Tuesday, May 20, 2014

Science on the Rocks: Love, Lust & Libido - The Chemistry of Sex


Name: Science on the Rocks: Love, Lust & Libido - The Chemistry of Sex
Location: Reuben H. Fleet Science Center, Balboa Park
Time: Thursday, May 15, 2014 6:30pm - 9:30pm
Price: $20 members; $30 non-members
Rating: 2 out of 5


I love the Reuben H. Fleet Science Center - both the idea of spreading the love of science to kids and its creative exhibits, as well as it's legendary IMAX dome theater. So when I heard they had an event catered to the 21+ crowd that combined science with both sex and beer, I had to go. I even missed my dance class because I thought this event would be worth it.

The description of the event cleverly started with the lyrics of the Midnight in Paris' song, Let's Do It, Let's Fall in Love, "Birds do it. Bees do it. Even educated fleas do it ..." Simply irresistible.

Walking in, people were arriving in jeans and t-shirts. A formally-dressed attendant was checking ID's. Inside, an expressionless DJ in his late-40's playing Bruno Mars' Grenade, followed by a series of LMFAO songs.

The program showed five breweries: Lost Abbey/Port, Manzanita, Helm, and Aztec, who did not even show up. Four food booths included: seafood, ham sliders, and veggie wraps -- all the stuff I dislike. Everyone was given a ticket with he image of each booth, which were marked upon redeeming. So you could only try each table once, including only one beer per brewery. Beer was served in small disposable plastic cups, an offense to San Diego's craft brewing. I expected a 4oz sturdy glass or plastic cup with an engraving. A sorry bar was also included with yellow fizzy beer for sale and cocktails for up to $8.

The crowd ranged from people in their late twenties to mid forties. No conversations made.

There were three 15-minute sessions in the dome theater. The line was unorganized, so everybody tried to get in from all direction. They mumbled something unintelligible on the speakers with terrible sound quality, like "don't bring food", and they started 10 minutes late. The people sitting behind me kept talking loudly during the lecture, which was very distracting.

The first presentation was by a graduate student (maybe the museum did not want to try hard enough to get a professor) on the chemistry of love, which was far off from his specialty - autism. Not surprisingly, he was not apt at answering the questions, but surprisingly he lacked even the basic critical thinking skills to interpret a question, "how did the research influence your own life in the bedroom", as "what practical applications can everyone here take away from this research," and instead answering, "I did not do this research, and my experience of it is purely academic," correcting himself, "well I do have experience with it, just not with the research" which was unintentionally hilarious.

The second speaker was a comedian, whom I skipped, and the third one - a guy from Understand Men - was someone the museum must have gotten out of desperation to find speakers, because he kept going on about how men don't see a sock on the floor when they come home because their attention is always fixed on only a singular thing, whereas women do notice it because their attention is diffused. He was tangential, unorganized, and sexist. So I left. There were three "hands on" exhibits that were laughable and were only peripherally relevant to sex (including a balloon dropped on a "bed" of nails without being popped).

The goodie bad was a disappointment as well.

Photos from the event
Facebook page for Science On The Rocks

Event description (from the Reuben H. Fleet Science Center website):

Love, Lust and Libido: The Chemistry of Sex

Birds do it. Bees do it. Even educated fleas do it ...
And we're going to do it, too, on Thursday, May 15, 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. Peep into the science of sex by exploring the laws of attraction, tinkering with sex toys and finding answers to questions surrounding the hot topic of sex. As always, your ticket will include complimentary food and drink samples, fascinating presentations and intriguing activities. Don't be uptight. Join the fun! 
  • Be tempted by sinful sips by Helm's Brewing Company, The Lost Abbey and Port Brewing Company, Aztec Brewing Company, Twisted Manzanita Ales and California Fruit Wines. [Aztec cannot attend due to the fires.]
  • Sample bites courtesy of Lil' Piggy's BBQ, West Coast Tavern, Feast On This and Carriage Trade Catering.
  • Let our scientists show you the dangerous side of a midnight rendezvous with a bed of nails and the science behind morning breath.
  • Take it slow and make your own fun Super Slo-Mo Video, thanks to A Little Scene. [Canceled due to the fires.]
  • Do you like it hot or do you prefer it cool? Experiment with chemistry and learn how temperature-sensitive lubricants work.
  • Find out what the buzz is about—take apart adult toys to see how they function.
  • Delve into the mechanics of the mind during a chat about the chemical reactions that occur in the brain when lust or love take over. 
  • Practice your sexy laugh during a sassy comedy show by Robert Timothy.
  • Discover the primal urges that still drive us today, and find out how understanding the laws of attraction can help you create a successful relationship.
  • Shake your groove thing while our DJ spins tunes.
  • And be among the first to see our mind-bending new exhibition, ILLUSION: Nothing Is As It Seems.

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