ST. PETERSBURG, FL — Plans to revitalize the former Science Center were temporarily paused this week after construction crews breaking ground behind the building discovered what officials initially described as an “uncontacted tribe” living deep in the surrounding woods.

Further investigation revealed the group was not indigenous to the area, but rather a small community of former Science Center students who, according to officials, never realized the building had closed and simply “continued doing science stuff” independently for more than a decade.

“They were running experiments,” said one city official. “Badly. But with a lot of confidence.”

The group, estimated at 14 individuals ranging in age from late 20s to early 40s, was discovered after a backhoe operator noticed a series of carefully arranged stick structures labeled with fading poster-board signs reading “LAB,” “CONTROL,” and “DO NOT TOUCH — STILL OBSERVING.”

Members of the group were reportedly dressed in loincloth-style garments stitched together from old science fair ribbons, lanyards, and replica astronaut mission patches, some of which officials confirmed were last issued in 2009.

“They had clearly adapted,” said a St. Petersburg Group spokesperson. “But emotionally, they never left the fifth grade.”

Authorities say the former students believed the Science Center was undergoing “temporary renovations” and assumed staff would eventually return.

“So we just kept going,” said one group member, adjusting a sash made entirely of blue participation ribbons. “You can’t stop science.”

According to officials, the group developed a rudimentary society centered around experimentation, observation, and arguing over whose volcano project would have definitely won if judges had “understood it better.”

Researchers documented several ongoing projects at the site, including a solar oven made from scrap plexiglass, a water filtration system labeled “PHASE TWO,” and a chalkboard filled with hypotheses that had been revised daily since at least 2016.

“They’re still waiting for feedback,” said one city planner. “A lot of them seem really proud.”

When informed that the Science Center had permanently closed years ago, several members reportedly fell silent before asking whether their field notebooks would still be graded.

St. Petersburg Group officials emphasized that no one is in danger and that the discovery will not significantly delay redevelopment, though they acknowledged the need to “figure out what to do with them.”

“At the moment, we’re just letting them finish their experiments,” said a spokesperson. “It feels wrong to interrupt.”

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