bastiaan Slabbers for WHYY)

  • In the Apothecary Room at Pennsylvania Hospital, Donah Beala shows items from her collection of antique medical tools.

    In the Apothecary Room at Pennsylvania Hospital, Donah Beala shows items from her collection of antique medical tools. (Bastiaan Slabbers for WHYY)

  • Katie Rowlett works on a puzzle inspired by innovator Richard Buckminster Fuller at Microsoft Reactor at the University City Science Center.

    Katie Rowlett works on a puzzle inspired by innovator Richard Buckminster Fuller at Microsoft Reactor at the University City Science Center. (Bastiaan Slabbers for WHYY)

  • At the University City Science Center, a hands-on introduction is given to Stephanie Kwolek, a chemist who invented Kevlar.

    At the University City Science Center, a hands-on introduction is given to Stephanie Kwolek, a chemist who invented Kevlar. (Bastiaan Slabbers for WHYY)

  • August Clayton, 5, builds a geodesic dome, a shape popularized by innovator Richard Buckminster Fuller.

    August Clayton, 5, builds a geodesic dome, a shape popularized by innovator Richard Buckminster Fuller. (Bastiaan Slabbers for WHYY)

  • August Clayton, 5, builds a geodesic dome, a shape popularized by innovator Richard Buckminster Fuller.

    August Clayton, 5, builds a geodesic dome, a shape popularized by innovator Richard Buckminster Fuller. (Bastiaan Slabbers for WHYY)

  • At the Artifact Lab of Penn Museum, Moly Gleesen tells visitors about the the work of a conservator.

    At the Artifact Lab of Penn Museum, Moly Gleesen tells visitors about the the work of a conservator. (Bastiaan Slabbers for WHYY)

  • Julia Commander, an intern at the Artifact Lab of Penn Museum, shows JiaJing Zhang how papyrus looks through a microscope.

    Julia Commander, an intern at the Artifact Lab of Penn Museum, shows JiaJing Zhang how papyrus looks through a microscope. (Bastiaan Slabbers for WHYY)

  • At Penn Museum, young conservators learn how to use museum wax to put together broken ancient pottery without being invasive.

    At Penn Museum, young conservators learn how to use museum wax to put together broken ancient pottery without being invasive. (Bastiaan Slabbers for WHYY)

When you are young, the science bug might bite you at any time. For a young boy named Sonny Viscelli, it happened during a visit to the Tinker Lab at the Philadelphia Science Festival on Saturday. There he was so inspired to learn all about robotics that he and his family returned to the festival a day later.

On Sunday, Sonny and his father, Steve, were found at Pennovation Center. Here they worked hard on a bee-shaped robot made of items found in the trash — or a “trash bot,” for short.

The brand-new Pennovation Center opened its doors to the public for the first time for the Philadelphia Science Festival, which runs through April 29. Located in a part of town known as Forgotten Bottom on a bend of the Schuylkill River, the old converted paint factory offers a glimpse into what the future of innovative design could bring.

The space holds collaborative workspaces for Penn students and space for tech start-ups (of mostly Penn graduates), all under one roof. Some of the studios are equipped with garage doors to remind the occupants that high-tech start ups like HP and Apple got started in garages.

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The Pennovation Center was one of 18 locations last weekend where children could be scientists for a day.

At the Microsoft Reactor at the University City Science Center, visitors got a hands-on introduction to the work of innovators like inventor Richard Buckminster Fuller and chemist Stephanie Kwolek. At this site, stations were set up where a young innovator could construct a geodesic dome or solve puzzles.

A geodesic dome, you ask? It is the most efficient structure in human history, utilizing the maximum amount of space with the minimum amount of materials, explained David Clayton, director of the FirstHand program at the University City Science Center. His 5-year-old son, August, manufactured one of those domes from the materials provided in no time.

The festival also offers glimpses into the past. At Pennsylvania Hospital on Spruce Street, founded in 1751 by Benjamin Franklin, Donah Beala presides over a collection of old surgical equipment. Wearing a period costume, she teaches visitors about the potentially horrific tools used by doctors in the 18th and 19th centuries.

The Science Festival continues through the week and culminates on Saturday, April 29, with a five-hour carnival at Penn’s Landing. A schedule of events can be found at the Philadelphia Science Festival website.

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