Bonus Event Blog: The Exploratorium

My favorite museums are usually children’s museums because they are interactive and I learn best by doing. The Exploratorium on Pier 15 in San Francisco is no exception! Every exhibit is hands-on and most have underlying science lessons to accompany the art.

A water fountain that resembles a toilet

My favorite group of exhibits dealt with human senses. One surrounding smell involved unlabeled plastic containers that were scented. Each one had a common scent associated with childhood to see how the scents affected memory. Some scents included baby powder and crayons. The sense of touch exhibit had three poles that put your hands on. The one on the left was cold while the one of the right was hot. The middle pole was room temperature. The instructions told you to hold the end poles for 20 seconds and then put both of your hands on the middle pole. When you put your hot hand and your cold hand on the room temperature pole they all felt as if they were the same temperature.

A "mirror" that sketches the reflection

My absolute favorite exhibit was about color and how it impacts your mood. I had to sit in a chair and lower this large orb onto my head that was opaque so I could not see anything when it was on my head. There was a knob on the armrest of the chair and as I twisted the knob the large orb changed colors. I found that the sea foam blue made me the most calm and I felt energized by the transition from yellow to orange. Psychology expert Kendra Cherry researches color and its effects on humans. According to her, the color red increases circulation, blue can be used to treat pain, and orange can increase energy levels.

My friend found blue to be most soothing

Me with the sea foam blue orb on my head

Sources

Cherry, Kendra. "Color Psychology: Does Color Affect How You Feel?" About Education. About.com, n.d. Web. 24 May 2015. <http://psychology.about.com/od/sensationandperception/a/colorpsych.htm>.

Dowdey, Sarah. "How Smell Works." HowStuffWorks. HowStuffWorks.com, n.d. Web. 24 May 2015. <http://health.howstuffworks.com/mental-health/human-nature/perception/smell3.htm>.

"Experience the Exploratorium at Pier 15." The Museum of Science, Art and Human Perception. Exploratorium, n.d. Web. 24 May 2015. <http://www.exploratorium.edu/>.

Hiskey, Daven. "Humans Have a Lot More Than Five Senses." Today I Found Out. N.p., 16 July 2010. Web. 24 May 2015. <http://www.todayifoundout.com/index.php/2010/07/humans-have-a-lot-more-than-five-senses/>.

Van Edwards, Vanessa. "10 Ways Color Affects Your Mood - Science of People." Science of People. Huffington Post, 17 Jan. 2013. Web. 24 May 2015. <http://www.scienceofpeople.com/2013/01/10-ways-color-affects-your-mood/>.