Saturday is the final chance to add to Mid-America Science Museum's 300-pound rubber band ball before its 50-foot drop onto a car at the 2019 Summer Science Smash at 3 p.m. Aug. 24.
"When we did this last year, we didn't know what was going to happen to the ball; we just assumed it would get destroyed," said Jim Miller, the museum's public relations director. "But it didn't. So we're just going to reuse it."
Miller said it has been a community effort to grow the rubber band ball the past three years, taking all the museum guests, volunteers and staff members.
"The ball has become part of the Mid-America family," he said.
Casey Wylie, the museum's education director, said the science behind the rubber band ball drop is simply momentum and gravity.
"The heavier something is, the more damage it will do. The more force that is behind something, the harder it will hit. I like speaking science in layman's terms so people can understand it," she said, jokingly.
The rubber bands are donated by Alliance Rubber Co., which is also a main sponsor for Summer Science Smash, Miller said, noting the ball is now so massive a single rubber band can't go around it; they are now having to make rubber band chains in order to keep the ball growing.
The lift that will suspend the ball 50 feet in the air will be donated by United Rentals, and the car the ball will be dropped on will be donated by AA Transport.
Miller said the event will begin at 10 a.m. and feature educational activities, an egg walk, slime making and the smashing of different objects, leading up to the rubber band ball drop on the car.
He added that although some activities are targeted toward younger kids, the event is open to anyone of any age who would like to come.
Miller said although everyone is typically back in school by Aug. 24, the event has had a good turnout the past two years, and they are anticipating around 1,000 attendees this year.
"People love to see things get destroyed," he said.
He said that last year Josh Hudson, host of the social media page Rubber Band Ball Daily, visited Summer Science Smash, and brought some of his collection of rubber band balls.
"He may be returning this year, but our event inspired him to continue pursuing his interests and he loved that there was a festival devoted to rubber bands," Miller said.
The cost to attend Mid-America's farewell to summer event is museum general admission of $10 for adults and $8 for children 3-12 years old.
Local on 08/15/2019