The Ontario Science Centre… Always Evolving

Weston Family Innovation Centre unveils more than 12 new interactive experiences

TORONTO, Aug. 28, 2012 /CNW/ - Today, the Ontario Science Centre unveils exciting additions to the Weston Family Innovation Centre with more than 12 new interactive experiences designed to encourage visitors to experiment, collaborate and be creative.

"After five years of successful operations, we are making some significant changes to the Weston Family Innovation Centre including adding new experiences and enhancing existing activities," says Dr. Mary Jane Conboy, Director, Science Content & Design. "While remaining true to the original approach, the Weston Family Innovation Centre now includes a new generation of experiences designed to encourage visitors to dream big, try and try again, expect the unexpected, compete or collaborate and look at the world around them with fresh eyes."

New exhibits in the Weston Family Innovation Centre include:

• "SO YOU THINK YOU CAN FLY" explores aerodynamics from the point of view of "the child in all of us" who thought we could fly by simply flapping our arms. Visitors put on a pair of wings and flap their arms as a sensor records the flaps per minute. They learn about aerodynamics including how long their wings would need to be, and how fast they would need to flap, to achieve flight with their body weight.

• "TELL TALE HEART", where up to four participants are invited to place their hands on one of several sensors that read their heartbeat. Their collective heartbeats will affect the behaviour - sounds, lights and more - of the 12-foot (3.7-metre) tall sculpture.

• "MAKING FACES" inspired by Ontario Science Centre Science School students, this exhibit invites visitors to create a face using their own picture plus facial features from many different contributors. Participants add video clips to their own faces making up a new and sometimes bizarre image.

• "3D EVOLUTION" showcases how 3D technology has evolved from stereoscopes to 3D glasses and contemporary 3D screens that can be viewed without glasses. Visitors will learn how their brain perceives 3D and experience some illusions that capitalize on this science.

• "SPEECH SYNTHESIS" allows a participant to try out new voice synthesis software by typing in a sentence and listening to it read back with five different "accents" helping people to understand that different languages pronounce the same grouping of letters or phonemes differently. Visitors can see how sophisticated voice synthesis has become by comparing the software to the restored, iconic "Coffee Machine" from the 1970s.

• "FRICTION ZONE" has participants experimenting with kinetic friction as they send sliders down ramps with different surfaces. Which ramp is slowest… or fastest? What happens when you change your slider material?

• "OLD-FASHIONED VOTING BOOTH" is a New York State voting booth circa the 1950s that has been adapted to poll participants about various topics including their favourite ice cream flavour. Clear Plexiglas has been installed on the back of the booth to show how it works with a series of manual counters.

The Weston Family Innovation Centre, including the 12 new experiences, was developed, designed and fabricated on-site by Ontario Science Centre staff. All are included with a general admission ticket. For hours and prices visit www.ontariosciencecentre.ca.

The Weston Family Innovation Centre was named in recognition of The W. Garfield Weston Foundation's $15 million lead gift to the Ontario Science Centre's Agents of Change Initiative, and to honour the Foundation's support and commitment to education.

About the Ontario Science Centre
The Ontario Science Centre delights, informs and challenges the communities we serve, enriching people's lives and understanding through engagement with science of local, national and global relevance. Since 1969, the Ontario Science Centre has welcomed over 45 million visitors, with an interactive approach that was the model for Science Centres around the world. It is the public centre for innovative thinking and provocative dialogue in science and technology, aiming to inspire a lifelong journey of curiosity, discovery and action to create a better future for the planet. The Ontario Science Centre is an agency of the Government of Ontario. Please visit us at Ontariosciencecentre.ca.  www.Facebook.com/OntarioScienceCentre. Twitter: @OntScienceCtr. YouTube: www.YouTube.com/user/OntarioScienceCentre.

SOURCE: Ontario Science Centre

Media Contacts:

Christine Crosbie
Media Relations Officer
[email protected]
416-696-3191 Cell: 416-895-5482

Jefferson Darrell
Media Relations Officer
[email protected]
416-696-3154