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The Hall of Science bought a Phywe cloud chamber, a big one, last  
year.  It is beautiful and fascinating, but difficult to interpret  
for our core visitors.  Martin Weiss has just finished doing some  
evaluation of the experience.

Eric Siegel
Executive VP
    Programs and Planning
NY Hall of Science
47-01 111th Street
Queens, NY 11368
[log in to unmask]
718 699 0005 x 317
www.nyscience.org


On Jan 24, 2006, at 4:45 PM, Ian Russell wrote:

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