Event 3 – The Discovery Science Center

The Discovery Science Center is located in Orange County and has a variety of interactive, fun exhibits—a great place for children to learn and interact with science. The center has a lot of great, engaging exhibits that talk about really current issues and discoveries such as recycling, buying organic goods, Curiosity’s launch to Mars, and a variety of phenomena such as how waves, typhoons, and cyclones work.

One of the first exhibits that caught my attention was this cordless, laser harp.

You could run your fingers through the harp and it would start detecting your hands through the lasers, send the information to a computer, which would then translate your movement into a note. This piece really represents how far computers have gone and have you could incorporate science and art. Lasers are also a large part of the medical industry and you don’t see them being used for artistic reasons very often.

            Another piece I noted was this large, revolving model of Curiosity on Mars.

An interactive touch screen was positioned to talk about the various components of Curiosity, from its various cameras to its power source. Curiosity is really paving the way for space exploration and is a great item to learn about at this center. It also gave some fun facts about Mars such as how its arctic snowcaps revealed that Mars had water.

            There were also a series of exhibits showing how natural phenomena worked—such as waves, cyclones and whirlpools. These exhibits were interactive and allowed the user to touch and change-up the exhibits.

Exhibits like these that teach science through art is a great way to get children involved in science. Thinking back to some of my chemical engineering classes--- some of the equations got really complex and abstract, and the best thing to do in these cases were to think back to exhibits like these that show how things work in a fun and interactive way.

Sources

1. Choi, Charles. "Mars: Facts and Information About the Red Planet." n.d. n. page. Web. 13 Dec. 2013. <http://www.space.com/47-mars-the-red-planet-fourth-planet-from-the-sun.html>.

2. "Discovery Science Center." n.d. n. page. Web. 13 Dec. 2013. <http://www.discoverycube.org/>.

3. "Laser Products and Instruments." FDA. 06 27 2013: n. page. Web. 13 Dec. 2013. <http://www.fda.gov/radiation-emittingproducts/radiationemittingproductsandprocedures/homebusinessandentertainment/laserproductsandinstruments/default.htm>.

4. "NASA Rover Results Include First Age Measurement on Mars and Help for Human Exploration." 09 Dec 2013: n. page. Web. 13 Dec. 2013. <http://www.nasa.gov/jpl/msl/mars-rover-curiosity-20131209.html

5. "SEVERE WEATHER 101." n.d. n. page. Web. 13 Dec. 2013. <http://www.nssl.noaa.gov/education/svrwx101/>.

Event 2 - Griffith Oberservatory

            For my second event, I went to a Los Angeles landmark, the Griffith Observatory. The beautiful pathway of the Hollywood hills led to the grand observatory. It is the perfect setting to learn a lot about science in a beautifully artistic setting.

The pieces and exhibits at the observatory were pretty diverse. Some had to do with electricity, some had to do with chemistry, some physics, but most had to do with Earth and Space-which we discussed in the last lecture was the broadest topic. One of the most intriguing pieces was one of the first exhibits-the camera obscura. 

Inside a dark room on a flat surface, one can see a moving panoramic image of Los Angeles in real time. The camera obscura image is created by projecting an image of the outside world into a dark room through a pinhole. The camera obscura on the Griffith observatory roof uses a mirror and rotating turret to produce the reflected image seen here. This optical device, although seemingly high-tech, is an ancient device that is traced back to the the times of Aristotle where astronomers used them to observe the Sun.

            Another fun piece I enjoyed was the large and interactive periodic table with each square on the table represented by a physical representation and sample of each element. This piece represents one of the key tools in chemistry and as a chemical engineer I found it very amusing to display it in such an artistic styling. The piece gets the point across to both kids and adults alike.

There were a lot of different pieces and I could go on and on about the basic and advanced scientific facts that I learned and re-learned in fun, creative ways. The best way to experience this beautiful, fun, and educational landmark is definitely to go see for yourself!

Sources

1. Eaglin, Desiree. "Guide to the Griffith Observatory." (2011): n. page. Print. <http://losangeles.cbslocal.com/guide/guide-to-the-griffith-observatory/>.

2. "Griffith Observatory." n. page. Web. 11 Dec. 2013. <http://www.griffithobs.org/>.

3. "The Camera Obscura in History." n. page. Web. 12 Dec. 2013. <http://www.obscurajournal.com/history.php>.

4. The Whole World on a Disk. N.d. Video. Youtube.com, Los Angeles. Web. 12 Dec 2013. <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y-wZcNVGV2E>.

5. Vesna, Victoria, and . Space Part 1. 2012. Video. Youtube.com, Los Angeles. Web. 29 Nov 2013. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ZIqTR332l8>.

Event 1- GLOW Santa Monica

            At the beginning of the quarter, I went to Santa Monica pier and got to experience something that I’d never seen before and was happy to attend; GLOW Santa Monica. I had been to the Santa Monica pier several times since coming to UCLA but I had never seen the landmark like I did when I saw GLOW. GLOW was an all-night experience where artists decorated the pier with their original glowing commissions. The crowds were large and excited and the energy of the town was contagious.

            One of the first pieces I saw that night was Professor Vesna’s Octopus Mandala Glow (OMG!).  Although I did not participate in this commission, it was fun seeing the glowing headpieces of those that did participate. The pieces were impressive, covering the passengers from head to toe.

From far away I saw the glowing headpieces circling the ferris wheel. The ferris wheel is already a beautiful site on a normal day, but it was ice to incorporate the ferris wheel and make it into a spiritual and artistic experience as it was one of the largest glowing items that night as it is every night. The technology and art really came together in this piece to create a group mandala, that allowed people to express themselves individually within a unified structure, on the world’s largest solar powered ferris wheel.

            The smaller pieces hanging on the trees on the beach were some of my favorite pieces by Shana Koenig.

Each piece was so intricate and exhibited so much movement. The pieces combine art and technology by combining fiber optics, glass, LEDs, and crystals. The pieces each have a lot of detail and represent deep sea creatures one could find in the depths of the ocean. This video captures Koenig’s Solar Sea creatures in the beginning and Janet Echelman’s “The Space between Us” in the end. 

Overall the experience was a lot of fun and the spectacles were well worth navigating through the crowds. I am excited to attend this event in another 3 years.

Sources:

1. "About GLOW." n. page. Web. 11 Dec. 2013.  <http://glowsantamonica.org/about/>.

2. Cunningham , Lori. "What is a Mandala?." n. page. Web. 11 Dec. 2013. <http://www.mandalaproject.org/What/>.

3. "Glow 2013." n. page. Web. 11 Dec. 2013. <http://octopusmandala.com/>.

4. Koenig, Shana. "Solar Sculptures." n. page. Web. 11 Dec. 2013. <http://shanakoenig.com/>.

5. Tate, Laura. The Space Between Us Highlight at Glow Santa Monica. N.d. Video. Youtube.comWeb. 11 Dec 2013. <http://www.deliciousvoyages.com/the-space-between-us-highlight-at-glow-santa-monica.html>.