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Date: March 16 2007
Author: Neil Kelly


Look up and find a world of wonders at Explorit

Have you ever felt like science was just a bit over your head? Explorit’s latest exhibition “Looking Up: The World Above Us” proves that everyone can make surprising discoveries about the scientific wonders looming high in the sky. This exhibit opens Saturday at Explorit’s museum at 2801 Second St.

One of the most fascinating overhead subjects is also one of the most overlooked: the invisible mixture of gas that we know as air. Our atmosphere protects us from cosmic rays and meteorites, supplies us with life-giving oxygen and keeps us warm even after the sun has set. Visitors to the new exhibit will learn about the invisible gases that make up the air as well as the dangers posed by air pollution and global warming.

Many living creatures can be found thriving overhead. Trees may grow hundreds of feet tall and provide a home for countless plants and animals. Some seeds can soar through the air for miles. Bats, birds and insects use wings to travel through the air and some spend most of their lives aloft.
Humans have also conquered the skies, with the help of kites, balloons, planes and rockets. The new exhibit offers opportunities to build a kite, learn about hot air balloons and launch a balloon rocket. Visitors can also build a model skyscraper and learn how engineers can construct buildings thousands of feet tall.

Of course, scientific discovery doesn’t end at the edge of our atmosphere. About 400 years ago, Galileo turned his telescope toward the night sky and discovered craters on the moon, rings around Saturn and moons circling Jupiter. Explorit’s new exhibit features a demonstration of the relative sizes of objects in our solar system and reveals why Pluto is no longer considered a planet. Visitors will also get the chance to safely gaze at the sun and see another of Galileo’s spectacular discoveries, sunspots.

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After learning about science above their heads, visitors to Saturday’s exhibit opening will have a unique opportunity to learn about what goes on inside. Scientists from the Center for Mind and Brain will be on hand for a special Family Exploration entitled “What’s On Your Mind.” Drop in to explore the science of the mind and look at MRI pictures of a human brain. The program, which is free with paid admission to the museum, runs from 1-4 p.m. and is sponsored by Davis Waste Removal.
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Explorit is now accepting enrollment for its upcoming Spring Workshops taking place April 9-13. This week of exciting hands-on programs will offer parents and children the chance to dissect a flower, dig into soil and take a trip across the solar system. More information can be found at the Explorit Web site, www.explorit.org, or by visiting Explorit.
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Explorit Science Center’s new exhibit “Looking Up: The World Above” opens Saturday and runs until June. Paid admission is $4. The museum is open to school groups by reservation and to the general public from Tuesday-Friday, 2-4:30 p.m. and Saturday-Sunday, 11-4:30 p.m Explorit is at 2801 Second St., Davis. For more information: (530) 756-0191 or www.explorit.org.