Live Science

See science in action

Science comes to life in demonstrations offered live in our exhibition galleries. Audiences will have the chance to participate and ask questions of one of our science educators. Check at the Welcome Desk when you arrive to find out what we're offering each day.

Here are some of the programs you might encounter in each gallery:

Skyscraper! Achievement and Impact

Surveying
Could you measure the height of the Empire State Building with a ruler? Could you estimate the length of the Golden Gate Bridge with a chain? Have you ever measured a backyard with a satellite? Learn to become an amateur surveyor as you use actual surveying equipment, both historic and modern, to understand the evolution of this ancient science. Discover how a little math goes a long way as simple angles and lines come together to form the world’s tallest buildings.

Infection Connection

Water Filtration
Most of us enjoy a safe and abundant supply of drinking water, but in many parts of the world, the water supply is contaminated and the source of illness for millions of people. Learn about the many contaminants that can be found in drinking water, precautions we should take when drinking untreated water, and the many water treatment methods that have been developed to ensure that the water we drink is healthy.

Be A Surgeon
The world around us is teeming with microbes, and when they gain access to the human body, they can wreak havoc. To prevent this, it is critical to maintain a sterile field in the operating room. Perform live surgery (on a “vegetative” patient) while learning all the steps required to create a sterile environment in the operating room.

Our Hudson Home

Floating Water: Exploring the Salt Wedge
“Dive” into the salt wedge! This cart-based interactive demonstration will delve in the salt wedge and explore one part of our Hudson River home. Participants will learn about density and salinity and get a close a look at the tools used to collect and test water samples!

Governors Hall

Sub Zero
Explore the four states of matter (solid, liquid, gas and plasma). Using super-cold liquid nitrogen, common household items and audience volunteers, Liberty Science Center educators demonstrate how and why things change from solid to liquid to gas. You will develop a better sense of the physical world around you through this “really cool” exploration of matter.

Jennifer A. Chalsty Center's Interactive Theater

Talking Lasers
Lasers are something most people are fascinated by but few people understand. Experience first hand how lasers work and discover some of the ways lasers are used around us every day. You'll use fiber optics to complete a laser circuit and even get a chance to use a laser barcode scanner.