Gearheads, unite! If it's destruction you like, especially between two cleverly built machines, er, robots, then you surely know all about Battlebots. That's when one team of geeks, dressed in matching Trekkie-ish shirts, pits its motorized metal creation against the robot of another team of geeks in hospital scrubs. Seems that an engineering degree has come in handy for some folks, like the creator of Battlebot champion Dr. Inferno Jr. (How much is tuition at MIT?) But besides getting to name your robot something cool like Diesector or T-Minus, Battlebots is all about simple stuff like team spirit and more complicated matters such as applied mathematics, reasoning, analysis, and articulating your ideas for maximum destructive potential! In other words: build and destroy. Today Let the Battlebots Begin!, a traveling educational roadshow on the workings of Battlebot robots, comes to the Miami Museum of Science and Space Transit Planetarium (3280 S. Miami Ave.) to reveal the secrets of the trade. Open to both professionals and students, the event will feature Battlebot builders who will teach robotics design and how robots work. A hands-on workshop of motors and parts, and a double-elimination robotic competition will also be highlights. The fun runs from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. at the Museum Gallery. Cost is $10 adults, $8 students, and $6 children. Call 305-234-1488. -- By John Anderson
Saturday August 23
Dough Not
Play loses cookies, keeps love
About this time last year, the musical Sacha and the Magic Cookie Maker hit the stages of Miami-Dade and Broward. With tunes and lyrics written by former Miami Vice star Philip Michael Thomas, the cheery family show was inspired by the fascination one of Thomas's daughters had for a cookie factory that she once visited as a child. The piece, directed by Thomas crony Sandi Morais, featured a lovestruck prince and princess, the proverbial fairy godmother, and a forest full of animals. Now the streamlined show returns, tossing its cookies and going solely by the title Sacha for a one-night-only performance at 8:00 at the Hollywood Playhouse, 2640 Washington St. Tickets cost $15 and $22. Call 954-922-0404. -- By Nina Korman
