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Cosmic toilet breaks and sticky freezer doors: science Powerhouse-style |
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Ever wondered about the first known voyage to the moon or wanted to plan your own? Have you pondered why the freezer door sticks? Does meeting the ghost of an early computer inventor tickle your fancy? Or does a date with Sylvie, a verbally enhanced artificially intelligent 'verbot' sound more like your style?
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Teach the artificially intelligent robot Stumpy to stand up and walk at the Cyberworlds exhibition
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These are only a handful of the science experiences you can delve into at Sydney's Powerhouse Museum, which began life more than 125 years ago in a quest to 'explain the science of everyday life'.
While the possibility of 'virtual reality' is explored at the Powerhouse, they don't provide a museum experience for visitors who want to stay at home - yet! So the best way to experience what the Powerhouse has to offer is to get yourself down there, in the flesh, and get your hands on some of Australia's most fascinating science and technology exhibits.
Space: beyond this world examines the human desire to travel beyond Earth, from the earliest myths and legends through to the future plans of space agencies. Get your space mitts into real space hardware, photographs, videos and interactive exhibits.
If you think a 'sputnik' is a good looking guy called Nick, you better get your head around the era of the space age, which began in 1957 with the launch of Sputnik-1, the world's first artificial satellite.
Think a career as an astronaut might be up your alley? Get inside a replica space station and see the dining delights of space - is it really those space food bars? And don't forget to learn how astronauts pee while you're planning your own mission into space.
Enthusiasts can learn about the first known voyage to the moon and see the first ever science-fiction film. Learn about the development of the rocket, launching off from 13th century China - and then design your own!
Experimentations delves into the science behind familiar things and how scientific and technological breakthroughs have answered questions and changed our ideas about everyday phenomena. Experiment with colour, heat, light, chemistry, electricity and movement.
Discover the history of lighting, see how a battery works by generating an electric current, and how static electricity can be made, stored and released as sparks. Find out about controlling and measuring temperature, feel the force of air pressure and make a ball fly in a stream of air.
Cyberworlds questions the relationship between people and computers, and their impact on our lives. Are our concerns today so different from those a hundred years ago? This evolving exhibition showcases advances, applications and issues in information technology as they arise.
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Hands-on science - the Powerhouse's plasma ball at the Experimentations exhibition
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See part of the Difference Engine, a rare precursor to the first computer designed by the brilliant mathematician Charles Babbage in the 1820s and meet this information pioneer as his ghost travels through time into the present and the possible future.
And for the ultimate in human verses machine intelligence, meet Sylvie, a verbally enhanced artificially intelligent 'verbot'. She can converse with you about a broad range of topics. Or experience cutting edge scientific research through Stumpy, a robot that learns to stand up and walk.
Get your paranoia-metre racing with the Enigma ciphering machine, used during World War II to crack German military codes - and have a go at cracking your own secret code!
Check out www.powerhousemuseum.com for more information or call 02 9217 0111.
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