California Science Center

Trees, traffic lights and power lines will have to come down -- how else could you possibly move 180,000 pounds of metal along an L.A. street, especially when it measures 122 feet long and has a wingspan of 78 feet? That will be the next mission of the California Science Center, the state museum that on Tuesday was officially granted ownership of the retired space shuttle Endeavour. The ship won't arrive until the latter half of 2012, fortunately, because finding a clear path for it will be a gargantuan task.

The California Science Center has received what officials describe as an "extraordinary" financial contribution to the new Air and Space Center that will house the space shuttle Endeavour. The gift, to be announced at a news conference Thursday, comes from a foundation chaired by Lynda Oschin, wife of the late Los Angeles businessman and philanthropist Samuel Oschin, whose name already graces the Griffith Observatory planetarium and the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center cancer institute stemming from charitable contributions there.

The California Science Center has received what officials describe as an "extraordinary" financial contribution to the new Air and Space Center that will house the space shuttle Endeavour. The gift, to be announced at a news conference Thursday, comes from a foundation chaired by Lynda Oschin, wife of the late Los Angeles businessman and philanthropist Samuel Oschin, whose name already graces the Griffith Observatory planetarium and the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center cancer institute stemming from charitable contributions there.

The California Science Center will soon begin construction of an aircraft hangar for the space shuttle Endeavour, the museum's president said. The hangar will be built northwest of the state-run museum, near downtown Los Angeles, Jeffrey N. Rudolph, president of the science center, said. Construction is scheduled to begin in a couple of weeks. The temporary climate-controlled home will allow the museum to make Endeavour available for public viewing within weeks of its arrival in the fall.

L.A.'s California Science Center will start the new year defending itself in court for canceling a documentary film attacking Charles Darwin's theory of evolution. A lawsuit alleges that the state-owned center improperly bowed to pressure from the Smithsonian Institution, as well as e-mailed complaints from USC professors and others. It contends that the center violated both the 1st Amendment and a contract to rent the museum's Imax Theater when it canceled the screening of "Darwin's Dilemma: The Mystery of the Cambrian Fossil Record."

The California Science Center will soon begin construction of an aircraft hangar for the space shuttle Endeavour, the museum's president said. The hangar will be built northwest of the state-run museum, near downtown Los Angeles, Jeffrey N. Rudolph, president of the science center, said. Construction is scheduled to begin in a couple of weeks. The temporary climate-controlled home will allow the museum to make Endeavour available for public viewing within weeks of its arrival in the fall.

Late last month, a convoy of climate-controlled trucks swept from LAX to the California Science Center escorted by a phalanx of police. The contents of the trucks: mummies. It could have been the opening scene for a new summer thriller, but these mummies are real — and they are meant for more than entertainment. They comprise the Science Center's high-profile summer exhibit, "Mummies of the World," which makes its world premiere Thursday and runs through Nov. 28. The precious cargo, culled from more than 20 museums and seven countries, includes a previously unseen selection of 150 human and animal mummies and an assortment of burial artifacts that include amulets, statues and fragments from the "Book of the Dead."

At the grand opening gala for "Ecosystems" at L.A.'s California Science Center, Al Roker of NBC's "Today Show" reminded the audience of the museum's value in inspiring young minds and generating a new generation of scientists. "The next cure for cancer, the next breakthrough in hydroelectricity and renewable resources," Roker said. "Who knows what a kid might get from the California Science Center?" En route to the 11 environments, the crowd of 700 at the March 20 event indulged in eco-friendly appetizers, which were "all sustainable, fished responsibly," said Susan Feniger, co-owner of the Border Grill.

Practice this magic jigsaw puzzle trick, and you can amaze your friends by making the hole in the center appear and disappear. Step 1: Cut around the entire puzzle shown here. Step 2: Cut out the individual shapes within the puzzle. Step 3: Throw away the black puzzle piece from the middle. Step 4: Lay the puzzle pieces on a table. Be sure the pieces with the letters on them are facing up. Step 5: Put the puzzle back together.

The California Science Center has won a new companion exhibit to the space shuttle Endeavour: the shuttle's external tank and twin solid rocket boosters. The tank –- the orange cylindrical structure affixed to the shuttle's belly at launch –- and twin solid rocket boosters had been displayed at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. When the shuttle exhibit is assembled next year, it will be a challenge to ship the external tank from Florida. It is typically moved by barge, meaning it might have to be taken through the Panama Canal, said Science Center President Jeffrey N. Rudolph.

Trees, traffic lights and power lines will have to come down -- how else could you possibly move 180,000 pounds of metal along an L.A. street, especially when it measures 122 feet long and has a wingspan of 78 feet? That will be the next mission of the California Science Center, the state museum that on Tuesday was officially granted ownership of the retired space shuttle Endeavour. The ship won't arrive until the latter half of 2012, fortunately, because finding a clear path for it will be a gargantuan task.

MUSIC Glee Live! In Concert! The TV phenomenon that has given choir geeks a good name seems to know no bounds, spawning multiple albums and a live show that's making another successful round on tour. The exuberantly named concert stars 13 members of the television cast, including Lea Michele, Cory Monteith, Amber Riley, Chris Colfer and Kevin McHale. Staples Center, 1111 S. Figueroa St., L.A. 3 and 8 p.m. $49.50-$89.50. http://www.gleetour.com. MOVIES 'Arabia 3D' The first major production filmed entirely in Saudi Arabia explores the extraordinary 2,000-year history of Arabia through the eyes of three contemporary citizens.

The first major production filmed entirely in Saudi Arabia, "Arabia 3D" explores the extraordinary 2,000-year history of Arabia through the eyes of three contemporary citizens. The film features a mix of scenes from modern-day Arabian life and historical re-creations and is narrated by Academy Award-winning actress Helen Mirren. California Science Center, 700 Exposition Park Drive. Fri.-June 30. 10:30 a.m. and 12:30, 2:30 and 4:30 p.m. $8.25. http://www.californiasciencecenter.org

Big changes are coming to Exposition Park. The Endeavour space shuttle, NASA announced last month, will be moving to the California Science Center campus -- though not to Frank Gehry's cramped 1984 Air and Space Gallery, whose future is, well, up in the air. The UCLA basketball team will take up temporary residence this fall at Welton Becket's 1959 Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena, another candidate for future demolition. And a new Metro light-rail line along Exposition Boulevard, nearly complete, will knit the park into the regional transit grid even as its impact at ground level promises to be something of a disaster.

The space shuttle Endeavour — assembled in Palmdale and celebrated as the "jewel of the fleet" — is coming home to Southern California for permanent display at the California Science Center, NASA announced Tuesday, ending a fierce museum competition for among the rarest of space artifacts. "This is a dream come true," said Jeffrey N. Rudolph, president of the Los Angeles museum. Endeavour has yet to retire, though. Its final flight, scheduled for April 29, will be commanded by Capt.

'Mummies of the World' Where: California Science Center in Exposition Park, two blocks west of the Harbor Freeway at the Exposition Boulevard exit When: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. daily through Nov. 28 Price: Adults $19.50, teens and seniors $16.50, children 4-12 $12.50, children younger than 3 free (Discounts for museum members) Info: Advance reservations highly recommended; can be made online at http://www.californiasciencecenter.org or by calling (323) SCIENCE