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The Hong Kong Science Museum invites members of the public to take part in an amazing time journey - "Exploration of TIME!" - which runs from today (February 20) until May 24. During the journey, participants, passing through space and time, can explore the mystery of time and understand the evolution of the universe, Einsteinˇ¦s theory of relativity and the life cycles of creatures.
"Exploration of TIME!", produced by Japan's National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation, is the latest exhibition at the Science Museum. The exhibition was officially opened today (February 20) by the Honorary Adviser of the Hong Kong Science Museum, Prof. Paul Cheung, the Deputy Executive Director of the National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation, Japan, Mr Motohide Konaka, and the Chief Curator of the Science Museum, Mr Michael Wong.
The exhibition features 17 fun-filled interactive exhibits including "The Complete History of Time", "Time Recorder" and "Heartbeat Clock".
"The Complete History of Time" explains the theory that the Big Bang is the beginning of the history of time. When broken down into the tiniest parts, the bodies of human beings can be seen as conglomerations of various substances that have existed since the Big Bang and the beginning of the Universe. With the complex intertwining of matter came the formation of the Earth, the seas, and finally the birth of life. Thus human beings came into existence. Five billion years from now the sun will cease to exist and what follows will be uncertainty about the Universe. Our life here and now is but the tiniest point in the eons of time in the Universe.
Another exhibit, "Time Recorder", relates time with organisms and substances. It shows that many organisms and substances on Earth documented the "time" during their lives, such as the growth rings in trees, geological strata and spiral snails. The examples of hundreds of years lived by a cryptomeria tree and hundreds of millions of years in layers of geological strata show that life and matter of all descriptions pass time each on their own scale.
"Heartbeat Clock" attempts to explore the concept of "now" from a scientific angle. It shows that the rhythm of our heart beats echo throughout every cell of our body. The vibration of each individualˇ¦s pulse is conveyed through their fingertips, becoming a ring of light floating in the air. These rings, sometimes overlapping or sometimes passing, mark the existential moment in time known as "now".
Visitors can also find many other amazing exhibits like the "Biological Clock" which shows the 24-hour working cycle of genes, and the "Light Journey" which enables visitors to learn
"time" through starlight travelling. Visitors may also experience the passing of time inside a room that completely shuts them out from sound and light. They may also explore in the exhibition if "time" can be cut, or can bend and rejoin.
To tie in with the "Exploration of TIME!" exhibition, a video, "Naked Science: Time Machine", will be screened on April 15, 19 and May 10 at the Lecture Hall of the Science Museum. The video is narrated in English with Chinese subtitles. For details, please visit the museum's website.
The Science Museum is located at 2 Science Museum Road, Tsim Sha Tsui East, Kowloon. It is open from 1pm to 9pm from Monday to Friday and from 10am to 9pm on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays. It is closed on Thursdays (except public holidays). Admission is $25 and a half-price concession is available for full-time students, people with disabilities and senior citizens aged 60 or above. Admission is free on Wednesdays.
For enquiries, call 2732 3232, or visit the Science Museum's website at http://hk.science.museum for further information.
Ends/Friday, February 20, 2009
Issued at HKT 12:04
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