Would folks like to design a skateboard, bang a drum, pretend to be a weather forecaster or virtually explore Mars? Or would they rather study up on geometric properties, fractions, statistics, variables and algebra?
The newly installed “2theXtreme” exhibit at Orlando Science Center takes those first activities then craftily spotlights mathematical properties.
“They do a really good job of giving you an experience and then showing you how math plays a part in this,” said Jeff Stanford, vice president of marketing for the science center.
“It’s showing the hidden math in everything,” said Zachary Mailhot, science program specialist.
Among the first stops seen in “2theXtreme” is a snowboard experience called Boardercross, where visitors stand on a pivoting board and use angles and torque to fly over on-screen obstacles in a race.
“It’s active, it’s colorful, it’s hands-on,” Stanford said. “There are opportunities for all ages, parents and kids doing things together, kids on their own, teens, adults.”
Jeff and Connie Light and their grandsons, pose in the Style Revolution station, which uses freeze-motion technology to capture a photo from multiple angles. (Rich Pope/Orlando Sentinel)
In the center of the exhibit space is Style Revolution, a 360-degree photo shoot with 20 cameras that mixes geometry with red-carpet award show vibes.
“It feels very glitzy, glammy, but it’s accessible,” Mailhot said. A finished in-the-round image is emailed to participants.
Amateur meteorologists can interpret weather data then record a weather alert video backed by a green screen.
Among the other exhibit kiosks are forays into computer security, the pitches and frequency of music and mixing, building skyscrapers and competitive bicycling as a way of learning about distance, time and speed.
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The 40 exhibits of “2theXtreme” was produced by Evergreen Exhibitions.
“It was out on tour for almost 10 years, and now it’s been refurbished,” Stanford said. “They took some exhibits that were working really well for them, then they added some new experiences. Everything got a facelift. We’re one of the few venues to get it after it’s refurb.”
The exhibit, included with regular Orlando Science Center admission, will remain in place through Jan. 5. For more information, go to OSC.org.
The Kinsey family configures tiles on a light table into patterns in the Tessellations activity, part of ‘2TheXtreme’ exhibit at Orlando Science Center. (Rich Pope/Orlando Sentinel)
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