Discovery Zone
The main exhibits hall is called the Discovery Zone.
In this area, you will find and interact directly with more than
70 exhibits in different fields of science and technology. These
exhibits are specially designed to help the visitor experience the
phenomena tackled. The activities are organized to provide you with
an opportunity to discover and understand science.
Astronomy
| A Galaxy |
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Galaxy? Milky Way? I wonder what these words mean?
A Galaxy is a massive ensemble
of hundreds of millions of stars, all gravitationally interacting,
and orbiting about a common center. Astronomers estimate that
there are about 125 billion galaxies in the universe. All the
stars visible to the unaided eye from Earth belong to the Earth’s
galaxy, the Milky Way. The Sun, with its associated planets,
is just one star in this galaxy. Besides stars and planets,
galaxies contain clusters of stars, atomic hydrogen gas, molecular
hydrogen and cosmic rays complex molecules composed of hydrogen, nitrogen,
carbon, and silicon, among others.
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| Solar System |
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"For what could be more beautiful than the heavens which contain all beautiful things."
--Nicholas Copernicus, 1543.
From our small world we have gazed upon the cosmic ocean for
thousands of years. Ancient astronomers observed points of light
that appeared to move among the stars. They called these objects
planets, meaning wanderers, and named them after Roman deities—Jupiter, king of the gods; Mars, the god of war; Mercury,
messenger of the gods; Venus, the god of love and beauty,
Saturn, father of Jupiter and god of agriculture. |
| Earth |
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Why do we live particularly on Earth?
Earth, our home planet, is the
only planet in our solar system known to harbor life—life
that is incredibly diverse. All of the things we need to survive
are provided under a thin layer of atmosphere that separates
us from the uninhabitable void of space.
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| Black Holes |
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Black Holes? Are these real holes?
Black Holes, extremely dense
celestial bodies that have been theorized to exist in the universe.
The gravitational field of a black hole is so strong that, if
the body is large enough, nothing, including electromagnetic
radiation, can escape from its vicinity. The body is surrounded
by a spherical boundary, called a horizon, through which light
can enter but not escape; it therefore appears totally black.
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| Telescopes & Planets |
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Exploring the stars, planets, asteroids
and comets has been made easier with telescopes. The sky appears closer and becomes more
familiar with the use of telescopes.
Since the invention of the telescope, three more planets have
been discovered in our solar system: Uranus (1781), Neptune
(1846), and Pluto (1930). In addition, there are thousands of
small bodies such as asteroids and comets.
Come and explore the wonders of the cosmos and discover the mysterious world of astronomy. |
Physics
| Gravity |
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Gravitation is
the force of attraction between all objects that tends to pull
them toward one another. It is a universal force, affecting
the largest and smallest objects, all forms of matter, and energy.
Gravitation governs the motion of astronomical bodies. It keeps
the moon in orbit around the earth and keeps the earth and the
other planets of the solar system in orbit around the sun. On
a larger scale, it governs the motion of stars and slows the
outward expansion of the entire universe because of the inward
attraction of galaxies to other galaxies. Typically the term
gravitation refers to the force in general, and the term gravity
refers to the earth's gravitational pull.
Want to fly through our antigravity mirror? |
| Vision |
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What we see is not always true! Sometimes we have to take into consideration that we live in a scenario that is completely untrue. Try your own scenario. |
| Colors |
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Wow, a rainbow...When and why do we see it?
As a sensation experienced by humans
and some animals, perception of color is a complex neuropsychological
process. The methods used for color specification today belong
to a technique known as colorimetric and consist of accurate
scientific measurements based on the wavelengths of three primary
colors. White light is composed of electromagnetic vibrations,
the wavelengths of which are evenly distributed from 35 to 75
millionths of a centimeter (about 14 to 30 millionths of an
inch). If the intensity of these vibrations is strong, the light
is white; if the intensity is less, the light is gray; and if
the intensity is zero, the light is nonexistent or black.
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| Electricity |
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Electricity is one of the basic forms of energy. Electricity is associated with an electric charge, a property of certain elementary particles such as electrons and protons, two of the basic particles that make up the atoms of all ordinary matter. Electric charges can be stationary, as in static electricity, or moving, as in an electric current.
Electricity is an extremely versatile form of energy. It can be generated in many ways and from many different sources. It can be sent almost instantaneously over long distances.
By the way you might experience a tiny electrical shock, but don't worry it is not fatal... |
| Magnetism |
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Magnetism is an aspect of electromagnetism, one of the fundamental forces of nature. The motion of charged particles such as electrons produces magnetic forces, indicating the close relationship between electricity and magnetism. The unifying frame for these two forces is called electromagnetic theory. The most familiar evidence of magnetism is the attractive or repulsive force observed to act between magnetic materials such as iron. More subtle effects of magnetism, however, are found in all matter. In recent times these effects have provided important clues to the atomic structure of matter. |
Mechanics
| Mechanical Motion |
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Want to discover how an elevator works?
Mechanics is a branch of physics that deals with the motion of objects and their response to forces.
Gears, Power, Torque, Speed and Rotary motion are all definitions related to mechanics.
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| Gears & Pulleys |
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What's inside engines, games...?
A gear is a wheel with teeth around its circumference. The teeth are designed to fit between the teeth on other gears. The teeth engage with other gears or chains to transfer power from one part of a machine or system to another.
Belts & pulleys are related to gears. They change speed and torque, but with a few differences...
Pulleys transfer their force by the friction of the belts, rather than direct contact with the teeth of gears. |
Geology
| Stones & Fossils |
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Geology is the scientific study of the origin, history, and structure of the solid matter of a celestial body.
Fossil is the substantial evidence for the development of living beings. Through fossil we can know where living beings were in the past, but there are important conditions which must be present to complete the fossilization process and there are different agents which can prevent the fossilization process.
Come and discover all these conditions, agents and secrets. |
Biology
| Microscopes |
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Have you heard of microscopes? Microscopes are scientific instruments that detect small objects. There are many types of microscopes, one of these types called the light microscope, so called because it employs visible light to detect small objects, is probably the most well-known and well-used research tool in biology. Another type is called the electron microscope. It is a scientific instrument that uses a beam of highly energetic electrons to examine objects on a very fine scale. The electron microscope is capable of magnifying biological specimens up to one million times. |
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