JAYANTA STHANAPATI RTICLE A EATURE F TheThe fi rst phphysics-basedysics-based exhibits suitable forfor outdooro exposition,iti with ith visitors i it as part t of f the th interaction, i t were created in the United States of America in 1977. India followed soon after producing physics playground exhibits a year later in 1978. physics through interactive or hands-on Science Museums with NDIA is credited worldwide for exhibits. Hands-on Exhibits Icreating the fi rst full-fl edged outdoor It is possibly not known to many From the middle of the 1960s, museums of science exposition called ‘Children’s that the fi rst set of physics based exhibits science and technology in North America Science Park’ in 1979, during the suitable for outdoor exposition, with prominently started evolving as science International Year of the Child, at Nehru visitors as part of the interaction, were teaching centres, with no resemblance to Science Centre in Mumbai. Between 1979 created in the United States of America conventional science museums like the and 2014, India has set up 40 science parks at The Exploratorium in San Francisco Science Museum (1857) in London, the as visitors’ facility offered by most of the in 1977. India too produced physics Deutsches Museum in Munich (1903), or science museums, science centres and playground exhibits, not exactly similar the Museum of History and Technology science cities. The majority of the exhibits to The Exploratorium exhibits, a year later (1964) at Smithsonian Institution in of these parks explain basic principles of in 1978 at the Nehru Science Centre. Washington DC. Examples of such new 25 Science Reporter, FEBRUARY 2016 FEATURE ARTICLE As they say, a good thing never loses its value, which is why the prototypes developed and the concepts suggested by The Exploratorium drew attention of many countries including India and similar exhibits were The Exploratorium – the birthplace fabricated by them from of physics playground exhibits 1982 onwards. generation centres are The Exploratorium (1969) in San Francisco, USA, Ontario developed a ‘Library of Experiments’ to Under his guidance the physics Science Centre (1969) in Toronto, Canada help students to conduct experiments for playground exhibits were fi rst developed and the Lawrence Hall of Science (1968) in-depth study. in The Exploratorium in San Francisco in in Berkeley, USA. The exhibits they While still in the University of 1977. The efforts started yielding fruits displayed required manual operation, Colorado, Oppenheimer cherished a keen when in 1977 The Exploratorium had used control and adjustment by visitors and desire to set up a science museum with a grant of USD 5,500 from the Association thus provided opportunities for better hands-on exhibits. A few years later he for Science-Technology Centres (ASTC), understanding of a subject. started his dream project at the ‘Palace Washington DC for developing ideas, of Fine Arts’ in San Francisco with an designs and full-scale prototype exhibits Singapore Science Centre, the fi rst for a physics playground. Oppenheimer hands-on science museum in Asia, was initial funding of USD 50,000 from the San Francisco Foundation. The palace took joy in advising and sometimes opened in 1977. Meanwhile, the National helping with prototyping. Council of Science Museums in India took was originally built in 1915 to hold the a decision to set up the country’s fi rst ‘Panama Pacifi c Exhibition’ to celebrate They developed prototypes of hands-on science museum in Mumbai completion of the Panama Canal. four unusual swings and a slide race on an 11-acre (44,515 square metres) A cavernous hall of approximately and installed those temporarily in plot of land and name it as the Nehru 8000 sq meters fl oor area (305 m long, 37 The Exploratorium. The pieces were Science Centre (NSC), after the fi rst Prime m wide and 12 m high) in the palace was called Coupled Pendulum, Compound Minister of India. Dr. Saroj Ghose was considered an ideal space by Oppenheimer Pendulum, Moon Swing, Variable Length appointed as Project Offi cer of NSC. The to build his science museum. That began Swing, and the Slide Race. They further centre was dedicated to the nation by Shri his toil in creating the fantastic museum of proposed concepts of fi ve more exhibits Rajiv Gandhi, Prime Minister of India on interactive exhibits. In order to avoid the for the playground. These were Water 11 November 1985. passive undertone of the word ‘museum’ Cannon, Balancing Rail, Black Sand, he named it ‘The Exploratorium’. Sound Mirrors, Momentum Machine, and a Momentum Transfer Contest. His dream project was opened to Frank Oppenheimer and the Unfortunately, The Exploratorium Exploratorium the public in September 1969 and was very much liked by the visitors. Most of could not pursue their plans to set up a Dr. Frank Oppenheimer (1912-1985), the the exhibits of The Exploratorium were Physics Playground on the grounds of founder director of The Exploratorium, fabricated in-house; some were gifted the Palace of Fine Arts, because it was was an eminent physicist and educator. by industries, government agencies, denied by San Francisco’s Recreation During the Second World War, he worked artists, scientists, students and also by and Park Department due to their at the University of California Radiation staff members of the centre. Gradually, budget constraint, and issues concerning Laboratory in Berkeley on separation the number of exhibits grew to nearly 200 maintenance and aesthetics of the area. of uranium isotope project as its team pieces by 1972. But as they say, a good thing leader. With time, he got involved in the never loses its value, which is why the top-secret Manhattan Project of the Allies prototypes developed and the concepts to produce the atomic bomb. Exhibits at the Exploratorium suggested by The Exploratorium drew From 1957 onwards he focussed That is not the end of the story, however, attention of many countries including his attention towards science education. and the epilogue to this wonderful India and similar exhibits were fabricated Initially he taught physics, chemistry and journey of Frank Oppenheimer was by them from 1982 onwards. But no centre biology at Pagosa Springs High School recently unearthed by the present author has ever acknowledged the infl uence of in Colorado. Two years later, while in the form of a document which reveals The Exploratorium’s prototypes on their teaching at the University of Colorado, he another glorious creation of his. work. Science Reporter, FEBRUARY 2016 26 FEATURE ARTICLE ‘Slide Race’ exhibit under test at the Exploratorium (1977) ‘Coupled Pendulum’ in action at the Exploratorium (1977) First Exhibits at Nehru Science Centre Science Park of the Nehru Science Centre (1979) It was in 1978 that Dr. Saroj Ghose realized that it would take at least fi ve years to construct and set up the Nehru Science Centre. But there was a need to show something developed quickly at the site to satisfy the fi nancers of the project. So he planned that the open stretch of land, about 6 acres (24,281 sq. m.), in front of the proposed building could be developed as a beautiful park with exhibits which have relevance to science and technology. The work began in 1978 and it becomes evident from the Annual Report of the NSC that a set of six interactive outdoor exhibits based on basic principles of physics were developed and installed during that year, namely, Sundial, World Minus Colours, Musical Pipes, Cycloid Path, Loop the Loop, and Off-centred See- Saws. The graphics printed on the cover of the said Annual Report showed a few more exhibits, such as Wind Mill, Semaphore Tower, Water Wheels, Archimedes Spiral, Anemometer, and Wind Vane. NSC’s target was, however, (Physics); A.K. Date, Technical Offi cer (6) and Artefacts & Models (11). It is to be to set up a full-fl edged ‘Outdoor Science (Mechanical); R.P. Ghosh, Exhibition noted that none of the outdoor physics Expo’ by the year 1979, as that was Offi cer (Art & Display); A.R. Mahanty, exhibits developed by NSC Mumbai declared as ‘International Year of the Curator (Electronics); M. Parvathinathan, during 1978-1979 was similar to The Child’ by the United Nations. Curator (Physics); fi fteen Technicians and Exploratorium’s physics playground some supporting staff from other fi elds. exhibits, but a few had utilized similar principles of physics. Children’s Science Park Opens in The much awaited function was held Nehru Science Centre on 22 December 1979 and till now remains a favourite hunting ground for kids. A full-fl edged science park, the fi rst of Science Park at Saint Louis its kind in the world, was created over The exhibits of the science park were Science Centre an area of 24,281 sq metres at the Nehru divided into subheads like, Motion (7), The fi rst science park in America was Science Centre by Dr Saroj Ghose as Kinematics (7), Light (7), Work (6), Sound opened at St. Louis Science Centre Project Offi cer and his team of offi cials, (3), Time Keeping (3), Water (2), Energy in 1988 under the leadership of Dr. namely, Dr Arun Ghosh, Curator (1), Life Science (7), Weather Forecasting Jeffrey P. Bonner. During 1979-80, 27 Science Reporter, FEBRUARY 2016 FEATURE ARTICLE Exhibit on ‘Gears’ at the Science Park of Saint Louis Science Center, St. Louis (1988) Off-centred see-saws in operation at Nehru park at St Louis in 1988 and remarked he Science Centre, had no idea that the concept would catch Mumbai (1978) on internationally. The fi rst science park Indian and American infl uence in America Since the early 1980s many science museum professionals from various parts was opened of the world visited the Nehru Science Centre and appreciated the science park.