Utah Science Center

utah science center homepage | July 24, 2008

Philosophy and Objective ›

Tools and Perspectives ›

Themes: YOU! HOME ENERGY ›

Exhibits, Activities, Special Places ›

Resources ›

Partner Collaborations ›

Leonardo's Spaces ›

People ›

Philosophy and Objective

"An educated citizenry is the only safe repository for democratic values,"
—Thomas Jefferson.

We live in a modern, 21st century society. Citizens and residents must deal with many issues—most of which involve scientific and technical components. An empowered and responsible citizenry must have some awareness and understanding of the scientific and technical principles which underlie societal, economic, and political issues and topics. They should have an appreciation and understanding of how our world 'works'. They must also appreciate what we do not know—and the process which scientists and others use to obtain further understanding and knowledge.

A general objective of The Leonardo is to enhance each visitor's imagination, motivation, and citizenship through the fostering of creativity, critical and objective thinking, and problem solving skills.

Tools and Perspectives

Seeing: in new ways and from multiple perspectives saper vedere—meaning multi-sensory and multi-parametric, interactive, visualization.

Data and Numbers: derived dynamically, in real time, and (when possible) from the visitor himself and considering statistics, populations, and distributions. Mathematics concepts and principles are to be included wherever useful and feasible. Mathematics-based activities, games, and simulations are to be included.

Time: ranging from the present to the past, and from the present to the future—and considering very long (5 billion years) and very short (nano-second) times, in the context of scaling and perspective. Random, cumulative, linear, and non-linear activities are to be included. TimeTravel—The Leonardo.

The Goal is to incorporate these three tools and perspectives throughout the facility—in all its exhibits and programs.

A key objective is to empower the ASKING of questions, and to aid the visitor in developing her process in searching for Answers to those questions.

Themes: YOU! HOME ENERGY

Theme 1: YOU are (often) the subject, the object, the specimen—You ARE the experiment—in our 'third generation' science center. You are an active participant. We will celebrate our individuality and uniqueness—our 'abnormalities' and creativities—through measurements, data, and analyses.

Theme 2: Earth is HOME.

Earth is—in Carl Sagan’s words—a 'pale, blue dot'—a special and unique tiny blue sphere in the infinite vastness of the Universe. You will fly over Earth, viewing any segment of Earth's surface, zooming wherever you choose, 'piloting' and controlling The Leonardo’s unique Sphere of Humanity—a seven foot globe, dynamically displaying a wide variety of planetary data—suspended and glowing in the second floor's Center for the Big Picture.

Theme 3: ENERGY is the most basic concept in Science and Engineering and a key factor in our health and economic well being. From the Sun to photosynthesis, fossil fuels, and personal bioenergetics—including nutrition, exercise, obesity and diabetes—Energy is alive, obvious, everywhere—at The Leonardo. Energy and that elusive idea called Entropy are the grand Yin-Yang of our world and of the Universe itself.

There is no 'Hall" of ENERGY, or of HOME, or of YOU! The three themes are general and have considerable overlap, yet each is distinct and vital to the scientific and technical awareness of all visitors.

Exhibits, Activities, Special Places

The Leonardo has working with Gyroscope, Inc. (www.gyroscopeinc.com) to plan and coordinate exhibit and program planning and development and with StudioDDM (www.leonardo3.net) of Milan to develop the Leonardo da Vinci connection, credibility, and presence. Various scenarios and possibilities are now being discussed. A more complete plan is now available.

The Leonardo-Science is planning six major initial exhibit clusters and programs:

Health (Lifeworks)
Energy and Environment
Luck, Risk, and Uncertainty
The Big Picture
On the Edge—and Beyond
Other Topics

Each will have a range of interactive exhibits and activities designed for individual and/or small group involvement. Each is being designed to include aspects and perspectives related to art and culture as well as science and technology. 'Inside' each cluster of activities is a Special Place—an 'inner sanctum'—hosted by a key staff member, where visitors/participants can get more fully involved in the subject.

Health—is a set of highly interactive exhibits involving:

Nutrition (Energy IN)

Exercise and Movement (Energy OUT)

The Senses

Anatomy and Physiology

Problems and Pathologies:

Causes and Risk: Life Style, Genes, Environment, Health Care System

Puberty and Hormones---and Menopause and beyond

Pain and Depression

Obesity, Diabetes, Osteoporosis, Cardiovascular problems

Drugs—Chemical Therapies

Addiction

Placebos and Beyond—Faith-based and Mental Therapies

Health Data Visualization—international perspectives

The Direct measurements ON the visitor (voluntarily, of course!) of many or all of these easily and safely measured factors may be available:

Blood Flow (carotid artery)

Blood Pressure

Body Impedance

Digital Image

EEG (brain waves)

ECG (heart waves)

EMG (muscle potentials)

Height

Oximetry (oxygen in blood)

Pulse

Respiration Rate

Skin Conductivity

Temperature

Urine color

Urine glucose

Urine pH

Weight

The visualization of personal data, in the context of larger populations and data sets, and participation in such 'research', will involve the visitor and empower her to ask questions. Related to visualization is Leonardo da Vinci's anatomical studies and drawings. Leonardo—if he were alive today—would have been fascinated and likely directly involved with non-invasive imaging of the interiors of body structures, including brain anatomy and activity.

Although numbers and data are very important, numbers in isolation are almost meaningless—they need to be SEEN in the context of other numbers, populations, etc. — not as numbers but as graphics, images, patterns, networks, etc.

Energy: Energy is one of our three major themes.

Literally everything is connected to and dependent on Energy. The very basic Laws of Physics are founded on the concept of Energy.

Life requires Energy IN and Energy OUT—If In exceeds Out, the difference is stored as fat (obesity); if Out exceeds In, the result is malnutrition and eventually starvation.

Our Home Planet—especially Life on the Planet—is totally dependent on the solar energy emanating from the SUN—a fusion reactor a safe hundred million miles away! Practically all environmental issues and concerns are directly linked to Energy. Homes, transportation, businesses, economies require energy.

Activities/Exhibits under consideration include:

Energy OUT—Sports and Physical Performance

Auras—the Body Electric

Materials, Matter, Stuff—Energy and Chemistry

Energy for Sale—Fossil Fuels, Chemicals, and Nuclei

The ‘New’ Ones—Sun, Solar, Wind, Hydrogen, You!

Fission, Fusion, and Radiation

Seismic Station—the Energetic Earth

Energy from and through the Air—Radio, TV, wi-fi, Solar, Cosmic Rays, Lightning, and Tesla

The Leonardo Building—an Energy Sustainability Showcase

Special facilities include:

Sphere of Humanity (see below), Science on a Sphere (sos.noaa.gov), Geographic Information Systems (see www.esri.com), GoogleEarth, and related tools

LifeWorks—Energy in Motion—Biology, Biotechnology, and related 'Life Science' activities.

Luck, Risk, and Uncertainty: Reality, Tradeoffs, Choices

The major goal is to (in positive and empowering ways) help visitors realize that we all live in a statistical and somewhat uncertain world—and that such uncertainty can be accepted—even celebrated—rather than solely feared. It is statistics and randomness that leads to our own individual uniqueness. It is uncertainty which can lead to very positive events as well as to negative and even tragic events. Uncertainty is embedded in the very fabric and nature of the Universe. It is a basic principle and concept of science—and, of course, of life itself.

We make choices which significantly affect the probability (or improbability) of certain events—the speed we drive, our behavior and actions, driving to Wendover, investing in high risk stocks, ignoring the doctor, golfing in a lightning storm, hot dog snowboarding, etc. We consciously and intentionally take risks 1000 times greater than we permit in public spaces and public activities. We buy (or don't buy) insurance—insurance against risks.

Modern visualization tools allow visitors to experience and SEE luck, risk, and uncertainty directly and almost effortlessly. The Leonardo —Utah's legal 'casino'.

Data (much of it generated in the Health activities) allow the nature of populations and their statistics to be personally experienced—to be made directly relevant. Larger and more global data will be seen on the Sphere of Humanity (below)—providing an international and planetary perspective.

Some possibilities:

Insurance, Investments, Economics, Social Security, Wendover, Idaho lottery

We're ALL Abnormal—and Unique!

Who are YOU? Who am I? Biometrics and Numbers

Infections and Bioterrorism—numbers and bugs

Death—the ultimate risk and pathology

Weather, Earthquakes, etc.

DecisionPlace is a special inner sanctum activity using modern gaming and simulation tools—and direct internet data access—to facilitate assumption testing and assessment—allowing the outcomes associated with different choices and decisions to be visualized and understood.

Other Topics:

Music and Sound is a special set of exhibits motivated by nearly everyone's interest in Music.

A wide variety of classical and new sound and music experiences have been planned and prototyped—including experiences in analog and digital sound as well as hearing. Details here depend in part on other Partner interests and plans.

Flight! and Gravity—Leonardo’s Third Dimension— (with Leonardo3):

Leonardo’s fascination with the third dimension will be celebrated and experienced with a unique set of activities. StudioDDM/Leonardo3 in Milan, the team that produced (for the very first time) a working Leonardo car in early 2004—will likely participate in Flight! We will honor and experience Leonardo’s work, beginning with his observations of bird flight. Experience the third Leonardo dimension!

Flight! begins with Leonardo's yearning to escape the 'bounds' of Earth—to overcome gravity. Topics and activities include:

Gravity—the ordering force

Lift—beating gravity

Leonardo and The Third Dimension

Birds, Gliders, and Propellers

Insects, Seeds, and Helicopters

Man-powered and low power flight

Microgravity—Astronauts and beyond

On the Edge—and Beyond, derived from Utah's research Universities, the State's USTAR Program, and related sources, deals with current research and other topics.

Resources

The Leonardo will provide resources and activities which go far beyond the main floor interactive exhibits. In most cases these special places are located in and adjacent to the main interactive exhibit areas; some will be located in other parts of the building more appropriate to those specialized activities. Those now in advanced planning include:

DecisionPlace—You're in Charge!
InventionPlace, including a design lab
Life—Biology, including BioTechnology
On the Roof!—sensors, cameras, energy
Classrooms—standard, flexible places for workshops and short courses
Leonardo on Wheels—on the Road! Our traveling science center (www.theleonardo.org/onwheels) will have a shop and storage facilities in the basement, adjacent to the Loading Dock.
Science in Society—The Leonardo's ongoing public dialog series, in collaboration with KCPW and the City Library—will have a presence on the main floor.

Partner Collaborations

The Leonardo's local, national and international partners and affiliates are considering activities related to:

Language
Music
Performance Place! a disco-like night spot—a night-club 'cave' or disco dungeon (Leonardo's Lair?). Sounds and even music will also be created from the input of personal physiological signals related to movement. These private bioelectric signals (The Body Electric and others) are sensed, processed, and input to a computer music program. They can be produced 'solo' or coupled to the music made by other instruments, and combined to create a personal, physiologic 'music'. Local bands, and 'pre-bands', will be empowered, embarrassed, entertained, and educated—together with their friends and family!

Center for Science Partners—limited space may be available for a small number of groups involved in amateur or public science and technology activities, including contests, tournaments, citizen science, discussions, etc.

The Leonardo-Science will be THE place for amateur scientists, engineers, and inventors, as well as for students, teachers, parents, tourists, and other visitors—curious and involved 'adults' of all ages. It will host contests, exhibitions, competitions, and meetings/conferences.

The Leonardo is developing relationships with major Corporate, Health, Foundation, and Organization Partners, as well as with many Sponsors of specific exhibits and activities.

InventionPlace—

an 'inner sanctum' activity encouraging and recognizing independent invention and inventors, with information and simulations related to patents, intellectual property, notebooks, etc.

Sphere of Humanity

The second floor foyer will include a two meter presentation/visualization globe, showing projected data, demonstrating and symbolizing connections and balance—and Leonardo’s ways of seeing Nature. Earth's unique atmosphere, its oceans, its lakes and rivers, its forests and other plant life—its Biosphere—will all be dynamically displayed. Weather, population distributions, resource patterns, and pollution maps will be part of the program. We will celebrate and appreciate the wide variety and diversity of life forms and the issues involved in their existence, stability, endangerment, extinction, and protection. Display and view data rarely presented in a global perspective—your own ‘…new ways of seeing.”

People

Advisory Boards are providing vision, insight, inspiration, resources, expertise, and overall guidance for all Themes, exhibits, and activities.