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I wonder how different the experience will be in a college science
building as compared to a science center. Is the staircase going to
be a main pathway for people to get to class? What sound would you
get when classes change and a horde of students descends? Will it
make people hesitate to spend time in the atrium for other purposes?
While I would love to play on a musical staircase as an experience in
itself, I don't know how happy I'd be to hear it on my way to take an
exam after a semester of walking on it (or past it) every day. But I
love the idea of incorporating a science interactive into a college
science building--especially a playful one--so I wish you luck.
> > > St. Olaf College is in the planning stage for a new science
>> building.
>> > Being a college with strong music, science, and math
>> programs (among
>> > others...), and being a violinist myself, it occurred to me that it
>> > would be a neat idea to install in this new building an interactive
>> > science/music/math display. My idea is a musical staircase.
>> I've seen
>> > a wonderful example of this at the Science Museum of Minnesota, and
>> > I've talked with several people - Larry Ralph at the Boston
>> Museum of
>> > Science, John Bowditch at the Anne Arbor Hands-On Science Museum,
>> > Kathy Krafft at the Sciencenter (Ithaca, NY), among others.
>> >
>> > Kathy suggested I contact this list and ask what people know about
>> > such installations, what suggestions they might have, what
>> they think
>> > it should cost, etc. Really, any comments you have
>> regarding this idea
>> > would be greatly appreciated.
>> >
>> > Parameters include:
>> >
>> > Timeframe: We're about 2-3 years to construction.
>> >
>> > Context: Building plan is roughed out only, but includes a nice
>> > central two-floor atrium with staircase. I don't know how
>> many steps,
>> > but if I had 88, I'd use them all.
>> >
>> > Capabilities: We have superb cabnetry carpenters here on
>> campus, I'm
>> > pretty computer-savvy, we have a great electronic services division
>> > with lots of know-how.
>> >
>> > Funds: I'll probably have to fund this myself, unless you have a
>> > better idea.
>> >
>> > Ideas: So far my idea is to modify an electronic keyboard (Yamaha
>> > clavinova?) and use infrared beams on individual channels
>> tying into
>> > the action of a keyboard.
>> >
>> > Comments? Suggestions? Wild ideas?
>> >
>> > Thank you,
>> >
>> > Bob Hanson
>> > -
>> > Robert M. Hanson, [log in to unmask], 507-646-3107
>> > Professor of Chemistry, St. Olaf College
>> > 1520 St. Olaf Ave., Northfield, MN 55057 mailto:[log in to unmask]
>> > http://www.stolaf.edu/people/hansonr
>> >
>> > "Imagination is more important than knowledge." - Albert Einstein
>> >
>> >
>> **********************************************************************
>> > *
>> > More information about the Informal Science Education
>> Network and the
>> > Association of Science-Technology Centers may be found at
>http://www.astc.org.
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>>
>
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--
Kay Ziff
Exhibit Developer
Bay Area Discovery Museum
557 McReynolds Road
Sausalito, Ca 94965
Phone: 415/339-3922
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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
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