Science Fun Factory & More | Nebraska Stories | Nebraska Public Media

Intro (upbeat music) - [Narrator] Coming up on "Nebraska Stories," the Kiewit Luminarium sparks curiosity in young visitors, women's pro volleyball comes to Omaha, (upbeat music) an exiled artist finds refuge in Nebraska, a look back at the brave correspondence of D-Day, (upbeat music) and the old time country sounds of Lloyd McCarter & the Honky Tonk Revival. (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music) The Kiwit Luminarium (upbeat music) (upbeat music) -[Children] Three, two, one! (children laughing) (children laughing) -[Narrator] There's a lot of teaching and learning happening here, disguised as fun. (children talking indistinctly) (upbeat music) This is the Kiewit Luminarium, built as a place for curious humans. Built in a newly developed area on the banks of the Missouri River, it's 82,000 square feet of hands-on STEM exhibits and activities that opened in the spring of 2023. -[Silva] Omaha was one of the few metros in the country of this size that did not have a science center. It's a pretty special place. It was designed, purpose-built, very collaboratively created with the community to be a place for everyone can come and explore scientific phenomena, which sounds intimidating. It's really all around us, we're part of it, it's nature, and sort of explore those phenomena in a very special way that is different from the way we usually encounter science and math. It's an experience that you are the driver of. (upbeat music) -[Narrator] It's a place where you can change the flow of a stream, make music together, test how fingertip sweat shows inner feelings. -[Guest] Describe the last time you cried. -[Narrator] Build a machine to topple dominoes, and more. 125 interactive exhibits created from research about how people learn. -[Jessica] So we connected the generator into the lights and the lights back to the generator. And that's a closed loop, right? -[Narrator] Jessica Johnson is a parent and homeschool teacher for her kids. -[Jessica] Yeah, we really enjoy coming here. I really enjoy science. My degree is in science from when I went to college, and so getting to share that with my kids is a lot of fun. Oh, this is very valuable. It's a lot of hands-on experience that I can't give necessarily, at home. (child screaming, laughing) -[Silva] The experiences are framed up in a way that it doesn't matter whether you're seven years old or 75 years old, whether you have a Nobel Laureate in physics or whether you're someone self-described who doesn't like science and math. because it's about framing up something that's engaging and kind of either visually delightful or curious and then giving you the keys to kind of ask and answer your own questions. (upbeat music) We're not telling you how to think about something, we're giving you an opportunity to explore, gather your own evidence and kind of come to your own conclusions about it. (upbeat music) -[Narrator] Omaha's Luminarium is modeled after San Francisco's Exploratorium. The Luminarium was actually created as part of a collaborative effort to expand what the Exploratorium has done for more than 50 years, to reimagine science museums. Raker came here from the Exploratorium to help launch the Luminarium. (upbeat music) - Yes, very much it flows from, but there's also some really important differences. -[Narrator] Like the role of these folks called Luminators. - Hi everybody, welcome. Is this our first cow eye dissection? -[Narrator] A concept expanded from what happens in San Francisco with young people, ages 15 to 25 hired to help with almost every aspect of the operation. -[Suleyma] Luminators are stationed everywhere in the Luminarium, so we're the first face that you see when you come check in. We have a pretty good extensive knowledge of each exhibit and we also run demonstrations, we facilitate them. And we explore different areas of science within those demonstrations. High five, down low, you kind of got it. -[Narrator] This is a perception goggles demonstration. -[Suleyma] As soon as you put them on and your brain gets adjusted to them, it becomes familiar with this new environment that you're putting it in. And after a while you get used to it and then when you take them off, you are in another new environment that you have to quickly adjust to. So we try to explain to them that that's basically how our minds work with everything else. And then that was you getting adjusted to it, so you- -[Narrator] Luminators are most of the staff here, hired to represent a diverse population. If you have any questions, just listen to somebody with a blue vest, okay? -[Guest] Thank you very much. -[Braxton] They talk about science, technology, engineering, and math. So the good thing about it too, is that when you come and you see our Luminator Program, it's a very diverse group of people. And so for me to be able to come into a place and feel represented, I think does amplify the interaction that you have with guests. (upbeat music) -[Narrator] It's very new, a work in progress like the riverfront development it sits on, but the Luminarium is a place with lofty aspirations, to be a place that will activate and engage a community, especially populations who may not have easy access to resources like this and be underrepresented in STEM careers. -[Suleyma] With the Luminarium, we're closing that gap of, being scared of the unknown and just fostering safer environment for people to explore and learn new things, -[Silva] The experiences, our staff, our pricing model, everything, it's really in the DNA of the place to say, "How do we engineer for a different outcome "that actually gets folks from all different backgrounds "in here and engage them, and then hopefully in a flow "that changes a lot of things, "cycles of generational poverty, "but also creating a really robust workforce." -[Braxton] I hope that it just sparks ideas for young people. (upbeat music) Pro Volleyball League (people cheering) - [Announcer] For sure, here's Mancuso from the back row, - [Cheerleaders] C-C-O-N-N - [Gina] When I finished in 2012 with the University of Nebraska, Lincoln, I had two choices and that's it. The first one was, end my career, move on with life, then the only other option I had was to continue my career, but it had to be overseas in a foreign land, foreign language. Didn't know anyone or anything. (upbeat music) - Many of them played in other countries, single apartment, no one else speaks English, maybe the coach doesn't speak English. They don't get to see their friends and family. - [Gina] Playing professionally in the United States wasn't even a thought, because obviously that takes a lot of money, a lot of ownership and a lot of processes and strategies and it just wasn't even a thing at the time. - [Narrator] Timing is everything and an interest in the sport is at an all time high. The Pro Volleyball Federation has been working over the past year to bring the first professional volleyball league in the US to market. - This has been something I've always wanted to do, but never something I thought would be a reality. (upbeat music) (inspiring music) - [Kendall] I played in France for three years, overseas. I wanted to be in America, like, I debated almost like, retiring, for that sole reason, prior to this league, so I think this is like, the best thing in the entire world, that I get to play on my home turf, in my country and do what I love and what I'm good at. Like, what I feel like I was meant to do. (people cheering) (Kendall grunting) - [Shelton] It's one of the most amazing, epic ways for a coach to have an impact on the game, in a professional level in the United States, here in the best city for volleyball in the country. (upbeat music) - [Narrator] On January 24th, the Omaha Supernovas kicked off the inaugural season in a home match against the Atlanta Vibe. (people cheering) The league features seven franchises from across the country, with three more slated to join next season. Each team features 14 player rosters, will play 24 regular season matches from January through May, all concluding in a final four playoff for the Pro Volleyball Federation Championship. (people cheering) - [Shelton] Here in Omaha, they're aware of what it takes to have a world class team and they have reached out to get us all the support staff with medical, sports psychologists, high level strength and conditioning coach, high level athletic training. They've done that at the highest level. (upbeat music) (people cheering) - [Gina] They're gonna see how entertaining it is, because college in the United States is wonderful. They do such a good job elevating their game and performing at a high level, but professionally it's just an upgrade from there. And so I think they're going to experience how entertaining it is. (upbeat music) (inspiring music) (crowd cheering) - [Shelton] Our team is gonna be a combination of USA national team players that have experience. We're gonna have professional players that have played many years overseas that have a professional savvy and a game about them that's much more sophisticated maybe, than a college player. We're gonna have some players that are 23 years old playing with a 34-year-old and try to mesh that talent and personality. I think our team's gonna play with a vibe and an enthusiasm. They're gonna be fun to watch. (people cheering) - [Nia] I am so excited to be playing at home in front of fans that can speak English, you know, so I know what they're saying. Just being home with the support, I have more joy playing. So it really brought back the joy of volleyball for me. - We all have so much gratitude and so much appreciation that we have a league, we have ownership. We have these people that have invested in the league and they've said, we want to make women's volleyball go. This is gonna take the world by storm. - [Gina] Not only is this my home country, but this is my home state and my home city. So I feel very blessed. It's really life changing for so many of us. (inspiring music) (people cheering) Sri Lankan Author (somber music) (somber music) (somber music) (somber music) (somber music) (somber music) - [Director] Are we rolling? (somber music) (somber music) Okay, standby. I'll give you a countdown and we'll start in 3, 2, 1. (somber music) (somber music) (somber music) (somber music) (somber music) (somber music) (somber music) (somber music) (somber music) (somber music) (somber music) (somber music) (somber music) (somber music) (somber music) (somber music) (classic music) (classic music) (classic music) (classic music) (classic music) (classic music) (classic music) (classic music) (classic music) (classic music) (classic music) (classic music) (classic music) (classic music) (classic music) (classic music) (classic music) (classic music) (classic music) (somber music) (somber music) (somber music) (somber music) (somber music) (somber music) (somber music) (somber music) (somber music) (somber music) (somber music) (somber music) (somber music) (somber music) (somber music) (somber music) (somber music) (somber music) (somber music) (somber music) (somber music) (somber music) (somber music) (somber music) (somber music) (somber music) (somber music) (somber music) (somber music) (somber music) (somber music) (somber music) (somber music) (somber music) (somber music) (somber music) (somber music) World War II NARRATOR: Many Americans know about D Day and World War Two. NEWSREEL ANNOUNCER: Allied naval forces began landing allied armies this morning on the northern coast of France. EISENHOWER: This landing is part of a concerted United Nations plan for the liberation of Europe. NARRATOR: The allies stormed German troops at Normandy. More than 9,000 U.S. servicemen died in history's greatest amphibious assault. (planes taking off) Six hour earlier, 13,000 U.S. airborne troops also parachuted in against German gunfire. NEWSREEL: These are the first ships to take off in the airborne invasion of fortress Europe. NARRATOR: With them went six war correspondents recruited by Nebraska and U.S. Army press officer, Barney Oldfield. MITCH YOCKELSON: Barney Oldfield had that kind of personality. He had that salesmanship. They were not only gonna be watching history, they were making history. NARRATOR: Before he died in 2003, Oldfield explained why General Dwight D. Eisenhower wanted journalists with American troops. BARNEY OLDFIELD: I know of no thing which so improves the moral of the soldier as to see his unit or his own name in print just once. NARRATOR: First the journalists had to endure 15 days of physically and mentally grueling Army Airborne School. Then they had to survive five successful parachute jumps. All this for a chance to risk their reporting lives and for the first time ever jump into combat with U.S. soldiers. OLDFIELD: One of the greatest lies on earth was when the jump master would say, "Are you ready?" and everybody said "Yeah!" If you don't know what fear is, you'll be introduced to it really quickly as you go out the door. TIM McNEESE: Went in absolutely blind, absolutely cold, completely in the dark, into combat they'd never seen before. NARRATOR: Omaha's Bob Reuben, Reuters News Correspondent was the first journalist to land in Normandy. Reuben was also the first correspondent to file a news report with the Normandy Dateline. He sent it by carrier pigeon to Barney Oldfield 150 miles away. BOB VRANA: I'd like to think that they were more conscientious journalists wanting to tell the story. The most important story of the day. NARRATOR: Reuben and Normandy's war correspondents would keep reporting on America's GIs. The free press informing a world at war. OLDFIELD: If you didn't have the wonderful press coverage that we were able to maintain at that time it would have been a far different kind of a war. Country Music ("Mexico" by Lloyd McCarter and the Honky Tonk Revival) Lloyd: I grew up on really old country music. My whole entire family played music. When I was eight years old I started playing just because I didn't want to be left out. I was the baby of the family. My mom and dad would take me to the bars where they were playing music. I'd go lay my head against the speakers and listen to my dad's deep voice, and fall asleep. That's my childhood. I just grew up with this style of music and so it's something that's very near and dear to me. It means a lot to me. Country music in particular means a lot to me. This is what I was born to do, play music. Our sound, it's a mix between rockabilly and old school hard driving country music. Its music to drink and dance to. Some of us come from different parts of the country. Musically, we all have a little bit different backgrounds. But our differences, it just works. Every time we get together, we love each other so much just as friends, that we just like playing together. And a lot of times, you know it doesn't matter if there's ten people or ten thousand people, it's just us four on stage having fun. And so that chemistry that we have on stage, we feed off the crowd and the crowd really feeds off of us. Because we're up there dancing and smiling and having fun. * When I get on stage and the lights come on, it's a lonely * * man's way to pray. Well it's a hard life of drinking. * -There's not a lot of people that play traditional country music anymore. Honky-Tonk, Western Swing, those old waltz's. Those old crying, sad, cheating, drinking songs. It's becoming lost I guess. So I try to keep it going. Whether I'm the last person on the face of the earth that likes it or not, I'll probably just play it because it means so much to me. ("Who's Going to Drive This Pick-Up") (country music) * Well, who's going to drive this pick-up home tonight? * * Gonna soothe my head, it feels right * * Who's gonna tell me the fun I had last night? * * Who's gonna drive this pick-up home tonight? * * Well, time and time it happens * * I stop off with some my friends * * For just one drink before we go on home * * That one drink leads to another * * Bartender, bring me another * I know it's late but she's not at home * * It's 1 am * And all my friends are gone again, so it seems * * And I'm sitting in this old bar alone * * Well, there's one thing for certain * * That I'm gonna be hurting * If I can't find my way back home * * So, who's gonna bring this pick-up home tonight? * * Who's gonna soothe my head, that feels right * * Who's gonna tell me the fun I had last night? * * Who's gonna drive this pick-up home tonight? * * Oh, watch Mikey go (country music) * Well, who's gonna drive this pick-up home tonight? * * Who's gonna soothe my head, that feels right * * Who's gonna tell me the fun I had last night? * * Who's gonna drive this pick-up home tonight? * * Who's gonna drive this pick-up home tonight? * * Oh lord, who's gonna drive this pick-up home tonight? * Yes, sir. (upbeat music) (upbeat music) - [Narrator] Watch more Nebraska stories on our website, Facebook and YouTube. Nebraska Stories is funded in part by the Margaret and Martha Thomas Foundation, and the Bill Harris and Mary Sue Hormel Harris Fund for the presentation of cultural programming. (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music)