Did you ever want to know all about the crusty, slimy, oozy, stinky, gross things that are part of your body? Now is your chance. University of Iowa Children’s Hospital is sponsoring the Grossology exhibit. Michael Artman, MD, physician-in-chief of UI Children’s Hospital, talks about the exhibit:
Where is the Grossology exhibit?
The Grossology exhibit is on display at the Science Center of Iowa, in downtown Des Moines. The Science Center recently moved to this new location. It’s a wonderful new building and there’s a great space there for the Grossology exhibit.
How long will the exhibit run?
It started on September 29 and it will run through January 6, 2008. The exhibit is open from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. most days, and opens at noon on Sundays.
What age group is the Grossology exhibit targeted to?
Well, the content is appropriate mainly for elementary school children, and that’s because these are the kids that love grossing out their friends, teachers, and family members. But I went through the exhibit and I can assure you that kids of all ages will enjoy the exhibit.
What sorts of crusty, mushy, smelly sorts of demonstrations are in the exhibit?
There are all kinds of things. The kids can literally walk through a giant nose. It’s called the Tour de Nose, and they learn about 10 different nasal features including how your nose acts as an air filter and a smell center and a mucous producer. They can feel a sneeze.
There’s a pinball game called Gas Attack that they score by bouncing the ball off bumpers that simulate food items that cause gas. There’s this big Burp Machine that they can mimic the build-up of acid indigestion and cause the Burp Machine to release a giant belch. There’s a cool virtual reality experience in something called Urine, the Game. What better way to learn about urine? They can ride through the GI Slide; they can climb up a large-scale replica of human skin. There are just all kinds of interesting, interactive exhibits for the kids.
It sounds like a lot of these are hands-on exhibits where kids can really learn by doing.
Yes, and that really engages the kids. They love that; it keeps their attention. And, in addition to the hands-on activities that are part of the exhibit, there are more opportunities for kids to learn. On Thursdays, Saturdays, and Sundays, members of the Science Center team provide live demonstrations to help the exhibit really come to life and really teach the kids the important elements. In addition, there are a number of special events throughout the week and some weekends that are all highlighted and listed on the Science Center’s Web site.
Aside from this being an interactive and fun exhibit for children, it sounds like it’s also educational?
Absolutely, and that’s the whole focus of this. All of the displays and the games are meant to teach children and their families about how the human body works and also get them interested in wanting to learn more, even after they leave the Science Center of Iowa. It’s set up so that the emphasis is not so much just on the facts, not what they need to learn, but really how to learn and that interactive game-playing nature of the exhibit really fosters that. I think everyone who visits the Science Center will leave with some knowledge that they didn’t have beforehand, and also, perhaps, some more curiosity about wanting to learn more.
I understand the Grossology exhibit will be paired with a film in the IMAX Theater at the Science Center of Iowa as well. Can you tell us about the film and what parents and children may view? (The University of Iowa Roy J. and Lucille A. Carver College of Medicine is the local sponsor for the IMAX film The Human Body.)
The film in the IMAX Theater is really very interesting. It follows a family from dawn until dusk as they go about their daily routines, but it shows what is happening with each of the individuals under their skin. It’s designed to allow us to really see the extraordinary accomplishments that go on in just our everyday lives—the normal physiology and biology that is really quite fascinating. And the viewers are literally surrounded by the human body with the Science Center’s six wraparound screens and their digital surround system, so it’s quite an experience.
If someone wanted to learn more about the Grossology exhibit, where should they look for more information?
The Web site that the Science Center has up really has lots of information or they can call the Science Center or 515-274-6868. |
