Morehead Planetarium and Science Center

From Earth to the Universe
2026-04-25 12:00 - 13:00, 2026-04-11 12:00 - 13:00 (America/New_York)

Magic Tree House Space Mission
2026-04-25 10:30 - 11:30, 2026-04-18 10:30 - 11:30, 2026-04-11 10:30 - 11:30

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
Hollywood Science with Dr. Alper Bozkurt

Please join us at Morehead Planetarium and Science Center for April’s Teen Science Cafe! In this interactive session, Dr. Alper Bozkurt will share his firsthand experiences at the intersection of science and storytelling. From consulting on Disney films to collaborating with creatives behind movies, documentaries, and games, he has seen how science inspires Hollywood and how Hollywood, in turn, inspires real scientific breakthroughs.

This talk will take you behind the scenes of:

Interactions with studios like The Walt Disney Company and Pixar

Collaborations with Oscar-winning or nominated actors and filmmakers

Visits to Hollywood studios and creative environments

How ideas from science shape Xbox and PlayStation games

If you are curious about the future of technology, storytelling, and imagination, this is your chance to see how your interests can come together in unexpected ways.

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. Bozkurt

Prof. Alper Bozkurt joins us from the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at NC State University where he holds an associated appointment at UNC-NCSU Joint Department of Biomedical Engineering. He is the director of the Integrated Bionic MicroSystem (iBionicS) Lab and co-director for National Science Foundation Nanosystems Engineering Research Center for Advanced Self-Powered Systems of Integrated Sensors and Technologies (ASSIST) and NC State Institute of Connected Sensor Systems (IConS).

Alper Bozkurt is the McPherson Family Distinguished Professor in Engineering Entrepreneurship at NC State University. At iBionicS Lab, he builds technologies that connect electronics with living systems, from insects to plants, from animals to humans. He received his PhD in electrical engineering from Cornell University and his MSc in biomedical engineering from Drexel University. His work has been featured by major media outlets and earned him a spot on Popular Science’s “Brilliant 10” list. His research achievements on the Internet of Bionic Things have been covered by several media agencies, including BBC, CNN, National Geographic, Discovery Channel, Science Channel, Newsweek, and Reuters.

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.

One Sky, Many Eyes
2026-04-24 16:30 - 17:30, 2026-04-17 16:30 - 17:30, 2026-04-10 16:30 - 17:30

Messengers of Time & Space
2026-04-24 15:00 - 16:00, 2026-04-17 15:00 - 16:00, 2026-04-10 15:00 - 16:00

Carolina Skies
2026-04-19 16:30 - 17:30, 2026-04-18 16:30 - 17:30, 2026-04-12 16:30 - 17:30, 2026-04-11 16:30 - 17:30, 2026-04-05 16:30 - 17:30

Supermassive Black Holes
2026-04-19 15:00 - 16:00, 2026-04-12 15:00 - 16:00, 2026-04-05 15:00 - 16:00

We Are Stars
2026-04-19 13:30 - 14:30, 2026-04-12 13:30 - 14:30, 2026-04-05 13:30 - 14:30

Mars: The Ultimate Voyage
2026-04-18 15:00 - 16:00, 2026-04-11 15:00 - 16:00

Astronaut
2026-04-18 13:30 - 14:30, 2026-04-11 13:30 - 14:30

Cosmic Colors
2026-04-18 12:00 - 13:00

UNC Science Expo
2026-04-11 11:00 - 16:00 | Morehead Planetarium and Science Center, 250 E Franklin St, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, 27516, United States
Join us for one of the biggest science celebrations in the state!

Every year, Morehead Planetarium and Science Center hosts a day of science learning and fun for our community in partnership with UNC-Chapel Hill faculty, students, and staff.

The UNC Science Expo is a signature event of the annual North Carolina Science Festival and one of the biggest celebrations of science in the state. More than 100 booths staffed by UNC-Chapel Hill students, researchers, practitioners, and community volunteers fill the quads surrounding Morehead Planetarium and Science Center. From hands-on activities and games to science demonstrations and behind-the-scenes lab tours, the UNC Science Expo makes learning about science fun and engaging for people of all ages.

Spot, an agile mobile robot from Boston Dynamics, wows the crowd at Morehead Planetarium and Science Center as part of the UNC Science Expo on Saturday, April 6, 2024.

Learn More About the UNC Science Expo

UNC Science Expo Parking

If you are attending the UNC Science Expo and plan to drive, please allow extra time for parking due to limited options caused by the Expo and other events in Chapel Hill. Please note that the parking lot in front of Morehead Planetarium and Science Center (250 E Franklin Street) will be closed on April 11.

For campus parking options, please visit maps.unc.edu/parking/. Parking is also available in town lots and on the street, but public parking fees may apply. For more information about Town of Chapel Hill parking options, visit parkonthehill.com.

Accessible parking will be available on a first-come, first-served basis in the Old East lot, located on E Cameron Ave between the New East and Old East buildings. A drop-off zone will be available at the Morehead lot throughout the event.

Carolina Science Cafe: Science Under Pressure
2026-04-07 18:00 - 19:00 | Haw River Tap & Table, 300 E Main St C, Carrboro, NC, 27510, United States
(Megan Mendenhall / Office of Research Communications)

Science Under Pressure: What’s at Stake for Research at Carolina

UNC-Chapel Hill generates over $1 billion in research annually with discoveries that shape medicine, technology, and public health across North Carolina and beyond. However, the federal landscape that funds this work is shifting fast. Join UNC’s Vice Chancellor for Research, Dr. Penny Gordon-Larsen, for an inside look at what Carolina scientists are building, what’s at stake in Washington, and why it matters to all of us.

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

Penny Gordon-Larsen, PhD, Vice Chancellor for Research and William R. Kenan, Jr. Distinguished Professor in Nutrition

(Megan Mendenhall / Office of Research Communications)

As vice chancellor for research, Gordon-Larsen develops, sets strategic direction, and provides support for UNC’s $1.5 billion research enterprise. She is responsible for research infrastructure, operations, and regulatory compliance, research development, translation, and communications, as well as strategic research partnerships. In addition, she oversees 13 pan-campus, interdisciplinary research centers and institutes. She works across campus with the University’s research deans, center/ institute directors, and key institutional leaders to strategically advance Carolina’s research enterprise. She is an obesity researcher and has served as principal investigator on research projects totaling over $23.6 million and has served as a co-investigator on an additional $49.1M interdisciplinary research team projects with collaborators. Her NIH-funded research portfolio ranges from molecular and genetic to environmental and societal-level factors that influence health and obesity and its cardiometabolic consequences.

Gordon-Larsen served as president of The Obesity Society in 2015 and a member of the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases Advisory Council from 2020 to 2023. She also served on the 2020–2030 Strategic Plan for NIH Nutrition Research Thought Leaders Panel, the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases Strategic Plan Working Group, and the NIH Behavioral and Social Sciences Research Integration Working Group. She is on the Executive Committees for Research of the Association of American Universities and the Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities and is currently serving on the Joint Associations Group (JAG) on Indirect Costs, a coalition of national organizations representing academic, medical, and independent research institutions.

More about UNC Research

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!
