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For me, the most impressive 'nuclear energy' exhibit is a cloud chamber. I 
mean, to SEE the difference between real alpha, beta and gamma tracks in 
the mist in a glass-topped box is so utterly awesome. The worst thing about 
most cloudchambers I see in science museums is that they never seem to be 
'hyped-up' enough by the graphics. Too many people just walk past them. But 
as soon as you quietly tell someone just what they are seeing in there, 
they nearly always become awestruck and start telling other people. I've 
seen exactly the same thing happen with badly displayed, weakly labelled 
pieces of moon-rock. Apart from well-designed graphics, there must be other 
ways to make people regard this exhibit with suitable reverence. Maybe 
display it in a large, empty, darkened room. Or perhaps make people buy 
extra tickets and queue for half an hour outside...

They are not cheap, though. This is the sort of exhibit I mean, but I have 
no direct experience of the products supplied by this company: 
http://www.cloudchambers.com/MuseumCloudChambers.htm


[log in to unmask] * http://www.interactives.co.uk
*
Give people facts and you feed their minds for an hour.
Awaken curiosity and they feed their own minds for a lifetime.
*
Ian Russell  

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