Dates and times are subject to change by organizers. Please visit the organizers’ website for the latest information.
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Add EventMassDestruction returns once again to the Charles River Museum of Industry & Innovation, bringing you an entire day of mechanized mayhem! Expect to see Boston’s brightest put their metal to the metal as we clash 3 lb and 1 lb robots in our Pyramid of Pain! Standard museum admission applies.
Every product has a story, but one of the most improbable is the tale of Roomba. For 40+ years major corporations and basement tinkerers alike struggled to solve the seemingly simple problem of building a robotic floor cleaner. Nothing worked. Finally, in 2002 a quirky team from an unknown company cracked the riddle and delivered […]
Ever wonder how to embroider your initials onto cloth? In this youth-led workshop, participants explore the intersection of textile art and modern technology using the Collaboratory's embroidery machines. In this workshop, you will learn how to use an embroidery machine and be introduced to open-source embroidery software such as Inkscape and Inkstitch. Our goal for […]
Please note the 3D printing workshop on January 17 is full. You can still register to be put on a waiting list. Ever wonder what 3D printing is and how a 3D printer works? Led by the Charles River Collaboratory youth leaders, this session demystifies "additive manufacturing" by giving participants direct access to the Collaboratory's […]
Discover the story of the Cabot family, whose legacy of wealth and influence shaped Massachusetts from the colonial era through the dawn of industry, even inspiring the name of Francis Cabot Lowell. From their roots in Salem to their ventures in maritime commerce, the Cabots built a network of enterprise that extended across New England […]
In this talk Seth Rockman, George L. Littlefield Professor of American History at Brown University, tells the biggest stories of early American history through the most mundane artifacts: shoes manufactured in Massachusetts for the use of enslaved people in Mississippi, for example, or woolen dresses stitched in Rhode Island for enslaved women in South Carolina […]
Make no mistake, these three will move more air and rouse spirits higher than ensembles twice their size. It’s a fine name for a fictitious law firm, but Hickman, Anick & Woodsmith make an even better power trio. The recipe is simple— Celia Woodsmith’s soulful, powerhouse vocals and Jason Anick’s blindingly virtuosic fiddle playing, grounded […]
How industrial espionage shaped the future of the American and Swiss watch industries. In the fall of 1876, two Swiss spies came to America and conducted some of the most covert and consequential industrial espionage in history, changing the course of the global watch industry forever. "Disrupting Time" is a true historical narrative of business […]
Step inside the intricate world of fine watchmaking with Waltham’s own Chris Carey, watchmaker and owner of Watertown Watch and Clock. In this live demonstration, Chris will carefully disassemble a Waltham Model 1908 pocket watch, revealing the artistry, engineering, and precision that made Waltham a world leader in timekeeping. As he takes the watch apart […]
Fronted by three sisters—Rebecca on acoustic guitar, Kat on the keys, Rachael on electric guitar, and all three on vocals—Canton, Massachusetts’ Wolff sisters were raised on steady diet of Bob Dylan, The Band, and Little Feat. Their music is honest yet genre-defying, rooted in traditional storytelling that puts a decidedly New England spin on Americana […]
This presentation will explain what industrial archeology is. It will trace the history of the field, from its beginnings in England in the 1950s and the founding of the U.S. Society for Industrial Archeology in 1971, to the present, and describe some of its contributions, like the early surveys of historic textile mills. It will […]
Bring your well-loved items and our volunteers will try to repair them. If it is broken, we will try to fix it: lamps, appliances, electronics, stereos, textiles, dull knives, household goods, furniture, ceramics, plastics, jewelry, computers, heirlooms, toys, etc. Once again, we will be at the Charles River Museum. With their support, we can ensure […]
