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TELUS World of Science™ - Edmonton
E x h i b i
t G a l l e r i e s
Explorer
Gallery
- Feature Exhibits
The GEEE! in GENOME
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Explorer Zone
- See our electrifying 7 ft Telsa Coil in
action.
- Design a vehicle in LEGO and test it on
the Race Ramp.
- Chat with R.O.G.E.R., our resident robot.
- Go for a whirl on the Segway Human
Transporter.
- Test out our wind tunnel.
- Explore the different principles of
science through a variety of Science FUNdamental exhibits.
Presented by
Science Fundamentals
Exhibit
Magnetism, Mathematics, Optics, Sound and featuring
two new components Electricity and Structures.
Science Fundamentals
Coloured Shadows Exhibit (Optics cluster)
Science Fundamentals is an interactive exhibit
where you enter the fascinating world of science through a variety of hands-on
experiences. Consisting of ten clusters of exhibits devoted to exploring and
understanding basic science principles of electricity, magnetism, structure,
sound, aerodynamics, mechanisms, optics, motion & forces, mathematics, and
atomic energy.
The first 3 clusters - Magnetism, Optics
and
Sound are now being showcased in the Explorer Gallery, each cluster contains 8 -
12 interactive exhibits allowing you to explore the different concepts relating
to each cluster. Don't miss Mathematics opening December 19 and opening Spring
2006 watch for the launch of Structures and Electricity.
Optics
explores light and how it
interacts in different environments.
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- Visitors can step into the centre of a Giant
Prism created with mirrors to see their image multiplied and
duplicated by the many reflections creating a gigantic kaleidoscope
effect.
- Breaking all of the rules of artistic
colour mixing, another experiment combines red, blue and green
lights to create pure white light projected on a surface
--illustrating how natural light is actually created from a multitude
of colours.
- A mysterious periscope project
allows you to seemingly look through walls using principles of light
reflection.
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Sound explores the basics of sound
waves--what they look like, how fast they travel, what they need to exist,
how we hear them--through a number of visual representations and
intriguing manipulations.
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One component titled "Sound
Delay" snakes your voice through 64 metres of plastic tubing
(about 1/2 the length of a Canadian football field), delaying the
sound, and creating an echo effect which is projected back into the
speaker's ear.
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Two satellite-looking "Whisper
Dishes" positioned across the gallery from each other direct
people to step up and speak softly into the centre of the structure.
The sound is then captured and projected from one dish to
another---using neither cable systems nor electrical wiring.
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There is even an "Alien
Voices" component, allowing visitors to distort their own
voice to produce any number of sounds - from a monster truck announcer
to a chipmunk!
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Pipe Drum Exhibit
Magnetism explores the natural
phenomena of attractive and repulsive forces in materials.
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The "Electro-magnetic
Cannon" launches a metal ring high above the heads of
visitors using power generated from a built-up magnetic charge.
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An "Electric Motor" takes
the idea of producing power back to basics - creating motion by
placing magnets of opposite polarity across from each other.
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An in a "do-not-try-this-at-home"
experiment using an old TV.
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"Bending an Electron Beam with a
Magnet" lets you follow how ions in a television screen
warp and bend the projected image when a magnet is placed on the
glass!
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Bending an Electron Beam with a Magnet
Four Major Exhibit Galleries
The Greens' House in the
EPCOR Environment Gallery
Stroll through "The Greens'
House" where you can discover a diverse environment that's as close
as your own backyard! Check out live critters in the pond, create your own
greenhouse effect, watch a tornado being born, check out what's
happening in Mrs. Green's Workshop presented by Shell Canada Limited, and
see what's up with Edmonton's weather with Global's Weather Watch System.
The Greens' House is a child's
introduction to the local natural world
and encompasses four interrelated concepts fundamental to understanding
the world in which we live and our impact on it:
- Respect for the Environment
- Climate Change
- Weather & Climate
- Alternative Energy Sources
Five distinct but interconnected exhibit
areas throughout will exist.
- Our Garden and Beyond:
relating to sustainable development will be The Pond containing both
live and graphic representations of indicator species of amphibians and fish native to
Alberta.
- Our Greenhouse: will
examine and exemplify the greenhouse effect and its relation to global
warming.
- Mr. Green's Weather Station:
will focus on Mr. Green and his home made weather station located in
his garage.
- Mrs. Green's Workshop: an
inveterate tinkerer forever building weather instruments,
experimenting with alternative energies, and building everything out
of recycled materials. The workshop will provide examples of renewable
and non-renewable resources.
- Our Backyard: visitors
will come to appreciate that the environment is not only out there but
also as close as our own backyard. Trails of tracks lead to animal
burrows, bird nests and people places. The ground has been opened up
and cut away so visitors can explore underground. Looking around, the
visitor can see all the elements of The Green’s backyard.
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exhibit area appears as a picture perfect postcard setting: the
idyllic backyard of a cozy home, a tidy garden and greenhouse, plus
a small pond and green grass growing all around.
The garden gives way to a greenhouse;
a tree house is armed with a bird-spotting scope; and a garage and
workshop, doors open, invite exploration. Visitors can walk around
the house to the veranda.
Live plants and animals, green space, birdsong and natural light
will combine with innovative exhibits to create a pastoral oasis
within the TELUS World of Science - Edmonton.
But only at a glance – when visitors look more closely they
discover all the activity that is happening constantly, even in
their own backyards.
By ‘bringing home’ the environment to our visitors through these
exhibits also tell the story of the people of Alberta, both urban
and rural, and the extremes of weather we experience in our
province. They explore the importance of caring for small, personal
ecosystems as well as larger regional or global ones, and reveal
that we are just one of the many life forms inhabiting a wondrous
world. |
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The Body
Fantastic in the Allard Family Gallery
Immerse yourself in the carnival of
"The Body Fantastic" where large 3-dimensional models let you
experience how our bodies work, how our brains make sense of the world
around us and, best of all, everything weird about our bodies in the
Gallery of the Gross!
Personal responsibility for wellness,
lifestyle decisions, and scientific advancements in the health care field
demand that we all must know more about ourselves, how we develop, and the
impact our day-to-day decisions have on our health.
Exhibits and programs in this area develop
public awareness and improve our understanding of our own bodies and the
health issues of the day through three thematic treatments that will
personalize the relevance of health and wellness:
- My Body – How It Works
- My Body – Whose In Charge Around
Here?
- My Body – Gross Delights.
These new exhibits and programs introduce
visitors to a wide range of health topics and issues, increase their
appreciation for the complex machines that our bodies are, and introduce a
more holistic concept of ‘health care’ that includes personal health
practices, social support networks and the environment into which we place
our bodies.
In an effort to present the health sciences
in a way that will move people to action, we are taking the approach that
the carnival of The Body Fantastic has just rolled into town and visitors
are invited to experience its amazing wonder and thrills and chills.
The immersive environment for these exhibits is a night-time midway, where
colourful sideshow banners sell the wonders of the senses and sundry body
systems. Games of skill invite you to mimic body processes; talkers reel
you in with surprising body facts and dare you to step closer and see real
human organs (whole and halved).
Towers of scaffolding and rear-projected graphics on fabric suggest that
the carnival was just pulled out of the box (New! Never Before Seen!) and
assembled overnight. Hot spots of light illuminate the floor and exhibits.
A billowing tent houses a "Brain Theatre" with the sound of the
show within spilling out and adding to the noise-scape. A loud speaker
entreats passers-by to step behind a lurid, glowing green curtain into the
"Gross Out Gallery" and experience the extraordinary spectacle
within.
By personalizing the experience for our visitors, we can offer balanced
information on a wide variety of fundamental health and wellness concepts
that will lead to an enhanced ability to understand the more complex
issues of personal and social responsibility.
Exhibit Concepts & Messages
Taken as a whole, these exhibits tell the
story of the human body, our senses and organ systems, our fragility and
strength and our personal responsibility for wellness as individuals and
communities.
Giant body parts, models, murals and large two-dimensional graphic panels
give visitors big and small the sensation of walking through a giant
pop-up book of "My Body".
Three main types of activities present a
wide range of information:
- Come Closer exhibits
provide large-scale models of various body parts;
- See for Yourself exhibits engage
the visitor in activities illustrating the principles being examined;
- Look if you Dare exhibits invite
visitors to examine in closer detail real or replica human body parts
and/or compare them to those of animals.
‘Believe-it-or-not’ facts front each
exhibit to expand upon the subjects presented. Connections are also
made between lifestyle choices and disease through ‘Risky Business’
graphics and text.
Overall, The Body Fantastic exhibits and activities help demystify a
fascinating, but often intimidating, subject for our visitors.
The personal relevance of this information is conveyed through exhibits
and activities in three thematic groupings, designed to be rich in
discovery activities and as fun and game-like as possible:
My Body – How It Works
- "Sense-O-Rama" exhibits
introduces visitors to the mechanics, function, and interrelations
between the body parts involved in our five senses. Large-scale three-dimensional models (Giant Tongue, Giant Nose, Giant
Eye, Giant Ear, Giant Fingers) invite exploration of our sensory link to the
environment around us and how our senses can be fooled;
- "Journey of the Eaten"
exhibits explain the digestive system by following the path of a hot
dog eaten at the carnival;
- "Your Main Squeeze" exhibits
explore the heart and circulatory system;
- "The Human Sponge" and
"The Talking Head" acquaint visitors with the respiratory
system and voice production;
- "Dr. Plasmato’s Elixir of
Life" exhibits take a closer look at everything related to blood:
blood cells, blood pressure, how high cholesterol can impede its
availability throughout the body, and how we function as our own ‘waste
treatment plants’ in purifying this essential renewable resource;
- "Bony Wonders and Muscle
Marvels" exhibits explore how it’s all held together and what
we’re capable of;
- "Under the Big Head" exhibits
serve as an introduction to the brain and nervous system through a
wide variety of interactive experiences.
My Body – Whose In Charge Around
Here?
The "brain theatre" offers
visitors a video experience – designed to allow for incorporation of a
live presenter -- taking them into the body’s bustling command
centre.
There are two levels to the presentation:
- how the brain coordinates body functions
and deals with inputs
- what’s involved in our perception and
interpretation of that information
Two messages will also be conveyed through
this experience:
- the brain can be fooled
- the brain works exceptionally well in
making sense of confusing information
In the "brain theatre" visitors
gain a real appreciation of the concepts of cause and effect as it relates
to their body – and their personal choices.
My Body – Gross Delights
Anything and everything slimy, sticky,
noisy, or smelly that is produced by or lives in the human body is
showcased through lots of ‘See for Yourself’ and ‘Look If You Dare’
displays.
Throughout, opportunities to make connections between personal choice and
wellness abound.
The Body Fantastic exhibits also incorporate profiles of Alberta
scientists and showcase the scientific achievements of the region. They
explore the wonders of that most personal of environments -- our bodies
– and the impact upon our bodies of the social and physical environments
in which we place them. And these exhibits direct visitors to credible
sources of additional health information that may be of personal interest
to them as individuals.
Mystery
Avenue in the Hole Family Gallery
Explore the intriguing
world of "Mystery Avenue". Here you'll put on your detective cap
to solve the crime of the day by collecting clues at the scene of the
crime, analyzing them in the crime lab and checking your conclusions
against those of other visitors in the Police Station.
Few subjects hold such inherent fascination for people as crime. We are
all interested in the human dramas behind the initial crime, the
participants, and the final resolution.
Using this fascination as a catalyst, the Forensic exhibits explore the
many facets of science, both high tech and low tech, used to solve crimes.
Forensics involves a wide range of the sciences, from biological and
anatomical to social and psychological. All play a role in examining
evidence, determining suspects and proving innocence or guilt.
The immersive environment for the exhibits
is a dramatic, realistic street scene – a walk through a Raymond
Chandler novel. There are streetlights, post boxes, garbage cans and
neon.
Authentic looking building lines the street: the Magnolia Tree rooming
house, a forensics lab and a police station. A small ‘town square’
anchors the centre of the gallery. A soundscape recreate the dramatic
sounds of the city at night; it is always night on Mystery Avenue.
The Forensic exhibits are arranged in three thematic areas,
each with a distinct focus:
- The Crime Scene – looking for evidence
- The Crime Lab – using science to find
out ‘whodunit’
- The Police Station – exploring and
contributing to forensic history
There are two ways to experience
these exhibits:
- visitors can wander through the three
areas in any order, interacting with individual exhibits; exhibits
will be designed to stand on their own, telling a complete story
without relying on the visitor viewing any previous exhibit
- alternatively, visitors can participate
in a more structured process of evidence collection, analysis, and
testing a case to determine if they have, in fact, charged the right
suspect. Although all visitors are free to visit any part of the
gallery at any time those taking up the challenge of solving a
specific crime will want to first visit the Scene of the Crime, the
Forensics Lab and then the Police Station.
The exhibits and activities within each
area are designed to generate a high degree of interaction and dialogue.
Visitors are invited to do some detective work of their own, and to test
their powers of observation and examine their own personal biases as
compared to those of other visitors.
Exhibit Concepts & Messages
Mystery Avenue is divided into three separate areas: the Crime Scene, the
Crime Lab, and the Police Station.
The Crime Scene
A crime has been committed at the Magnolia Tree Apartments and you will take on the role of detective to determine “whodunit.”
Using your powers of observation, your job is to gather the evidence that
needs to be analyzed.
The Crime Lab
At the heart of the exhibit is the crime lab, housing 35 interactive
stations where you can analyze the data that has been collected and take a
closer look at forensic science. Learn about fingerprints, bullet
analysis, DNA, handwriting, and more. This is also the place to analyze
the evidence that has been collected from the crime scene.
The Police Station
Now it’s time to test your conclusions and see if the evidence collected
and assigned to an individual will hold up in court. The station also
takes a historical look at Edmonton’s past through the eyes of the
Police Service.
Gallery
- REOPENING DECEMBER 2008
Space
Place in the TransCanada PipeLines Gallery
"Space Place" lets you join
one of four teams of scientists assigned to investigate all aspects of
space exploration, from whether there's life on other planets to how we
should keep the world safe from asteroids. You can also operate a robotic
device and test it out on a lunar surface, try out an astronaut suit and
so much more!
To promote the proud
traditions and achievements of the Canadian Space Program, information on
Canada’s contribution to international space exploration and pioneering
achievements in space (e.g Radarsat) is featured. Through photos and
profiles, visitors learn about Canadian Astronauts and their role in the
space program, helping to further inspire young "would-be"
astronauts to pursue their studies in the sciences.
Space exploration is dramatic and exciting, involving the most current
technology and the most exotic hardware. But the story about space is more
than astronaut heroes and high-tech hardware. It is the product of people
doing a wide variety of tasks, and all with the desire to explore.
In an effort to present the enormous, intriguing and often daunting
subject of Space in a way that can be more approachable and relevant to
our visitors, we are inviting them to become participants in a series of
"Space Place" team initiatives.
The immersive environment for the exhibits will be a hands-on think tank
environment dedicated to the coolest of the hottest space subjects.
Visitors can access these exhibits by passing through light beams and
sound fields that ‘test’ them for security clearance and provide ‘decontamination’,
heightening the sense of entry into a restricted access area.
The Space exhibits within will be arranged in four ‘research’ areas,
each ‘occupied’ by a team of scientists:
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Team 9 –
hard at work "Discovering Planetary Patterns"
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The Ark Yard
– devising means for "Living and Working in Space"
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Collision Control –
dedicated to "Scanning the Skies for Threats to Earth"
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Team Goldilocks
– intent on "Searching the Wild Black Yonder for Intelligent
Life"
Out-of-this-world problems are
being tackled by these four teams of researchers.
Personal effects, lab records, reports from the field, e-mail and phone
messages reflect the personalities of the researchers, and give visitors a
sense of the human side of space exploration.
The exhibits and activities within each area are designed to generate a
high degree of interaction and dialogue. Visitors are invited to do
some ‘space place thinking’ of their own and to post their own
questions, reflections, opinions and research ideas.
Exhibit Concepts & Messages
Taken as a whole, these exhibits tell the story of space exploration as a
human endeavour, with many benefits and implications of great personal
relevance to each of us. By personalizing the experience for our visitors,
we can best correct misconceptions and offer balanced and accurate
information on a wide variety of space-related scientific concepts.
Team 9 – Discovering Planetary Patterns
Team 9 compares the planets to each other and to Earth, looking for
patterns. They hope to better understand the processes that shape the
planets, and to see into Earth’s past and future.
The centrepiece of this Earth observation workspace will be devoted to
remote sensing, particularly robotics.
Visitors are able to maneuver an exploratory rover over a stretch of rocky
Mars, across an ice-slick sheet of Europa, and through fresh Ionian
sulphur snow. They rely on feedback from the rover’s camera to track its
position and be able to operate models of rover attachments. Other remote
sensing exhibits will illustrate the importance of a space perspective of
Earth, the use of radiation to map and study this and other planets, and
means of communication with distant probes.
Surrounding exhibits compare the characteristics (weather, craters,
volcanoes, and magnetic fields) of Earth and other planets. Information on
actual unmanned, interplanetary expeditions (Magellan and Galileo, to name
just two) will be featured in all exhibit areas. Visitors can also find
exhibits on seasons, length of day, the phases of the Moon and ‘space
weather’ (for example, solar winds and solar cycles) in Team 9’s area.
And, they’ll be able to use the computer interactive Planetary Explorer’
to take a tour of the solar system.
The Ark Yard – Living and Working in Space
The team in the Ark Yard is designing a self-sufficient vehicle to
transport a human crew through the solar system.
Collision Control – Scanning the Skies for Threats to
Earth
The Collision Control Team is scanning the skies for near-Earth objects:
comets, asteroids, meteoroids, cosmic rays and space junk. They want to
understand the physical characteristics of these space travelers, and the
dangers they pose to Earth. The atmosphere in Collision Control will be
somewhat tense; it will have the feel of a high-tech war room.
The visitor will also have an opportunity to examine a Moon rock and
discover a variety of interesting facts in relation to the Moon and the
retrieval of these valuable rocks. As well, automated and oversized models
of the Earth and Moon will orbit just above the visitor’s head to
accentuate their experience.
Team Goldilocks – Searching the Wild Black Yonder for
Intelligent Life
Team Goldilocks operates in the mind-challenging fields of cosmology and
deep space. Their mission is to identify the ‘just right’ conditions
needed for life to exist. They search through the deepest, darkest corners
of space, looking for stars, planets, bizarre celestial features, and of
course, alien life.
The centrepiece of their area will be the ‘business end’ of a large,
multi-purpose observing telescope: the Wave Machine. As with most
contemporary telescopes, images gathered by the telescope will appear on a
monitor. Visitors are able to call up one of many video programs at an
Observation station alongside the Wave machine. These programs will
present information on the early universe, stellar life cycles, the
interstellar medium, the Sun, planet hunting, SETI, and telescopes.
Other exhibits focus on calculating distance in space and the search for
alien life. Visitors are able to estimate the number of alien
civilizations in the Milky Way and explore what alien life might look like
under different planetary conditions. They are able to use the Alien
Morphing computer interactive to capture an image of their face and watch
as it transforms into a being adapted to life on another planet.
The
Amateur Radio Station
It is one of North America's most
advanced Ham Radio Stations.
It lets you reach all around the world
(VE6SSC).
The Antenna of the Amateur Radion Station.
The Amateur Radio Station opened
during the summer of 1995 and is now located just outside the Margaret
Zeidler Star Theatre next to the new Chemistry Lab. Licensed amateur
volunteer operators work within this area to share information about this
popular hobby and the science behind amateur radio.
The Discoveryland
Gallery
This interactive gallery was designed
for children 2 to 8 years of age. Families can work and explore together
in anyone of four Zones:
- Potter's Corner the upper Zone is
a introduction to "early exploration". This Zone is
dedicated to the memory of Don Potter who contributed greatly to the
development of the Centre through his active participation as a Board
member.
- Discovery Zone contains a live
working bee hive (seasonal exhibit), discovery boxes, Little Tykes computers and more.
- Water Works is where children can
experience a wave tank, bubble basketball, water locks, etc.
- Construction Zone invites all to
build, construct, learn and have a great time.
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