By James Hopkin
Many Sudbury residents can say they've looked inside Science North, but have they ever looked under it?
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The public is now able to do so, as the borehole camera, which allows observers to view the Creighton fault line underneath Science North, is one of six new exhibits to open at the science centre.
Other exhibits to be on display throughout the summer include a simulated flight over the Fraser River valley, a forest tent caterpillar information centre and a 2002 Toyota Prius gas-electric hybrid car, which burns approximately 4.6 litres of gasoline for every 100 kilometres travelled.
The exhibits are the pilot project of the Science in the Centres initiative, a collaboration between Natural Resources Canada (NRCanada) and Science North.
"The partnership is designed to take good science that NRCanada does and get it into the hands of the public," said Geoff Munro, director general of the Great Lakes Forestry Centre in Sault Ste. Marie. "Science North is one of the premier science centres in the country, and using their expertise to make the science fun and interesting gives us the opportunity to bring it out to Canadians in a way they will enjoy it."
The pilot project at Science North is the first step towards implementing more exhibits in science centres across Canada.
The six exhibits were designed to reflect the ongoing laboratory research conducted at NRCanada in an entertaining yet educational fashion.
"In order to build great visitor experiences, we need to draw on real science," said Alan Nursall, science director at Science North. "Real science is going on in laboratories, and we try to get people as close to the real science as possible. We don't just build a display about it, we take the science and we try to integrate it into the stuff that goes on here."
The exhibits are intended to show some rather complicated scientific principles in the form of an interactive display.
"It brings breakthrough science and innovation to the people," said Yvan Hardy of Natural Resources Canada. "One of our objectives is to influence younger people to look at science as a part of their future."
