Frankenstein Comes to Life Jan. 20 at Adventure Science Center

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein is currently celebrating its 200th anniversary. To celebrate, Adventure Science Center, in partnership with the National Science Foundation and Arizona State University, will present Frankenstein Day 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Jan. 20, to engage audiences in using their creativity, exploring current and emerging topics in science and technology, and considering what it means to be a responsible innovator.

Frankenstein Day will include exciting maker activities related to robotics, genetic engineering, and electricity. By teaching a robot how to draw, experimenting with simple machines, or even bringing their own “creature” to life, guests will confront the same questions and ideas that bedeviled the fictional Victor Frankenstein on a dark and stormy night two centuries ago. These activities are designed to provide today’s science learners with important tools for exploration, discovery, and critical thinking. 

Frankenstein Day is part of the nationwide Frankenstein200 project, led by Arizona State University and distributed in collaboration with the National Informal STEM Education Network. Throughout 2018, events like those hosted by ASC will be paired with an interactive digital narrative and a set of at-home maker activities that reimagine Frankenstein for 21st-century audiences.

More information can be found at www.AdventureSci.org and www.Frankenstein200.org.

About Adventure Science Center

For more than 70 years, Adventure Science Center has been bringing science to life for students, teachers and families in Middle Tennessee and across the U.S.  The Science Center offers engaging learning experiences and science fun through hands-on, interactive exhibits; innovative programs; and fulldome productions in state-of-the-art Sudekum Planetarium. Adventure Science Center strives to open every mind to the wonders of science and technology, fostering a better understanding of ourselves and the world around us.

Adventure Science Center is located at 800 Fort Negley Blvd. in Nashville.

For more information about the event, visit www.AdventureSci.org/calendar or call Alexis McCoy, director of marketing and communications, at 615-669-5094.

About Frankenstein200

Frankenstein200 is a national research project led by Arizona State University and funded by the National Science Foundation that uses Mary Shelley’s enduring tale of creation and responsibility to foster interest in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) in informal settings. Through an original digital narrative, hands-on activities at 51 museums and science centers nationwide, and the expertise of a community of makers, tinkerers, and citizen scientists from around the globe, Frankenstein200 is an integrated transmedia experience designed to inspire deeper understanding, ability, and engagement with science-in-society topics. Learn more at www.Frankenstein200.org.

About Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein

Through classic movies, a Halloween costumes, comic book adaptations, or breakfast cereals, Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein; or the Modern Prometheus has endured in the popular imagination for two hundred years. The idea for the novel was sparked by a ghost story competition among famous authors in 1816, when Shelley was just 18 years old. Published on January 1, 1818, the thrilling tale of Victor Frankenstein and his stitched-together creature has never been out of print, and is currently the most-assigned novel in university courses. Its themes of innovation and its consequences remain relevant in our technological age, as we grapple with the effects of stunning advances in medicine, computing, and engineering. 

The National Informal STEM Education Network (NISE Net) is a community of informal educators and scientists dedicated to supporting learning about science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) across the United States. For more information about NISE Net and to download a digital Frankenstein200 kit please visit nisenet.org.

This project was supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant Number 1516684. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Foundation. Learn more at www.nsf.gov.

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