Event 3: California Science Center

Entrance to World of Life Exhibit

Different Examples of Brains 

This past week I had the pleasure to visit the California Science Center in Los Angeles, CA. Growing up in South Central Los Angeles, I have visited this museum many times on school field trips. However, this visit was a bit different. I was not going with an open mind ready to explore, but rather with prior knowledge on the exhibits prepared to learn the relation between science and art. While the California Science Center has many exhibits, I will be focusing this blog post on the World of Life exhibit. In this exhibit, we “examine how people, plants, animals and the tiniest living cells all perform the same life processes to survive.” 

Interactive Nerve Display

Entering this exhibit almost felt as if you were walking into the human body. The lessons from units four, five, and six were present in this section of the museum. There was an interactive display of how nerves interact with the rest of the body. This was an artistic expression of how neuroscience can send signals to the rest of the brain. Off to the side, there were examples of the brain structures of different animals. This goes to show how most animals, regardless of species all have the same brain functioning for survival. 

CSC Employee Sonia and I

The examples of the brain in this exhibit were just the tip of the iceberg. They had interactive displays on the different ways we take in energy, how we take in supplements and get rid of waste, how we use different methods to defend ourselves, how we reproduce and pass on genetic information, and how our organs work together to keep our body in balance. This museum helped me understand the concepts of MedTech, Neuroscience, and Biotech concerning the human body through the way of art. For my final essay, I intend on writing about the human body and its relation to art, so this visit to the museum helped me gather the information that I think will be useful in its construction. 

"World of Life." California Science Center, 30 Oct. 2014, californiasciencecenter.org/exhibits/world-of-life.