ORLANDO, Fla. â The Orlando Science Center is kicking off the summer with a messy event. The event named âMess Festâ is fitting.
The event is all about the gooiest, slimiest, messiest science experiments you can imagine.
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Parents, listen up! Youâll definitely want your kids to get some place other than your home this sticky and messy.
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Youâve probably tried the Mentos and soda experiment before, but the Orlando Science Center demonstrates the reaction on a larger scale. Using several bottles and sticks of Mentos, soda goes bursting several feet in the air.
âA lot of people assume itâs chemistry, but itâs actually a physical change. The carbon dioxide that makes up the carbonation in soda gets trapped in the tiny ridges of the Mentos. Theyâre called nuclation sites,â Public Program Manager Spencer Jones said. âIn doing so, offering so much surface area on a Mentos, all those bubbles build up all the pressure and it releases outwards.â
The Orlando Science Center is bringing back one of its most popular events, Mess Fest. Itâs anything but clean science. The last event was held in 2019, before COVID-19 caused the pandemic that canceled many events.
âWe have foam, Diet Coke, paint, slime,â Jones said. âBy the end of the day, Iâll be covered in all kinds of stuff.â
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One of the activities causes an explosion of soap foam.
âIt relates to temperature difference, really. The extreme temperature difference between boiling water and liquid nitrogen,â Jones said.
Boiling water and dish soap are put into a bucket then liquid nitrogen is added before it blows.
âThereâs a 500 degree temperature difference between the two things. When we mix them together the attempts to neutralize that temperature is explosive. It releases all that energy and all that pressure upwards and outwards,â Jones said.
Mess Fest is all hands-on experiments, activities and shows. Itâs all about learning the science behind, sometimes accidental, messes. Visitors also get to create their own slime to take home. Whatâs the science behind slime?
âItâs the right amount of Borax to water ratio,â science program interpreter Alyssa Flores said. âBorax is a cleaning agent, most often used in laundry or rest room cleaner. Itâs going to act as an activating agent for the glue. It stiffens it.â
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Experiments will take place inside the building and outside. Visitors are encouraged to wear clothes they donât mind getting a bit messy with foam, blue and soda.
The âmess-tivitiesâ include:
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Slip into the Mess Hall and learn about the science behind our favorite messy activities with spin art, Alka seltzer painting, and more
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Meet some creative local artists and makers who have turned being messy into a profession
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Youâll have a blast learning about the science of suds with foam-splosions on the terrace
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Flip out during WeFlip Entertainmentâs incredible acrobatic show
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Our littlest learners are invited to join Messy Science StoryTime and MiniMaker Workshops in KidsTown
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Create your own custom slime in Dr. Dareâs Lab
âMaking a mess requires you to take risks, to do different things and problem solve. It involves all the same skills you need for science,â Jones said.
The Orlando Science Center will be hosting Mess Fest on May 14 and 15.
Itâs not a separate ticketed event, so youâll just need to purchase a general admission ticket to the Orlando Science Center. The event is open to all ages.
This event is FREE for members, $21 for adults, $19 for seniors and students, and $15 for youth (ages 2 â 11).
SCIENCE FOR ALL â General Admission Access Program: If you have an Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) or WIC card with a State-issued photo ID matching the name and state as the card, you qualify for a $3 admission per person for up to six individuals.
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