Science Museum IMAX “Dolphins”: 4 p.m. Thursday-Wednesday. $8.50.  “Sharks”: 11 a.m., 2, 5 p.m. Thursday-Saturday; 2, 5 p.m. Sunday; 11 a.m., 2, 5 p.m. Monday-Wednesday. $8.50.  “Coral Reef Adventure”: noon, 3 p.m. Thursday-Wednesday. $8.50.

Science Museum IMAX “Dolphins”: 4 p.m. Thursday-Wednesday. $8.50.  “Sharks”: 11 a.m., 2, 5 p.m. Thursday-Saturday; 2, 5 p.m. Sunday; 11 a.m., 2, 5 p.m. Monday-Wednesday. $8.50.  “Coral Reef Adventure”: noon, 3 p.m. Thursday-Wednesday. $8.50.

Science Museum IMAX “Dolphins”: 4 p.m. Thursday; 3 p.m. Friday; 4 p.m. Saturday-Wednesday. $8.50.  “Sharks”: 11 a.m., 2, 5 p.m. Thursday-Saturday; 2, 5 p.m. Sunday; 11 a.m., 2, 5 p.m. Monday-Wednesday. $8.50.  “Coral Reef Adventure”: noon, 3 p.m. Thursday; noon, 4 p.m. Friday; noon-3 p.m. Saturday-Wednesday. $8.50.

Science Museum IMAX “Dolphins”: 4 p.m. Thursday-Wednesday. $8.50.  “Sharks”: 11 a.m., 2, 5 p.m. Thursday; 10, 11 a.m., 2, 5 p.m. Friday; 11 a.m., 2, 5 p.m. Saturday; 2, 5 p.m. Sunday; 11 a.m., 2, 5 p.m. Monday-Tuesday; 9, 10, 11 a.m., 2, 5 p.m. Wednesday. $8.50.

Science Museum IMAX “Dolphins”: 4 p.m. Thursday-Wednesday. $8.50.  “Sharks”: 11 a.m., 2, 5 p.m. Thursday-Saturday; 2, 5 p.m. Sunday; 11 a.m., 2, 5 p.m. Monday-Wednesday. $8.50.  “Coral Reef Adventure”: noon, 3 p.m. Thursday-Wednesday. $8.50.

Science Museum IMAX “Dolphins”: 4 p.m. Friday-Monday; noon, 4 p.m. Tuesday; 4 p.m. Wednesday. $8.50.  “Sharks”: 11 a.m., 2, 5 p.m. Thursday-Saturday; 2, 5 p.m. Sunday; 11 a.m., 2, 5 p.m. Monday-Wednesday. $8.50.  “Coral Reef Adventure”: noon, 3 p.m. Thursday-Monday; 3 p.m. Tuesday; noon, 3 p.m. Wednesday. $8.50.

Science Museum IMAX “The Alps”: 11 a.m., 5 p.m. Thursday. $8.50.  “Dolphins”: 2 p.m. Thursday; 4 p.m. Friday-Wednesday. $8.50.  “The Greatest Places”: noon, 3 p.m. Thursday. $8.50.  “Sharks”: 11 a.m., 2, 5 p.m. Friday-Saturday; 2, 5 p.m. Sunday; 11 a.m., 2, 5 p.m. Monday-Wednesday. $8.50.

Science Museum IMAX “The Alps”: 11 a.m., 2, 5 p.m. Thursday; 11 a.m., 5 p.m. Friday-Saturday; 5 p.m. Sunday; 11 a.m., 5 p.m. Monday-Wednesday. $8.50.  “The Greatest Places”: noon, 3 p.m. Thursday-Wednesday. $8.50.  “Dolphins”: 2, 4 p.m. Friday-Sunday; 2 p.m. Monday-Wednesday. $8.50.

It can take a lifetime to produce museum-quality work—or a couple of weeks, if you take a scientific approach. About 350 examples of the short route will hit the Science Museum of Virginia on Tuesday and Wednesday for the annual Richmond Public Schools Science Extravaganza. “It gives one a sense of hope about the future,“ said David Hagan, a staff scientist for physical sciences at the museum. “Science is not a reading course. Participating in science and actually running experiments, there’s no substitute for that.“

Membership programs will undoubtedly suffer after the termination of the staff person responsible for them. Astronomy, until recently a keystone program, is being slashed. The staff astronomer was terminated, many of the outreach and theater programs have ended, and astronomy exhibits are being downgraded or eliminated. All of these are worrisome signs that after 25 years as a flagship institution for science education in the commonwealth, the Science Museum of Virginia is being crippled and may well become a second-class sidelight of Virginia’s education program. This would be a tremendous loss. The need for increased emphasis on science education to maintain Virginia’s competitive place in commerce and manufacturing is seemingly being met by reducing opportunities.

The faltering economy has claimed seven more victims. The Science Museum of Virginia is laying off seven employees out of a full-time staff of 72, effective Feb. 1.