Machines are the focus of this year’s engineering celebration! Interact with all kinds of machines, from Rube Goldberg-style motion sequences to robotic garbage cans and soccer feet to the wildest machine of all–Theo Jansen’s Strandbeest. Strandbeest is a skeletal structure that’s propelled forward by a bit of wind and a lot of structural ingenuity.

You can also join The Great Take-Apart, where we see what's inside common machines that make them work, plus an Egg Drop Challenge, a Boat Buoyancy station, and more engineering fun throughout LSC!

Highlights include:

Strandbeest

Feb. 20 - 23

Theo Jansen is engaged in creating new forms of life: the so-called Strandbeests. Skeletons made from yellow plastic tubes (Dutch electricity pipe) are able to walk and get their energy from wind.

Questionable Engineering

Feb. 15 - 16

Questionable Engineering is a non-profit, community-based FIRST Robotics Competition team based in Jersey City, New Jersey. The team consists of high school-age students from all over Hudson County, representing 9 towns and 6 high schools across the county. The team fosters teamwork, collaboration, and dedication. This student-driven team aims to make one great FRC robot and having robotics accessible to everyone.

Rube Goldberg Machines with Zach's Contraptions

Feb. 15 - 16

Prepare to be inspired as Zach Umperovitch brings the magic of Rube Goldberg machines to life through engaging, hands-on building sessions designed to unlock the wonders of creativity, problem-solving, failure, and innovation.

Feb. 17 - 19 schedule at a glance

Egg-Drop Challenge

• Craft a protective contraption with limited supplies to safeguard an egg dropped from a height of 20 feet. This exciting challenge promises to explore the realms of engineering strength. Discover whether your egg triumphs over the fall or succumbs to a spectacular splat. Wonder Why (3rd Floor)

The Great Take Apart

• Electronics are filled with gizmos of all kinds that work together to make them function. Take apart old electronics and identify as many components as you can. Rip into computers, printers, and typewriters to see what's inside and determine what makes these gadgets work. Microbes Rule! (3rd Floor)

Engineered to Survive - Animal Presentations

• Witness firsthand the remarkable strategies and structures nature has designed to ensure survival. Enter the realm where biology meets engineering, offering an unforgettable exploration of the incredible adaptations that allow animals to thrive in the wild. Wild About Animals (3rd Floor)

Boat Buoyancy Challenge

• What makes boats float? Learn about buoyancy as you challenge yourself to create a boat that can withstand most weight. To be held in Our Hudson Home Lab (4th Floor).

James Webb Space Telescope

• Explore the advanced engineering and experience immersive images captured by this revolutionary tool for space exploration. The James Webb Space Telescope launched in December of 2021 and since then has revolutionized our understanding of the universe. Join us as we explore how it all works, from how it unfolded in space to how it observes parts of the universe invisible to our eyes. Jennifer Chalsty Planetarium (2nd Floor).

Special Visitors

You can meet more groups that share our love of all things engineering, including:

• The American Society of Civil Engineers
• MHT Technologies
• Watts NXT 7350 robotics team from Edison, NJ
• NJIT's Quantum Physics Group
• Civil Air Patrol