Event 3: California Science Center

Display in front of the
California Science Center entrance

I had an incredible time at the California Science Center. I typically associate the word museum with artwork, such as paintings and sculptures, so this museum/center was complete shift from that paradigm. What is unique about this museum is that it is completely centered around science. All the exhibits and artwork are associated to a branch of science, from astronomy to molecular biology and chemistry. Right before the entrance is a display of suspended golden orbs. I think this display elegantly captures what the California Science Center is; the California Science Center aims to teach and inform people about various scientific topics in an artistic and visual manner. Without context, this fixture itself could be a work of art, but in this specific context, this display reminds me of space and how our universe is estimated to have trillions of planets and is filled with so many discoveries and possibilities. The California Science Center can be seen as a bridge, a merging of the two cultures (Vesna).

There was a wide arrange of exhibitions, including one on Fear, Air & Space endeavors, and even King Tut! I enjoyed all of them but my personal favorite was the World of Life exhibit. The World of Life exhibit focused on biology- from the microscopic level to the macroscopic level. Similar to Joan Fontcuberta's work Hemogram that uses blood as self- portraits (Fontcuberta), blood was a main component for many of the exhibits. A display titled Blood and Hearts Exhibit aimed to illustrate that blood is a shared bodily fluid between many of the animals, and even showcased an actual heart! The Blood and Hearts display was an interactive display that allowed you to match

Blood and Hearts Exhibit 

each animal with its heart rate. It was almost like a game that subtly informed you about this process.

Model of Carbon Nanotube 

Another exhibit focused around nanotechnology, which is a future unit for this class. Nanotechnology involves control of matter at the atomic and molecular level and has potential to impact our lives (Gimzewski & Vesna). Nanotechnology will be more present in the future as scientists use nanotech to develop products of various characteristics, including a higher strength and a lower weight. This interactive model allowed one to see the structure of a carbon nanotube, a conductive, sturdy, and lightweight material used in nanotechnology. I liked how the model was blown-up, so that you could understand and see the structure at nanotechnology, since nanotechnology occurs at the nanoscale and is typically not visible to the eye. The model could be taken apart and played with, allowing you to see the honeycomb shape that allows the carbon nanotube to have it strength. 

The California Science Center is filled with immersive and comprehensive exhibits that spark your curiosity and teach you new things. I highly recommend visiting this museum because it was a very interactive museum that presented knowledge in a fun and engaging manner!

My twin sister Christina and me!

Sources:
Vesna, Victoria. "Toward a Third Culture: Being in Between." Leonardo, vol. 34, no. 2, 2001, pp. 121-125, http://www.jstor.org/stable/1577014. Accessed 13 May 2018.
Fontcuberta, Joan. "Hemograms". 1998. http://angelsbarcelona.com/en/artists/joan-fontcuberta/projects/hemogramas/107. Accessed 15 May 2018.
Gimzewski, Jim & Vesna, Victoria. "The Nanomeme Syndrome: Blurring of fact & fiction in the construction of a new science". 2003. http://vv.arts.ucla.edu/publications/publications/02-03/JV_nano/JV_nano_artF5VG.htm Accessed 16 May 2018.