For a 17-day stretch in the latter part of April, tens of thousands of people traversed North Carolina to watch science in action. They attended events large and small that were part of the North Carolina Science Festival, a statewide event that each year puts a wide range of science on display, including the very simple but wonderfully whimsical Zucchini 500, a testament to the fun that can be had when NASCAR and horticulture collide. Good times were also had at the U.S. Whitewater Center in Charlotte, where there’s a manmade river, one sadly in need of a name, but one that can alternately flow like molasses or rage like a bull. All that’s required is the pressing of buttons, the pulling of levers, and a lot of hydraulic know-how. To find out more about speeding vegetables, raging rivers, and other NCSF events, read my overview at NCSF 2012, or go to the festival website at NC Science Festival.