COSI launches digital science festival, promises explosive ending

COLUMBUS (WCMH) — The 2021 Digital COSI Science Festival will take place virtually May 5-8, 2021. Organizers said the four-day event includes several events families and science fans can take part in from the comfort of their home.

“Over 50 digital events all for free, and we even came up with what we’re calling a digital showcase where you can sign up and you explore about 40 different booths, all kinds of incredible science stuff just by clicking around,” said Dr. Frederic Bertley, president and CEO of COSI.

Last spring, the pandemic forced COSI to reimagine its annual science festival by creating a digital platform to interact with guests.

“One cool thing about the pandemic, you know, despite all the tough stuff, is that people have developed a real appreciation for science, right?” Bertley said. “The vaccines are helping us, the medicines, and so this is another way to keep that momentum going in a positive way, keep people excited about science.”

Even though COSI will reopen its doors to the public on June 3, organizers decided to move forward with the virtual festival this year.

“We’ve been planning this digital science festival for a while, and we didn’t want to take all that planning in the last six months and try and do a physical one,” Bertley said.

One of the digital events features a world champion jump rope expert, Jessi Boggs, who is also a student at The Ohio State University.

“I’m not exaggerating, about to be an Olympic sport, you’re going to have me, the kid jumping rope with her and doing the science and physics of rotation and it’s just really cool stuff,” Bertley said.

COSI also has a surprise planned on the final day of the festival.

“We are doing a closing event, you know we like to do big things here at COSI and explode stuff,” Bertley said. “I won’t tell you what it is, but I will tell you we’re submitting it to the Guiness Book of World Records after.”

“Next year in 2022, guaranteed, the number one science event in all of Ohio will be in-person,” he added.

To take part in the free festival, visit https://cosiscifest.org/events/schedule/.