|
|
A World of Science in Alice’s New Wonderland
At-Bristol launches new science exhibition set in Lewis Carroll’s
Wonderland
In Explore-At-Bristol from 18 November 2006 to September 2007
1 November 2006 – Lewis Carroll’s popular children’s stories are turned
into an intriguing world of illusions in At-Bristol’s newest exhibition,
Alice Through the Looking Glass. It is the first exhibition of its kind in
Europe to explore contemporary science as seen through the author’s
popular storybooks.
Jointly developed by Glasgow Science Centre and At-Bristol, Alice Through
the Looking Glass demystifies the wonders of perception over reality using
the storylines and characters from Alice’s magical world. It sets out to
intrigue and baffle visitors by demonstrating what our brains are capable
of, and how we view the world around us.
Alice Through the Looking Glass features over sixty hands-on exhibits
divided into themed areas based on the original storylines. The exhibition
is bright and colourful with a whimsical flair in its approach. In
addition, it embraces open-ended investigation with its free-flow layout
that encourages a spirit of discovery.
“Is seeing really believing?” is the key question that Alice Through the
Looking Glass asks. It is in fact the same conundrum that Alice faces when
she falls down the rabbit hole. “Perception is a fascinating subject; how
we turn barely adequate information from our senses into such a detailed
perception of the world is amazing,” says Emma Cook, Exhibition Manager,
Explore-At-Bristol.
Designed to appeal to children and adults alike, the exhibition content
was developed alongside Professor Richard Gregory, a renowned experimental
psychologist and Emeritus Professor of Neuropsychology at the University
of Bristol, and Dr. R. Beau Lotto, Professor of Ophthalmology at
University College London.
“The exhibition showcases illusions that have helped researchers to better
understand how the brain and our senses work. It uses limited text and
instead concentrates on exploration to demonstrate how our brains
interpret limited sensory information, and how illusions can show this
active processing. Visitors may find that they have been seriously
underestimating their brains!” says Emma.
Visitors will enjoy mind-boggling riddles and puns in the rabbit hole; use
a customised camera to find out where they will end up if they fall
through the Earth; play a round of silly croquet with Alice and the Queen
of Hearts to experiment with forces, momentum and the 'magic' of the
ellipse to sink a hole-in-one, and amongst other things, shrink down in
size to discover how they would look in the giant glass table when they
are stretched or squashed!
There will also be interactive busking activities and live shows within
the exhibition area, and throughout Explore, to engage visitors in
exploring the concept of illusions. In addition, select elements of Alice
Through the Looking Glass are designed to link to KS1 and KS2 curriculum
requirements. These include scientific enquiry, physical processes and
English – speaking and listening.
Alice Through the Looking Glass is a touring exhibition and will be used
as an outlet by At-Bristol to gather further data and observations for a
longitudinal study in the field of perceptual phenomena.
The exhibition is funded by the Millennium Commission through the
ReDiscover programme.
For press enquiries please contact Mavis Choong, At-Bristol Press Office
0117 915 7152 / 0796 733 4152 /
mavis.choong@at-bristol.org.uk
Note to Editors:
At-Bristol is a leading science centre in the UK and a major player in the
world-wide science centre movement. It aims to be a world-class science
and natural history centre that makes distinctive, valued and recognised
contributions to informal science learning and public engagement with
science locally, regionally, nationally and internationally. A registered
charity, At-Bristol has hosted more than 3 million visitors and
continually strives towards making science accessible to all.
www.at-bristol.org.uk
|
