Calling all particle physicists, designers, open source ninjas, molecular biologists, students, programmers, and rocket scientists to join forces at Science Hack Day Houston 2016, hosted by the Houston Museum of Natural Science!

Science Hack Day Houston is an overnight marathon event from April 2 to 3, open to anyone excited about making things through science. Join us to make, “hack” or invent cool things in an inspiring environment. All it takes is dedication and an insatiable curiosity. No experience necessary, but there is a catch — you and your team must race the clock to complete an experimental prototype within 30 consecutive hours.

Check out the full event schedule for more details, then use the map on the HMNS web site to find us. We suggest the HMNS Garage for all-weekend, overnight parking. We will give participants a coupon with a discount for this garage. For free three-hour parking, you can park at the Garden Center Lot or the Houston Zoo lots. Don’t forget public transit! A ticket on the MetroRail costs $1.25, and the museum is an eight-minute walk from the Hermann Park/Rice University station.

Science Hack Day is a hack-a-thon with a twist — anyone interested in science can share their thoughts, find a team, and form multidisciplinary teams of between two and five individuals to learn something new, have fun, and create a mind-blowing prototype within 30 hours. The idea is to mash up ideas, mediums, industries and people to spark inspiration for future collaborations. When participants arrive, there will be a few speakers and an hour of brainstorming and proposing hack ideas. You can pitch ideas, or join up with projects you’re interested in. After that, teams are free to get to work on their hacks. On Sunday afternoon, everyone will reconvene to check out the hacks and award prizes to the favorites. Registration is free for individuals and teams.

The Hacks: Have a great project in mind? Science Hack Day is a great place to work with eager Houstonians with all sorts of skills and hobbies to bring your ideas to life. It’s okay if you don’t arrive with hack ideas; we need all the creative minds we can find to help contribute in whatever way they can.

What to Bring: 

1. Bring your laptop and charger and/or anything you would like to hack. We will have some gadgets you can borrow to hack.
2. Do not bring food or beverages. We will provide all meals. Please take a look at the schedule. If you have dietary restrictions, please contact the SHDH committee.
3. Bring a sweater – the museum can get very cold.
4. You must bring a guardian if you are underage.

For the (Optional) Sleepover:

1. Bring a sleeping bag, a cover and a sleeping pad. The floor at the museum is hard and cold, so prepare for those conditions.
2. Bring a sleeping mask. Most lights will be on through the night.
3. Bring some toiletries. It feels nice to change out your contacts and brush your teeth.
4. Bring a change of clothes to feel fresh for the next day. You’ll feel better.

For more information please go to ScienceHackDayHouston.com.