5 Years of Science Fun: 2015 Bay Area Science Festival Draws its Largest Crowd
The Bay Area Science Festival has grown in just five years to become the region’s largest science education event, with two weeks of exhibitions, talks and parties all dedicated to celebrating the wonders of science.
The festival capped off with Discovery Day at AT&T Park on Nov. 7, drawing a record crowd of 33,000 people. Participants watched robots in action, did colorful chemistry experiments, and learned about the human brain by touching a real specimen.
A centerpiece of the event was UC San Francisco’s Amputee Comprehensive Training (ACT) program, which invited amputee patients down to the field for their annual evaluations. Event participants learned about prosthetics by watching how they move and trying on prosthetic arms to feel how they work.
The festival is organized by the Science & Health Education Partnership at UCSF, which supports quality science education for K-12 students. This year, more than 500 faculty, staff and students volunteered their time for the Discovery Day event.
Families enjoy the sunny weather on the field of AT&T Park during the Discovery Day event on Nov. 7. Photo by Gamma Nine Photography
![A child is holding bugs at the Bay Area Science Festival’s Discovery Day at AT&T Park](/sites/default/files/styles/gallery_2x/public/BASF-2015-Bugs.jpg)
Scenes from the Bay Area Science Festival’s Discovery Day at AT&T Park on Nov. 7. Photos by Gamma Nine Photography
![kids try to hold a ping pong ball with prosthetic arm](/sites/default/files/styles/gallery_2x/public/BASF-2015-Arm.jpg)
Scenes from the Bay Area Science Festival’s Discovery Day at AT&T Park on Nov. 7. Photos by Gamma Nine Photography
![a girl looking through the magnifying glass](/sites/default/files/styles/gallery_2x/public/BASF-2015-Smoke.jpg)
Scenes from the Bay Area Science Festival’s Discovery Day at AT&T Park on Nov. 7. Photos by Gamma Nine Photography
![A girl in the midair as she participates in the long jump competition](/sites/default/files/styles/gallery_2x/public/BASF-2015-Jump.jpg)
Scenes from the Bay Area Science Festival’s Discovery Day at AT&T Park on Nov. 7. Photos by Gamma Nine Photography
![A group of kids making a Banana Fruit battery](/sites/default/files/styles/gallery_2x/public/BASF-2015-Bananas.jpg)
Scenes from the Bay Area Science Festival’s Discovery Day at AT&T Park on Nov. 7. Photos by Gamma Nine Photography
![A boy examines human brain replica](/sites/default/files/styles/gallery_2x/public/BASF-2015-Brain.jpg)
Scenes from the Bay Area Science Festival’s Discovery Day at AT&T Park on Nov. 7. Photos by Gamma Nine Photography
![Kids are watching the presentation about electricity at the Bay Area Science Festival’s Discovery Day](/sites/default/files/styles/gallery_2x/public/BASF-2015-Electricity.jpg)
Scenes from the Bay Area Science Festival’s Discovery Day at AT&T Park on Nov. 7. Photos by Gamma Nine Photography
![Children in lab coats and goggles conduct experiments](/sites/default/files/styles/gallery_2x/public/BASF-2015-Goggles.jpg)
Scenes from the Bay Area Science Festival’s Discovery Day at AT&T Park on Nov. 7. Photos by Gamma Nine Photography
![Child holding an earthworm](/sites/default/files/styles/gallery_2x/public/BASF-2015-Worm.jpg)
Scenes from the Bay Area Science Festival’s Discovery Day at AT&T Park on Nov. 7. Photos by Gamma Nine Photography