Day Of Play - Tumblr Posts
First Day on the Job!
I just started a summer internship at my local science center, and I already know it's going to be a blast. Today was my "day of play," where I got to just go around and experience things like a guest would. I think I have one tomorrow, too, which I'm also hyped for! But anyway...
It was awesome.
First and foremost, I made sure to stop by all the permanent exhibits. The first floor is themed around water and our city's river ecology, so we have some freshwater animals in aquariums and terrariums. My favorite is this bullfrog. :)
The second floor is themed around Mars exploration and colonization. I thought I wouldn't be interested since the idea of colonizing Mars kind of rubs me the wrong way, but it's done in a very engaging and aesthetically pleasing manner. There are lots of plants on display throughout the exhibit, which I found to be a pleasant surprise! There's also this adorable miniature railroad/village next to the Mars display that shows off some landmarks from the city between the late 19th century and the 1940s. My favorite part was always this replica of Luna Park (guest starring Taylor Swift by the carousel since there's a Taylor Swift weekend coming up):
The third floor is dedicated to the human body and its inner workings. There's a lot to play with here, including a little game where you have to eat germs as a white blood cell. I played it a couple times, and I was pretty happy with my score the second time around. :)
They also have a little monitor where you can rotate and pull apart a model of a human skull, so I made this beautiful creature.
The fourth floor is the most kid-centric area in the building, but there's still plenty for older guests to do. It's mostly themed around construction and Lego, so if you like playing and building with Lego, this is the place for you. There's also a section off to the side centered around electricity and renewable energy, which is neat, and an earthquake simulator that's left over from when the floor was entirely weather-themed.
So that covers most of the main building. BUT WAIT! THERE'S MORE!
There's a sports science/fitness themed building adjacent to the main building. It's a fun way to present how exercise affects the body, and how the human body functions in general. There's a batting cage where you can test your prowess with a baseball bat, a rock climbing wall, a few basketball hoops, a giant Operation table, and a ton more. What caught my attention this time, though, was a CPR simulator. I thought it was a fun way to brush up on my skills as a lifeguard...and Dr. Mike was there, too.
Behind the main building is one of the center's oldest exhibits: the USS Requin, a Cold War era submarine. Walking through it was definitely nostalgic, though the doorways were tiny. I have no idea how people could actually live in there without going insane!
And I can't not talk about the giant movie theater inside the main building! I stopped by for a show this afternoon, and it truly is giant. The theater seats 250 people, and the screen is 38 feet by 70 feet (11.58 meters by 21.34 meters)! You have to see it to believe it. It didn't even fit in my phone camera when I took this picture from the middle of the room!
I had to stop by the gift shop, too. I got my brother a freeze-dried "astronaut" ice cream sandwich since he's been joking about wanting one, and for myself, I got these little dudes:
Clockwise from the upper right, they are: a red blood cell, plasma, a platelet, a white blood cell, and an antibody (with a little antigen attached to it). I think the company that sells them is called GIANTmicrobes. Aren't they cute?
Would you believe me if I said that I still have a bunch of stuff to check out tomorrow? Because I do. There are all sorts of shows and demonstrations in the various science stages and the planetarium. I want to see a few, especially one at the stage I'm interning with!
I have a busy day ahead of me, but it will be the absolute best kind of busy. I think the more serious internship duties will be fun, too. :)