The Seattle Traveler

Lucy’s Legacy:  The Hidden Treasures of Ethiopia was a celebration of a culture that I knew nothing about, as well as a thought provoking exhibit of what might be the missing link in evolution from ape to man.
But now I’m getting ahead of myself, so let’s go back to the beginning and I’ll take you along with me through the exhibit.
Back in 1974, Dr. Donald Johanson discovered fossils in Hadar, Ethiopia. The fossils weren’t human, but they weren’t really an ape either, leading to the theory that Lucy could be the link between the two.
The fossil discovery was called …read more

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If you feel like you’re racing through the day, the Speed exhibit at the Pacific Science Center will be just your. . . well, speed!
With interactive displays suitable for all ages, and an underlying educational message that encompasses math, velocity, acceleration, friction, and technology, it’s easy to see why this exhibit is a visitor favorite.
Don’t let the educational theme put you off – there’s tons of fun things to do here!

Drag Racing:  Kids can sit in their dragsters, side-by-side, and once the light turns greens push the throttle forward and see who makes it to the end first.  Don’t go …read more

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Do you have a “Thirst for Speed?”  If so, you’ll want to catch this month’s Science with a Twist, the Pacific Science Center’s monthly Happy Hour.
This month’s theme highlights the new Speed exhibit, offering all sorts of fun hand-on displays.  You can try a ski simulator, build a miniature roller coaster, or race drag cars.  And this is the only time that it’s okay to drink and drive!  This month’s featured cocktail is cleverly called the Turbocharger.
The evening ends with a private screening of the IMAX film Super Speedway: Racing with the Andretti’s!
Location:  Pacific Science Center, Seattle Center Campus, …read more

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Details:  The arches of the Pacific Science Center at night.
 
 
 
Photo credit: flickr
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At the Pacific Science Center this Spring kids can explore the trees and the forest in a traveling exhibit sponsored, in part, by the Arbor Day Foundation.
Exploring Trees Inside & Out is a simple (translation:  non-electronic) environment that’s both educational and fun.  Kids can learn about the gift of nature while also enjoying some play time. 
Here are a few of the interactive options:

sit inside a giant bird’s nest
learn how sap moves through trees
learn about photosynthesis while sitting inside a giant leaf
crawl through a log
learn how a seed becomes an acorn, that in turn becomes a tree

This would be …read more

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Location:  Another butterfly from the Pacific Science Center’s Tropical Butterfly House.  Look for the white arches, colored red during February in honor of Heart Month.
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Although it may be cold outside, the Pacific Science Center’s Tropical Butterfly House enjoys sunshine, 80-degree weather, and 70 percent humidity, 365 days a year.  Keep your eye on the beautiful plants and flowers, and you’d swear you were in the tropics.
The climate-controlled environment of the Butterfly House is a living exhibit, home to exotic trees, flowering plants, and hundred of butterflies.  Those beautiful flying creatures have complete right-of-way in their home.  Look around you, and you’ll see them flying and flitting about, eating, sunning themselves, and occasionally frolicking with one another.  And be careful where you step – butterflies frequently stop for …read more

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There were certain bodily functions that we were all taught should never be done in public, and, in fact, shouldn’t even be talked about.  This weekend all that changes, when the Pacific Science Center presents Grossology:  The (Impolite) Science of the Human Body.
The exhibit deals with all sorts of those unmentionable sounds, gasses, fluids, and functions of the human body.  You can become a dust particle and explore a nose, examine scabs and blisters, and learn about indigestion with the “Burp Machine.”  While it’s sure to elicit a chuckle or blush from adults, the kids will love it.  But not …read more

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Model Train aficionados can head to the Seattle Center this weekend for the Model Railroad Show at the Pacific Science Center.
 
I remember my dad and brother staging, and re-staging, a model train in our basement.  There were tracks, and trains, and bridges, and buildings, and switches, and all sorts of convoluted layouts.  It must have been a wonderful bonding experience for the two of them, while I watched from afar. 
It turns out that model railroading is even more popular today than it was those many years ago, as evidenced by this weekend’s show.  The Model Railroad Show provides information, displays, …read more

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There are just a few weeks left to see the “Discovering the Dead Sea Scrolls” exhibit at the Pacific Science Center.
The 12,000 square foot exhibit is presented in association with the Israel Antiquities Authority and The Dead Sea Scrolls Foundation.  The exhibit contains artifacts, and a variety of displays, including interactive ones, which cover the history and science associated with the scrolls.
Regarded by many archaeologists as the most profound discover of the 20th century, the Dead Sea Scrolls pre-date Christianity.  Originally written in Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek, the scrolls were transcribed or copied somewhere between 250 BCE and 68 CE.  …read more

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