Morehead Planetarium and Science Center

Teen Science Cafe
2025-05-16 17:30 - 19:00 (America/New_York) | Morehead Planetarium and Science Center, 250 E Franklin St, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, 27516, United States
Teen Science Cafe in January!

Please join us at Morehead Planetarium on Friday, May 16th for a very exciting Teen Science Cafe! We are still waiting to confirm our speaker, but we want to make sure you get this exciting program on your calendar.The Morehead Teen Science Cafe is where learning meets fun in a space-themed setting. Located on the campus of UNC Chapel Hill, Morehead Planetarium and Science Center has a history of training astronauts for moon missions, has a giant dome theater, schedules frequent shows, and so much more.Our monthly cafes include exciting activities, engaging talks from expert speakers, and even free food! Plus, we cover a variety of different topics, ranging from cell biology to deep space galaxies, making it a one-of-a-kind spot for high school students to explore new ideas, interact with each other, and have fun!The right doors up the big stairs will open at 5:30 for pizza and conversation. The cafe will start at 6:00 and wrap up around 7:00ish.

Program Schedule

5:30 pm – Arrive and check in. We will gather inside the west, main entrance of Morehead.

5:30 pm – 6:00 pm: Pizza social. Pizza social will take place in our classrooms, located on the 2nd floor.

6:00 pm – 7:00 pm: Discussion & activities. Trivia will also take place in the Full Dome Theather.

*Please Note: Depending on scheduled activities, the program may end between 7:00 p.m. and 7:15 p.m.

Teen Science Cafe | Science Trivia
2025-09-19 18:00 - 19:30 | Morehead Planetarium and Science Center, 250 E Franklin St, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, 27516, United States
Please join us at Morehead Planetarium and Science Center for the first Teen Science Cafe of the school year! On Friday, September 19, we’ll preview this season’s topics with an exciting game of science trivia. Open to teens ages 13-18, our monthly cafes include exciting activities, engaging talks from expert speakers, and even free food! Plus, we cover a variety of different topics, ranging from cell biology to deep space galaxies, making it a one-of-a-kind spot for high school students to explore new ideas, interact with each other, and have fun!Doors will open at 6:00 pm for pizza and conversation. The cafe will start at 6:30 pm and wrap up around 7:30 pm.

Learn more about Teen Science Cafe

Program Schedule

6:00 pm: Arrive and check in. We will gather inside the west, main entrance of Morehead.

6:00 – 6:30 pm: Pizza social. The pizza social will take place in our classrooms, located on the 2nd floor.

6:30 pm – 7:30 pm: Discussion & activities. Trivia will take place in the Science Stage.

Please Note: Depending on scheduled activities, the program may end between 7:30 p.m. and 7:45 p.m.

Teen Science Cafe: Healing Lahaina
2025-10-24 18:00 - 19:30 | Morehead Planetarium and Science Center, 250 E Franklin St, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, 27516, United States
Please join us at Morehead Planetarium and Science Center for October’s Teen Science Cafe! In this session, we’ll be screening the documentary film Healing Lahaina, which addresses community advocacy and climate resilience through the personal experiences of survivors of Maui’s 2023 wildfires. Open to teens ages 13-18, our monthly cafes include exciting activities, engaging talks from expert speakers, and even free food! Plus, we cover a variety of different topics, ranging from cell biology to deep space galaxies, making it a one-of-a-kind spot for high school students to explore new ideas, interact with each other, and have fun!Doors will open at 6:00 pm for pizza and conversation. The cafe will start at 6:30 pm and wrap up around 7:30 pm.

Learn more about Teen Science Cafe

Program Schedule

6:00 pm: Arrive and check in. We will gather inside the west, main entrance of Morehead.

6:00 – 6:30 pm: Pizza social. The pizza social will take place in our classrooms, located on the 2nd floor.

6:30 pm – 7:30 pm: Discussion & activities. The screening will take place in the Science Stage.

Please Note: Depending on scheduled activities, the program may end between 7:30 p.m. and 7:45 p.m.

Teen Science Cafe: Exoplanet Watch
2025-11-21 18:00 - 19:30 | Morehead Planetarium and Science Center, 250 E Franklin St, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, 27516, United States
Exoplanet Watch with Yashasree Gadipalli

Please join us at Morehead Planetarium and Science Center for November’s Teen Science Cafe! This month, we welcome Yashasree Gadipalli, who will be sharing her work as a citizen scientist with NASA’s Exoplanet Watch project, which uses telescope data to scan for planets outside our solar system.

Open to teens ages 13-18, our monthly cafes include exciting activities, engaging talks from expert speakers, and even free food! Plus, we cover a variety of different topics, ranging from cell biology to deep space galaxies, making it a one-of-a-kind spot for high school students to explore new ideas, interact with each other, and have fun!

Doors will open at 6:00 pm for pizza and conversation. The cafe will start at 6:30 pm and wrap up around 7:30 pm.

Learn more about Teen Science Cafe

About Yashasree

Yashasree Gadipalli is a first-year student at UNC-Chapel Hill studying Astronomy and Data Science. As a participant in Exoplanet Watch, she uses NASA’s EXOTIC software to research the exoplanet TrES-3b and is developing a citizen science program to help students explore and contribute to ongoing astronomy research. As an intern for Cisco, she explored the intersection of AI and data science, which she now applies to her astronomy work. As an affiliate of the World Children’s Parliament, Yashasree is dedicated to making science more accessible to young minds.

Program Schedule

6:00 pm: Arrive and check in. We will gather inside the west, main entrance of Morehead.

6:00 – 6:30 pm: Pizza social. The pizza social will take place in our classrooms, located on the 2nd floor.

6:30 pm – 7:30 pm: Discussion & activities. Trivia will take place in the Science Stage.

Please Note: Depending on scheduled activities, the program may end between 7:30 p.m. and 7:45 p.m.

Teen Science Cafe: Neuronal Resilience
2025-12-19 18:00 - 19:30 | Morehead Planetarium and Science Center, 250 E Franklin St, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, 27516, United States
Neuronal Resilience with Dr. Mohanish Deshmukh

Please join us at Morehead Planetarium and Science Center for December’s Teen Science Cafe! This month, we welcome Dr. Mohanish Deshmukh, Ph.D, who will be sharing his work on how different types of cells control apoptosis (regulated cell death) and how this relates to the treatment and prevention of neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s.

Open to teens ages 13-18, our monthly cafes include exciting activities, engaging talks from expert speakers, and even free food! Plus, we cover a variety of different topics, ranging from cell biology to deep space galaxies, making it a one-of-a-kind spot for high school students to explore new ideas, interact with each other, and have fun!Doors will open at 6:00 pm for pizza and conversation. The cafe will start at 6:30 pm and wrap up around 7:30 pm.

Learn more about Teen Science Cafe

About Dr. Deshmukh

Mohanish Deshmukh, Ph.D. is a William R. Kenan, Jr. Distinguished Professor of Cell Biology & Physiology and the Neuroscience Center at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. Mohanish received his PhD from Carnegie Mellon University, conducted his postdoctoral research at Washington University and joined UNC as an Assistant Professor in 2000.

Mohanish’s lab studies the programmed mechanisms by which neurons survive and die. His lab also focuses on understanding neurodevelopmental disorders as well as developing therapeutic strategies for preventing neurodegeneration in Alzheimer’s disease.

Mohanish received the Burroughs-Wellcome New Investigator Award in 2001. At UNC, Mohanish was recognized with the Teaching Excellence Award (2004) and the Mentor of the Year Award (2012). He is currently the Co-Director of the UNC MD/PhD program. His lab’s research has been funded by the National Institutes of Health.

Program Schedule

6:00 pm: Arrive and check in. We will gather inside the west, main entrance of Morehead.

6:00 – 6:30 pm: Pizza social. The pizza social will take place in our classrooms, located on the 2nd floor.

6:30 pm – 7:30 pm: Discussion & activities. Trivia will take place in the Science Stage.

Please Note: Depending on scheduled activities, the program may end between 7:30 p.m. and 7:45 p.m.

Teen Science Cafe: Food & Microbiomes
2026-01-30 18:00 - 19:30 | Morehead Planetarium and Science Center, 250 E Franklin St, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, 27516, United States
Food & Microbiomes with Dr. Erin McKenney

Please join us at Morehead Planetarium and Science Center for January’s Teen Science Cafe! This month, we welcome Dr. Erin McKenney, who will be sharing her work on food and gut microbiomes in both animals and humans.

Open to teens ages 13-18, our monthly cafes include exciting activities, engaging talks from expert speakers, and even free food! Plus, we cover a variety of different topics, ranging from cell biology to deep space galaxies, making it a one-of-a-kind spot for high school students to explore new ideas, interact with each other, and have fun!Doors will open at 6:00 pm for pizza and conversation. The cafe will start at 6:30 pm and wrap up around 7:30 pm.

Learn more about Teen Science Cafe

About Dr. McKenney

Dr. Erin McKenney is an assistant professor and Director of Undergraduate Programs at North Carolina State University. She studies how microbial communities form over time and how they adapt to their environments. Her research incorporates microbial ecology, nutrition, and comparative gut morphology to learn how gut microbes affect health – and how humans can leverage or upset that balance. For over a decade, Dr. McKenney has investigated evolutionary adaptation across different scales and species, between non-human primates and carnivores and their gut microbes. More recently, she has expanded her research to sourdough and other fermented foods that can be studied without laboratory equipment, using citizen science research to empower students of all ages and all over the world.

Program Schedule

6:00 pm: Arrive and check in. We will gather inside the west, main entrance of Morehead.

6:00 – 6:30 pm: Pizza social. The pizza social will take place in our classrooms, located on the 2nd floor.

6:30 pm – 7:30 pm: Discussion & activities. Trivia will take place in the Science Stage.

Please Note: Depending on scheduled activities, the program may end between 7:30 p.m. and 7:45 p.m.

Teen Science Cafe: AI Applications
2026-02-20 18:00 - 19:30 | Morehead Planetarium and Science Center, 250 E Franklin St, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, 27516, United States
Please join us at Morehead Planetarium and Science Center for February’s Teen Science Cafe! In this session, we’ll be discussing AI applications. Stay tuned for more information on this month’s speaker!Open to teens ages 13-18, our monthly cafes include exciting activities, engaging talks from expert speakers, and even free food! Plus, we cover a variety of different topics, ranging from cell biology to deep space galaxies, making it a one-of-a-kind spot for high school students to explore new ideas, interact with each other, and have fun!Doors will open at 6:00 pm for pizza and conversation. The cafe will start at 6:30 pm and wrap up around 7:30 pm.

Learn more about Teen Science Cafe

Program Schedule

6:00 pm: Arrive and check in. We will gather inside the west, main entrance of Morehead.

6:00 – 6:30 pm: Pizza social. The pizza social will take place in our classrooms, located on the 2nd floor.

6:30 pm – 7:30 pm: Discussion & activities. Trivia will take place in the Science Stage.

Please Note: Depending on scheduled activities, the program may end between 7:30 p.m. and 7:45 p.m.

Carolina Science Cafe: Songbirds
2026-03-03 18:00 - 19:00 | Haw River Tap & Table, 300 E Main St C, Carrboro, NC, 27510, United States
Access to mates biased by parental favoritism in songbirds

In songbirds, the morphology of the vocal tract predicts song performance, and song performance affects access to mates. This, in turn, raises the question as to what causes this vocal-tract morphological variation. In March’s Carolina Science Cafe, Dr. Keith Sockman will discuss the recent analyses from his laboratory’s 20-year dataset on wild, free-ranging Lincoln’s sparrows at our montane field site in Colorado, which have revealed developmental constraints on the vocal tract, driven in part by parental favoritism toward some nestlings over their sibling nestmates.

Designed for adults, Carolina Science Cafe is a free program that explores science topics making national and international headlines, offering the chance to meet the experts behind the work. This special program is hosted at Haw River Tap & Table in Carrboro on the first Tuesday of every month. Light appetizers are available for all attendees.

About the Speaker

Dr. Keith Sockman earned a PhD in Zoology in 2000 at Washington State University, studying reproductive flexibility in American kestrels. His postdoctoral work at The Johns Hopkins University focused on the neurobiology of mate choice and reproductive timing in songbirds. His initial appointment in the Department of Biology at UNC Chapel Hill was in 2004, at which point he started a long-term study on the behavioral ecology and reproductive decisions of wild songbirds. He enjoys cycling, camping, and spending time with his two teenagers.

See Dr. Sockman’s work

Carolina Science Cafe is produced by Morehead Planetarium and Science Center and sponsored by the UNC Chapter of Sigma Xi.

You do not need to register…just show up!

Teen Science Cafe: Visualizing Space
2026-03-20 18:00 - 19:30 | Morehead Planetarium and Science Center, 250 E Franklin St, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, 27516, United States
Please join us at Morehead Planetarium and Science Center for March’s Teen Science Cafe! In this session, we’ll be discussing AI applications. Stay tuned for more information on this month’s speaker!Open to teens ages 13-18, our monthly cafes include exciting activities, engaging talks from expert speakers, and even free food! Plus, we cover a variety of different topics, ranging from cell biology to deep space galaxies, making it a one-of-a-kind spot for high school students to explore new ideas, interact with each other, and have fun!Doors will open at 6:00 pm for pizza and conversation. The cafe will start at 6:30 pm and wrap up around 7:30 pm.

Learn more about Teen Science Cafe

Program Schedule

6:00 pm: Arrive and check in. We will gather inside the west, main entrance of Morehead.

6:00 – 6:30 pm: Pizza social. The pizza social will take place in our classrooms, located on the 2nd floor.

6:30 pm – 7:30 pm: Discussion & activities. Trivia will take place in the Science Stage.

Please Note: Depending on scheduled activities, the program may end between 7:30 p.m. and 7:45 p.m.

Teen Science Cafe: Hollywood Science
2026-04-24 18:00 - 19:30 | Morehead Planetarium and Science Center, 250 E Franklin St, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, 27516, United States
Please join us at Morehead Planetarium and Science Center for April’s Teen Science Cafe! In this session, we’ll be discussing Hollywood science. Stay tuned for more information on this month’s speaker!Open to teens ages 13-18, our monthly cafes include exciting activities, engaging talks from expert speakers, and even free food! Plus, we cover a variety of different topics, ranging from cell biology to deep space galaxies, making it a one-of-a-kind spot for high school students to explore new ideas, interact with each other, and have fun!Doors will open at 6:00 pm for pizza and conversation. The cafe will start at 6:30 pm and wrap up around 7:30 pm.

Learn more about Teen Science Cafe

Program Schedule

6:00 pm: Arrive and check in. We will gather inside the west, main entrance of Morehead.

6:00 – 6:30 pm: Pizza social. The pizza social will take place in our classrooms, located on the 2nd floor.

6:30 pm – 7:30 pm: Discussion & activities. Trivia will take place in the Science Stage.

Please Note: Depending on scheduled activities, the program may end between 7:30 p.m. and 7:45 p.m.

Teen Science Cafe: Plants
2026-05-15 08:00 - 17:00 | Morehead Planetarium and Science Center, 250 E Franklin St, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, 27516, United States
Please join us at Morehead Planetarium and Science Center for May’s Teen Science Cafe! In this session, we’ll be discussing plants. Stay tuned for more information on this month’s speaker!Open to teens ages 13-18, our monthly cafes include exciting activities, engaging talks from expert speakers, and even free food! Plus, we cover a variety of different topics, ranging from cell biology to deep space galaxies, making it a one-of-a-kind spot for high school students to explore new ideas, interact with each other, and have fun!Doors will open at 6:00 pm for pizza and conversation. The cafe will start at 6:30 pm and wrap up around 7:30 pm.

Learn more about Teen Science Cafe

Program Schedule

6:00 pm: Arrive and check in. We will gather inside the west, main entrance of Morehead.

6:00 – 6:30 pm: Pizza social. The pizza social will take place in our classrooms, located on the 2nd floor.

6:30 pm – 7:30 pm: Discussion & activities. Trivia will take place in the Science Stage.

Please Note: Depending on scheduled activities, the program may end between 7:30 p.m. and 7:45 p.m.
