I’ve visited
the Exploratorium on several occasions during visits to the Bay Area. And
each time, I came away saying to myself, wow, that was so cool, why aren’t there more science museums like this —
active, alive, here and now, touchable, smart and techy — everywhere? Visits to Los Angeles’ museums always left me
feeling a bit down, as they seemed to be in a state of constant disrepair.
Well, the SF Exploratorium is keeping up its record of great exhibits with a new one on the Science of Music. It sets out to answer a few of the big
questions like: Why does singing in the shower always sound so good? And: Why do songs stick in your head (i.e. it’s
NOT because you’ve been implanted with a chip by the large media companies…not yet, anyway)?
The online exhibits here are also quite good. Built in Flash they give a nice sense of what the exhibits themselves
are about and/or they delve into the concepts to deliver a satisfying learning experience. Good for the kids. And
yourself, too.