Magic Lantern Innovation Center

06/01/2026

According to this chart, fireflies should be returning this week. It's a busy month for insects.

06/01/2026

Join us on Sunday, June 14 from 2 - 4 pm for our second Artisan Meetup. Wine, beer and mocktails available for $5. Bring a project you are working on to share, or just your ideas.

05/31/2026

Yesterday Magic Lantern Theater and Innovation Center got the star treatment. Members of two Masonic Lodges, the local Rotary, and 4-H Foundation board members painted, weeded gardens, cleared sand from walkways and in general gave the building some loving attention. Thank you to everyone who helped out--despite the blustery weather. Our staff and customers are grateful for your generous donation of time and talent.

05/29/2026

Have you heard the phrase "Once in a blue moon?" On May 31, we will have a blue moon. The phrase originated in the 16th century as a way to describe something that is rare--in this case, two full moons in the same month. While the moon won't actually be blue, it will be brighter than usual. NASA provides a nice guide to taking photos: https://science.nasa.gov/moon/photography-guide/?fbclid=IwY2xjawSGQjlleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETFoQkZNeTllTjRIVWtXNHN3c3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHuCNALIChXZ8GCXEJGItbML_Z59-0WWmopvaXhL2DIEb4sgadDBDnuuZ_rJ6_aem_r0R2AtWkk-S7xnIbxC_bqA

With some basic techniques and practice, you can be on your way to snapping great Moon images. Here are some tips and methods to try.

05/27/2026

What is this bizarre thing? It looks like some sort of spider but is actually a bacteriophage. This is a virus that attacks bacteria by pinning the bacteria and injecting DNA to replicate itself, killing the harmful bacteria. They are used as therapeutic agents.

05/26/2026

If you saw The Sheep Detectives, you may be wondering how the filmmakers created such life-like sheep with so many facial expressions and perfect speech syncing. They actually used a combination of techniques, first starting with life-size puppets. The sheep were constructed as puppets and operated by professional puppeteers so the actors would have tangible "sheep" to interact with. Stuffed animals were also used for some of the action sequences. CGI was added later for eye and mouth movements. The production team watched sheep chewing food so they could make the mouth movements realistic. In all, a lot of effort by a lot of talented people to make this charming movie.

05/22/2026

This 6-week course in Stop Motion Animation will provide all the information and tools you need to create these imaginative short films. Enroll at https://ticketing.useast.veezi.com/purchase/15850?siteToken=0zghfjgrywvn90hxexs17yxjxr

05/20/2026

Spring seemed to arrive overnight at Magic Lantern Theater and Innovation Center.

05/19/2026

Sometimes an image is the best way to represent a scientific fact. This comparison between earth and apple surprises us, which makes the data easier to remember.

05/19/2026

Are you looking for a project that introduces your child to ecology? A unique Father's Day gift? Join us for a free presentation by vermicomposting expert Mark Follarbee from WormMainea in Scarborough. Mark will show us how to use red wiggler worms to break down paper products and food scraps into nutrient-rich soil you can use all year long. If your houseplants suffer during the long winters, these tiny worms can help!