By Brian M. Rafferty
There’s so much information available at the New York Hall of Science’s latest educational exhibit that it could make your brain hurt. Of course, there is probably a tidbit or two in the exhibit that would explain why your head will hurt.
“Brain: The World Inside Your Head,” a 5,000-square-foot interactive, high-tech exhibit officially opened Saturday and offers not only detailed explanations on how varied function of the brain work, but it also provides a wide range of information on brain diseases, disorders and other maladies.
The brain is the most complex structure in the known universe, and so it only makes sense that the exhibit is a tad complicated. There are 13 interactive stations at the exhibit which serve a range of purposes, and they do not appear to be arranged in any particular order.
From Synapse Pop, which shows the route a signal takes leaping synapses from neuron to neuron, to Yesterday, which offers audio, visual and aromatic sensory cues to test your memory, the exhibit covers a broad spectrum of brain-related topics.
The exhibit is designed to stimulate the brains in people of all ages. At the preview of the exhibit, a 3-year-old was startled to see a face disappear in the Attention Getter exhibit. She looked through a pair of peepholes with the reflection of a face visible in one eye and a blank screen on the other side. The face looked back at her until a hand moved in front of the blank screen and her brain was distracted. “It’s gone,” she said of the face she had been staring at.
A group of teenagers was very impressed with the Yesterday interactive segment. By pressing buttons they could catch a whiff of popcorn, fresh-mown grass or a campfire. A computer program would then ask a series of questions regarding sense memory, asking what types of memories the scents evoked. The segment also provided video and audio stimuli as well.
Another item shows the difficulty the brain has in performing basic hand-eye coordination. A metal wand with a ring at the end is attached to a twisted metal rod. The visitor needs to maneuver the wand through the length of the rod without letting the ring at the end touch the rod. The trick to it lies in having to keep a button pressed at the same time. If the wand’s ring touches the rod, a quiet alarm buzzes.
In addition to the interactive exhibits, there is an entire wall stocked with literature about the brain and how it can be damaged. Pamphlets on stroke research, epilepsy, partial seizures, effects of drugs, Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s are just some of the literature available.
Visitors can also see real brains from different animals as well as the damage that a hole in the head can cause a human brain.
“Brain: The World Inside Your Head” will be at the New York Hall of Science, Flushing Meadows Corona Park, through Aug. 31. The exhibit is made possible by Pfizer. Call 718-699-0005.
