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Throughout time and in every language and culture, rainbows have captured the imagination. Each one of us is captivated in our own singular way yet experiencing a rainbow also prompts us to turn to the person next to us and say, in awe, "Look." This is the essence of the expanded Clore Garden of Science, located in Israel's Weizmann Institute of Science.
Rainbows have frequently been engaged in creation myths and as symbols of optimism and hope. In theBible, the rainbow symbolizes the promise that the Earth will never be destroyed. The Native Americans have even created a device for bringing the beauty and wonder of this gift to Earth's inhabitants. It's called a rainbow catcher.
The Clore Garden of Science has too caught a rainbow. One of the interactive exhibits, the "Full Rainbow," is a connection between the manmade and the marvelous. The rainbow is also a symbol of the project's goals. If there is a single unifying message, it is that through enlightenment, science is a means for increasing our sense of astonishment and wonder.
What makes the Clore Garden of Science so unique? It takes phenomena out of the realm of the laboratory or museum space and out into the open. This is discovery al fresco. And with wide open space come opportunities: the ability to create large-scale exhibits like the 15-meter-high wave machine, ecological pools, and major water systems.
The sky is not only the limit; it's also an element in the presentation. The sun, for example, works with a water droplet system in the Full Rainbow exhibit. Cast on a sphere set on an axis parallel to that of the Earth, the sun's rays display the status of day and night around our globe. Solar collectors will be used both in exhibits and for energy production to power several of the installations.
Another part of the exhibit in which the sun "stars" is a solar-powered fountain: The water's height will be a function of the flux of the sun's rays. Visitors will be able to change the direction of the solar panels and observe the immediate effects of their actions.
It is the concept of wonder enhancement that has guided the expansion of the Clore Garden of Science. It has gone from a pilot study of close to a hectare, and from thirty exhibits to an eventual one hundred. In this tiny, arid country, where land and water are scarce commodities, the Institute is particularly blessed by the size of its landscaped campus, replete with mature trees, greenery and gardens. What's more, an otherwise problematic lack of rain is instead an assurance that outdoor activities can be enjoyed year round. Even during Israel's short rainy season, fine weather prevails.
True, the Clore Garden of Science is similar to other museums around the world where interactive exhibits exist outdoors,such as the New York Hall of Science and the science centers of India. But these out-of-doors installations serve as an adjunct to the bigger, indoor museum.
At the Weizmann Institute, over ninety percent of the exhibit facility is to be in the open. Indoor areas will be used merely to provide ancillary services such as a cafe, offices and an auditorium, with additional space for traveling exhibits. Where possible, exhibits have been designed to be hands-on, interactive, and independently operated by the visitor. Following instructions in Hebrew, Arabic or English, visitors will be able to turn a giant Archimedes screw by walking on its drum, operate pendulums and turbines, and experiment with sound waves. Visitors can experience TrampoLuna , which simulates a moonwalk. Not only is it hands-on and entertaining, but it's also "minds-on" and weight off. Because of its suspension angle, one feels only one-sixth of one's normal weight.
Israelis are serious consumers of education and a diversity of leisure activities, and in particular, those which take place out of doors. The Clore Garden of Science is expected to attract some 150,000 visitors annually, compared to 20,000 in its current state. Presented in "courtyards," the exhibits comprise a broad spectrum of physical phenomena. Innovative concepts are already under consideration for the next stage of expansion, with an emphasis on the biological and health sciences. Some ofwhat the visitor will experience is based upon ongoing research at the Weizmann Institu te of Science.
There is joy in chasing rainbows. There is even greater joy in bringing rainbows to the young, enabling children to hold rainbows in their hands. This symbolizes our commitment to the future.
This article also appeared in the newsletter of ECSITE, the European Collaborative for Science, Industry, and Technology Exhibitions.
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