ISEN-ASTC-L is a service of the Association of Science-Technology Centers
Incorporated, a worldwide network of science museums and related institutions.
*****************************************************************************

Hi Jonah,

The reason these are "black boxes" is that modern generators are totally
enclosed. One could section the outer case but the armatures and/or
rotors are also not at all easy to understand. My only point was to make
the inner parts of the generator--the magnets and coils of wire more
obvious.

John B 

-----Original Message-----
From: Informal Science Education Network
[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Jonah Cohen
Sent: Thursday, June 01, 2006 10:21 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Energy Exhibit Ideas?

ISEN-ASTC-L is a service of the Association of Science-Technology
Centers
Incorporated, a worldwide network of science museums and related
institutions.
************************************************************************
*****

-----Original Message-----
From: John Bowditch [mailto:[log in to unmask]] 

The main problem with all these units is they rarely if ever show the
interior of the generator and so the basic principles are "black-boxed"
out of the picture.
--------------------------------------

Pardon my incredible engineering ignorance here, but... are the workings
of
the generators you describe black boxed because they're literally hidden
in
an opaque box, or because there's just so much machinery layered in the
contraption that you can't see what's underneath some of the parts?

I'm no exhibits expert, so this might seem like a dumbass suggestion,
but:
if it's the former that's at issue, seems like a simple plexiglass
casing
could solve it. Or if it's the former, could a generator be sliced into
segments, so one could have the whole device, then slide out a drawer
showing the top layer and revealing what's underneath (repeat as
necessary)?
You know, the way some exhibits do with the human body.

And shame on you for for the business is booming, joke, John. The
business
at the atomic museum is so small, it can't be seen with the naked eye!

Ouch,
Jonah Cohen
Outreach & Public Programs Manager
The Children's Museum
 

***********************************************************************
More information about the Informal Science Education Network and the
Association of Science-Technology Centers may be found at
http://www.astc.org.
To remove your e-mail address from the ISEN-ASTC-L list, send the
message  SIGNOFF ISEN-ASTC-L in the BODY of a message to
[log in to unmask]

***********************************************************************
More information about the Informal Science Education Network and the
Association of Science-Technology Centers may be found at http://www.astc.org.
To remove your e-mail address from the ISEN-ASTC-L list, send the
message  SIGNOFF ISEN-ASTC-L in the BODY of a message to
[log in to unmask]