Museum’s Festival Offers Edible Insects

Insect-tastings and exotic insects on display will be part of the third annual Festival of the Arthropods at the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History on Saturday and Sunday.

Some of the delectable insect cuisine will include “Licket Crickets,” lollipops with a cricket embedded within the candy, and Chocolate Chirpies, cookies filled with chocolate and crickets.

On the more traditional side, local and exotic insects such as giant millipedes, electric-blue, five-inch tropical butterflies and deadly Mexican scorpions will be on display.

Experts also will be on hand throughout the weekend to answer visitors’ insect-related questions. Call (805) 682-4711.

ASTRONOMY

* The Sidewalk Astronomers are back and will be setting up their telescopes for free public viewing of the moon, Saturn and other celestial bodies at the Eagle Rock branch of the Los Angeles Public Library from 6 to 8 p.m. Monday. (213) 258-8078.

SCIENCE POLICY

* The ethical and aesthetic questions raised by new developments in biotechnology and genetic engineering will be discussed by a panel of scientists and humanists as part of a series based on J.D. Bernal’s classic 1929 essay, “The World, the Flesh and the Devil: An Inquiry Into the Future of the Three Enemies of the Rational Soul,” on Saturday at the Scripps Research Institute in La Jolla from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. (909) 787-3233.

SEISMOLOGY

* “The Northridge Earthquake: Why Didn’t We Predict It?,” will be discussed by U.S. Geological Survey geologist Lucile Jones at 8 p.m. Wednesday in Caltech’s Beckman Auditorium. (818) 395-4652.

MARINE SCIENCE

* “Tide Pool Treasures,” a workshop for families and individuals to explore the local rocky shores and investigate marine specimens in the laboratory will be offered by the Cabrillo Marine Aquarium from 2:30 to 5:30 p.m. Saturday.

Also on Saturday, educators at all grade levels are encouraged to attend a “Hands On the Environment” workshop sponsored by the aquarium. Teachers will learn about coastal issues and be provided with materials on marine-related environmental subjects that can be used in the classroom. (310) 548-7563.

SCIENCE FOR KIDS

* Children ages 5 and older can join in a rain forest recreation workshop, featuring live parrots, macaws and snakes in Kidspace Museum workshops at 2 and 4 p.m. Saturday. On Sunday, a boa constrictor will be the featured guest in a workshop on jungle snakes from 1 to 4 p.m. (818) 449-9144.

BOTANY

* The edible, medicinal and tool-making uses of local plants will be discussed in a “Plant Uses” workshop offered by Earth Skills from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday. (310) 833-4249.

* Plant geographer Bob Haller will provide an overview of natural vegetation and native flora across the continent in a three-week course, “Vegetation and Floras of Temperate North America,” beginning at 7 p.m. Wednesday at the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden. (805) 563-2521.