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exhibit

Circuit Workbench

Try building these circuits found in everyday objects.

Where: Gallery 2: Tinkering

exhibit

Air blowing over the surface of water inside a large Plexiglas hemisphere mimics the action of the wind over the ocean by generating waves. The waves slowly change and build until the entire volume of water is circulating as one wave. Viewers can adjust the speed of the air blower and influence the building of the waves.

Where: Gallery 4: Living Systems

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Distorted Room

From one view, this room looks like a normal room, but people and things inside may seem quite strange.

Where: This exhibit is not currently on view.

exhibit

Drawing Board

Draw hypnotically flowing patterns with a swinging table, and watch friction cause the patterns to slowly shrink along a spiral path.

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Duck Into a Kaleidoscope

Step inside—and reflect.

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Fluttering

A constant stream of air forces a lightweight piece of free-flowing fabric up into the air. The normally invisible air current is suddenly transformed into a colorful visualization of the complexity of the air stream.

Where: Fisher Bay Observatory Gallery 6, Mezzanine

exhibit

Machine with Concrete

A motor is connected to a block of concrete via a simple system of gears. The final gear will make one revolution into the concrete once every 13.7 billion years, yet the machine whirs uninterrupted.

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Out Quiet Yourself

As you walk across the gravel floor of this short tunnel, a sound meter measures your loudness and gives you a score. Can you beat your previous score? Can you beat your friends’ scores?

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Pedal Generator

Power these appliances with your feet!

Where: Gallery 2: Tinkering

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Pendulum Snake

Lift the handle to start this row of pendulums swinging, and then watch as they move in and out of a repeating series of mesmerizing patterns.

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Pi Toss

Toss some chips to estimate pi.

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Pitch Slider

The length of this vibrating rod affects the sound it makes.

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Seeing and Listening Explainer Station

Explainers do light and sound demonstrations.

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Square Wheel

A square wheel can roll smoothly—if the "road" is the right shape.

exhibit

Turbulent Orb

The fluid in the sphere shows swirls and waves of internal fluid motions produced by the actions of the visitors. The turbulence of the fluid in the sphere is reminiscent of the turbulent flows that occur in planetary atmospheres.

Where: Gallery 4: Living Systems

exhibit

Turntable

Experiment with rotational motion (and collisions) here at one of our most addictive exhibits. Disks and balls moving on and across this spinning table swoop and veer hypnotically—and also reveal why storm systems often follow curved paths on weather maps.

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Velvet Hands

A surprising—and as yet unexplained—tactile illusion can occur when you slowly rub your palms across this mesh. You may feel a strange, slippery sensation, as if there’s a thin film of velvet between your hands.

exhibit

What's Hot, What's Not?

At this exhibit, an infrared camera detects the heat radiating from warm objects and projects it on a big screen, allowing you to see what’s hot (and not) about you and the other people and objects in your surroundings.

exhibit

Pinscreen

Create ghostly images with the touch of a hand.

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Time to Think

At this exhibit, you can test your reaction time in three different scenarios—each requiring an increasing amount of thought. In the process, you can actually measure the time it takes your brain to accomplish the extra work of making a (fast) decision.