THE great thing about a visit to the brand new Glasgow ScienceCentre is that it can be anything you want it to be, from a voyageof discovery to a simple family outing that delivers on its promisesof hours of fun and entertainment. It's been engineered that way -all things to all people.
What you must not do is make up your mind before you go thatyou're not going to be sucked into this "science thing".
Often, say staff, people who think they are just enjoyingthemselves are unwittingly absorbed in their own little world ofelementary research, exploring the workings of one item or another,endeavouring to get the best out of each exhibit. And that's whatscience is in its most basic form.
The secret of the centre is that it demystifies science, itproves that science can be fun, that it can fascinate and reward, atall levels and for all ages.
It's not just the province of the men and women in white coats,working behind closed doors on the hitherto unfathomable problems ofthe universe.
The realisation doesn't arrive suddenly, it creeps up on you whenyou're not watching. It may attract you to science as a career, orit may not. Whatever happens, you will never see science in the sameway again.
The science mall has more than 300 exhibits on four floors,covering science, technology, and the world around us.
They are all interactive, visitors can touch, play andexperiment. There are laboratories, science theatres and an e-learning centre. You can make your own digital video, do a 3D headscan and rearrange your features, there are speaking tubes, leversand mirrors, everything from the most fundamental to the mostsophisticated.
Play a harp with light beams, and the remarkable thing is youalways seem to be in tune. Find out how the distorting mirrors ofthe fun fair work.
More contemporary, discover the secrets of the digital world, howlasers and fibre optics are vastly expanding and acceleratingcommunications.
Nowadays we hear terms such as bandwidth and multiplexing beingfreely used by the technologists and others leading thetelecommunications revolution. How do they work? What do they mean?Find out and surprise the internet or telephone repair man next timehe attempts to confuse with technobabble.
Glasgow's future is the subject of one gallery at the base of theGlasgow Tower (another containing multimedia "pods", shows thedevelopment of the city to the present day).
Each of the floors in the spacious, airy mall has a theme.
On the three main floors, the exhibits were designed andmanufactured by world-class teams of experts.
The first floor, demonstrating pure science and the basic rulesof nature, was created by a German company. The second, dealing withscientific solutions applied to real world problems, is the work ofa Canadian group, and the Dutch are responsible for the thirdfloor's challenging moral and ethical questions about theapplication of advancing science. in areas such as cloning andgenetic modification of food.
Many of the exhibits have notices beside them offering simpleexplanations of the science that makes them work.
Staff, including a team of seven resident scientists, are on handif you want genial clarification and demonstration.
Sitting behind a desk on the first floor is 38-year-old Mersey-sider Ben Craven, easily accessible with no more than a looselydraped rope separating him from the public. The sign hanging fromthe rope bears the legend - "Please do not feed the staffscientist".
A graduate of Cambridge and Strathclyde Universities, the onlyfierce feature about the former Stirling University lecturer is theexcitement in his eyes as he talks about his new job.
"I am absolutely wild about this whole concept," he says openinghis arms out to encompass the 10,500 square metre science mall,Glasgow Tower and Imax Theatre. "I cannot stop talking about it.
"I can't remember when I wasn't interested in science. I supposeI'm a kind of Jack of all trades. I love working here because itinvolves such a broad range of scientific disciplines, but the realprize is the reaction from people, which has been almost universallygood.
"We hope people will leave here feeling good about science,realising that it's not dull or intimidating, that they can bescientists too if they want."
We toured round some of Ben's favourite exhibits, and a fewothers besides. Like everywhere in the science mall, there aresurprises awaiting the visitor.
The principles of angular momentum became clear - after I stoppedspinning round - on one model, the ring that leaps suddenly into theair at the press of a button can both surprise and intrigue aselectricity and magnetism combine to achieve lift off. In certainconditions the ring could be made to leap so high it would dent theroof, but perhaps that is best kept behind the laboratory door.
We scanned our hands by ultrasound, and the infrared cameradisplayed our hot spots.
In the discovery areas you can, with the help of a member ofstaff, construct your own device, or even a toy.
A 60 metre race track runs along the huge glass frontage of thebuilding. Passers by on the Clyde can watch as the car you builtpowers its way along the runway. Its speed will be automaticallytimed for you.
You can see a modern version of John Logie Baird's firsttelevision machine, help the pedalling skeleton, change the shape ofa tornado, and watch the hypnotic workings of the huge energymachine, a massive kinetic sculpture which dominates the west end ofthe crescent shaped Science Mall.
More goodies will open in the autumn, in the shape of a 120ftstate-of-the-art planetarium and a virtual reality theatre that willtake you to places you may or may not want to think about - insidethe human body? Or perhaps a journey through the international spacestation.
As I left I was starting to feel good about science.
No comments:
Post a Comment