This page contains the material submitted to the local paper - The Davis Enterprise - for Explorit Science Center's news column published in that paper on Fridays.

Article for: The Davis Enterprise
Date: December 9, 2005
Author: Kimberly Bernick

LAST WEEKEND TO EXPLORE OUR CHANGING PLANET

Why are maps usually drawn one way? What, exactly, is inside the earth? What forces are strong enough to alter the appearance of a mountain range? 

Explorit Science Center's current exhibition "On Shaky Ground: Our Changing Planet", lets visitors discover the answers to these questions, plus many more. But, don't miss out: this is the last weekend that this exhibit will be open.

The exhibition is sponsored in part by Hewlett Packard and Far Western Anthropological Research Group.

Make a Saturday visit to Explorit and take part in the Family Exploration program "Rockology 101", which is sponsored by Davis Waste Removal. Make a chalk mural, perform geology tests and make take home mineral models out of paper. The Family Exploration program runs from 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm, and is free with paid admission to the museum.

Inside the exhibit hall, the geological discovery will be in full swing throughout Saturday and Sunday. As visitors first enter the museum, they will come face to face with a large map of the world. Upon first glance, the map appears to be typical. However, after close inspection, visitors will notice that the map has been hung with North pointing down. Does this mean that the map is really upside down? Or, is the fact that North usually points up completely dependent upon the mapmaker's frame of reference? Visitors are encouraged to mull that over for a minute. 

As it turns out, since Earth is a sphere in space, there is not really an up or down. Mapmakers are historically from the Northern hemisphere, and tend to draw maps with North facing up. Astronauts who are orbiting Earth in the space shuttle frequently see views of Earth that look much like the map hanging in the Center's exhibit hall.

With thinking caps on and minds ready to discover, visitors are invited to explore other exhibits and learn much more about our changing planet. Take the plunge and check out what Earth looks like on the inside. Try and name Earth's inner layers. Open up the globe and draw diagrams of those inner layers on a separate sheet.

Or, use the earthquake shake table to actually see what happens when the earth starts shaking. As residents of California, most Explorit visitors are accustomed to the Earth shaking about beneath their feet every now and then. Where is the most movement when an earthquake occurs? Imagine what is happening inside the Earth during an actual earthquake.

All of these activities plus many more will be available for visitors to experience throughout this weekend. Whether coming to enjoy the museum and the Family Exploration program, or to spend a leisurely afternoon immersed in hands-on discovery, the current exhibit should not be missed.

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Explorit Science Center is at 3141 Fifth St. in East Davis. The current exhibition "On Shaky Ground: Our Changing Planet" runs through Dec. 11. Explorit's exhibition hall will be closed December 12-16 and will reopen with the new exhibition "Catch a Wave: The Science of Light and Sound" on Dec. 17. Public hours are Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and Tuesday through Friday from 2 to 4:30 p.m. For more information, visit www.explorit.org or call Explorit at (530) 756-0191.