Exhibits

Orlando Science Center's exhibit halls feature a vast array of exciting interactive experiences! Learning has never been so fun with these hands on educational exhibits. From down to earth explorations in natural science to the high-tech world of simulation technology, everywhere you look, you'll find educational and entertaining opportunities to explore, experiment, and discover.

Traveling Exhibits

The Orlando Science Center is home to some of the most exciting traveling exhibits in the country. Upcoming traveling exhibits at the Science Center include Blue Man Group – Making Waves and Adventures With Clifford: The Big Red Dog. When these exhibits are in town they are only here for a limited time; so don’t miss the opportunity to see them!

Exhibit Halls

As great as our traveling exhibits are, there are some exhibits that are the staple of the Orlando Science Center. NatureWorks will have you up close and personal with some of nature’s most fascinating reptiles. At DinoDigs, you’ll step back into the prehistoric age. Discover the dynamic forces and systems that shape our Earth, as well as other planets in Our Planet, Our Universe. Explore such concepts as electricity and magnetism, lasers, soundwaves, and nature’s forces in Science Park. No visit to the Science Center is complete without a trip to KidsTown, an interactive world dedicated to our smaller explorers.

Science Live! Programs

What’s the difference between a great visit to a Science Center and a memorable visit? Live programs. Our exhibits are designed to inspire curiosity and exploration, our Science Live! programs are designed to bring the exhibits to life. Whether it’s a show in the Digital Adventure Theater or a one-to-one interaction with a volunteer at the Crosby Observatory, our live programs create the kind of impact that can last a lifetime.

Science Stations

Looking for little more “hard science” in your next Science Center visit? Look no further than the Science Stations located throughout the facility. Science Stations are a cross between exhibits and live programs in that they’re exhibits that typically include a live program to truly bring the experience to life. Science Stations provide an in-depth look at their respective subject matter in an entertaining way. Be sure to check your program schedule to see which Science Stations are conducting demonstrations on the day of your next visit.

Crosby Observatory

The aluminum-domed Crosby Observatory atop Orlando Science Center houses Florida's largest publicly accessible refractor telescope. This one-of-a-kind custom-built telescope, along with several smaller scopes, are available at selected times for solar and night sky viewing.

Opposites Attract

28 January 2011
Posted in NatureWorks

National Geographic reported that a new hybrid of minke whale was discovered in the Arctic. The whale DNA indicated that it was a hybrid of two different types of minke whale, Antarctic and Northern. This was very surprising to scientists because these two different type of whales also have two very different migratory patterns that keep them separated my many miles at all times of the year, or so they thought. The DNA of this hybrid whale, caught in the northeastern Atlantic in 2007, proves that at least once these two types of whales came together and were able to breed.

So, why would these two whales even be relatively close to one another when they have such different migratory patterns? The answer may have something to do with a drop in the supply of krill, the tiny crustacean that fuels the Antarctic food chain. Japanese studies show that the drop in krill, in the 1980's-1990's, coincided with a drop in Antarctica minke in the Southern Hemisphere. Scientist speculate that as the food supply decreased whales may have gone scouting for food and found their way to the Arctic Circle and the northern minkes. Scientists now have some work on their hands to find out if this whale was a stroke of luck or a new tendency in the animal kingdom.

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Mammoth to be Cloned

25 January 2011
Posted in NatureWorks

New Cloning Experiment Makes Big News

The discovery of a frozen Mammoth has allowed a team of Japanese Scientists an attempt at cloning the species. Yes, a real life Mammoth could be walking the planet after 10,000 years of extinction.

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Researchers plan to use a tissue sample from frozen mammoth remains, to harvest cell nuclei. The nuclei of the mammoth cell will then be inserted into the egg cell of an elephant, which has had its own nuclei removed. Follow? In other words… if we take an elephant egg cell, remove its nucleus, and then replace it with a mammoth nucleus, we will have a baby mammoth.

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The research group, which includes two American, and one Russian scientist, is headed by Akira Iritani, professor at Kyoto University in Japan.

FIRST Robotics Competition

18 January 2011
Posted in Science Park

This past year over 300 High School teams competed in a competition involving obstacles, not by the use of physical actions, but by the use of robots. How would you like to be involved in a revolutionary science competition? The FIRST Robotics Championship takes a year of preparation concluding with a 3-day competition event. At the beginning of the year, each team receives all the necessary tools including strings, wires, gears and metal pieces to begin the production of their own robots. They then compete in a regional competition in anticipation to make it to the finals. During the finals, the teams break into groups where they vigorously compete in a game called “breakaway” which is similar to soccer with added obstacles, until one team is crowned the champion.

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This mission of the FIRST Robotics competition is getting students involved in science and technology. The highest honor is the Chairman’s Award, and the team named Miss Daisy, from Wissahickon won this past year. Although they were not in the final round, they have been competing for the past 11 years and always engage their entire community in the process.

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The FIRST Robotics competition is a great way for students to excel in science using a hands-on approach. Using only the materials received in a box, these students can create functional robots, something they can be very proud of. If you would like a chance to become a science inventor, this website provides all the information necessary to start your own team!

Winter Tornadoes

25 January 2011
Posted in WFTV Severe Weather Center 9

Did you know that tornadoes in the winter could be considered more dangerous? Tornadoes normally need warm, moist air to form therefore they are less common in the winter. However, when the conditions are right for tornadoes this could lead to a deadly problem. Thunderstorms in the winter have been known to be faster therefore the winds that spawn the tornadoes are naturally at an elevated speed.

These tornadoes, being equal in strength but faster in speed, can lead to several problems. The speed of the tornado can severely limit the response time available to receive warning. Not having enough time to prepare and take necessary safety precautions, such as finding shelter, can lead to serious destruction. Therefore on the safe side, make sure to take tornado watches very seriously because you never know when a tornado might form.

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The Kepler Mission

13 January 2011
Posted in Our Planet, Our Universe

NASA’s Kepler Mission is a space observatory built to discover Earth like-planets. The Kepler Mission is to explore the structure and diversity of planetary systems beyond our Galaxy, the Milky Way.

On January 10^th, NASA confirmed the discovery of its first rocky planet, named Kepler-10b. Not only was it the first rocky planet, but also the smallest planet ever found outside of our solar system. Data collected on the “exoplanet” was collected from May 2009 through January 2010. This discovery has provided evidence of a rocky planet orbiting a star, besides our sun. Although this planet is not in a habitable zone, it is still an exciting discovery for NASA’s Kepler Mission, which results in a promising outcome for more discoveries to come. In the quest to find a planet similar to Earth that enables life form, NASA is on the right path.

To find out more information about the Kepler Mission or their new discovery, click here.

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