Visitors can explore the deep sea and have fun with physics at Sloan Museum this upcoming Saturday. Two new exhibits, “Extreme Deep: Mission to the Abyss” and “Roll, Drop, Bounce,” open Saturday, February 1 at Sloan Museum at Courtland Center Mall, according to a recently released statement.
“Extreme Deep” and “Roll, Drop, Bounce” will be on exhibit at Sloan Museum at Courtland Center through September 13. Hours are Monday through Friday, 10am–5pm, Saturday and Sunday, 12–5 pm. Admission is $9 for adults, $8 for seniors, and $7 for kids ages 2-11. Genesee County residents received discounted admission at just $3 per person for traveling exhibits.
Roll, Drop, Bounce
Roll, Drop, Bounce comes from the energetic minds of NRG! Exhibits. The exhibit is focused on the physics of motion, but the main theme is having fun and learning through play. While playing around with model cars, colliding balls, and catapults, visitors develop an understanding of the science of motion. This totally kinetic and hands-on experience appeals to wheel spinning, ball tossing, and continuously bouncing kids of all ages.
Extreme Deep: Mission to the Abyss
Extreme Deep: Mission to the Abyss offers opportunities for hands-on exploration of life at the bottom of the sea. Presented by Evergreen Exhibitions in collaboration with Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI), Extreme Deep is an interactive exhibit that highlights the adventure of deep-sea exploration and discovery.
Newly discovered life forms, thermal vents, and close-up views of deep-sea research submersibles are among the attractions in this deep-sea adventure. Museum visitors will observe firsthand the technology that only recently has allowed people to travel to the ocean floor.
“You don’t have to be involved in oceanography to have an interest in the sea,” says David Gallo, Ph.D. in marine geology and WHOI’s director of special projects in the new release. “You don’t have to be a scientist to enjoy the excitement of exploration. But what would happen if we offered our children more opportunities to experience the thrill of challenge or the excitement of discovery? Perhaps we could help children develop a greater interest in scientific discovery or, at the very least, a better appreciation for the pursuit.”
Extreme Deep puts the technology necessary for deep-sea exploration in the hands of museum visitors. Visitors join fellow explorers in an interior replica of the submersible Alvin’s personnel sphere, which they can operate to simulate a dive to depths of up to three miles. They can fly a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) over a small model of the Titanic’s deck. They can also test their skill at manipulating Alvin’s robotic arm by picking up lava rocks and clams from the seafloor while peering through a re-creation of Alvin’s four-inch viewport window.
About Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) is the largest non-profit ocean science research institution in the world. More than 1,000 research projects are conducted around the world each year in departments of applied ocean physics and engineering, biology, marine chemistry and geochemistry, geology and geophysics, and physical oceanography. Research is also conducted through its Marine Policy Center, which focuses on legal and policy issues related to society’s use of the oceans, and four multi-disciplinary Ocean Institutes encompassing research areas of significant concern to the public and policymakers. WHOI operates two global ranging research vessels (the 279-foot KNORR, and the 274-foot ATLANTIS), as well as the deep-diving three-person submersible ALVIN and a variety of remotely operated and autonomous underwater vehicles and smaller boats for ocean exploration. Learn more about WHOI at www.whoi.edu.
About Sloan Museum
Together with partner organization Longway Planetarium, Sloan Museum inspires youth, families and patrons to discover, explore and value science, technology and history through engaging learning experiences. Sloan Museum is a member organization of the Flint Cultural Center Corporation and is supported in part by the C.S. Mott Foundation, Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs (MCACA) and the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA). Sloan Museum is funded in part by the Genesee County Arts Education and Cultural Enrichment Millage. Follow Sloan Museum on Facebook and Instagram @SloanMuseum.
