Dexter's Lab - Day one as an intern at MOSI

Today marks my first day as an intern at MOSI (Museum of Science & Industry) and so far it has been a day of nostalgia. Growing up in the area, I spent a lot of time here with school field trips and summer programs. Some of my interests are because of MOSI. When I tell my friends that I wouldn't mind being a storm chaser, they stare at me with a look that says "What is wrong with you?" Then they ask why and I tell them that MOSI showed me the informative and interesting side to tornadoes and hurricanes. As destructive and dangerous as they are, there is something beautiful about them.

During my trip down memory lane, I was taken to a new area (well, new to me) called Kids in Charge. This area is for kids 12 and under, and in my opinion, for anyone who is still a kid at heart. The most interesting thing to me was Mission Moonbase. You start in a room that makes you seem like you are on a spaceship launching from Tampa, FL to the moon. Then you exit the room and enter into "The Moonbase" which is an informative/interactive area. Is it possible that adults will enjoy this more than their kids? Next to Kids in Charge there is a ropes course and zip line and one day I will find time (not a work day) to go out there and enjoy. I could see myself spending several hours on the ropes course, the zip line and in the Kids in Charge area.

MOSI currently has an exhibit called Sea Monsters Revealed, that shows the internal structure of sea creatures throughout the oceans. The term "Sea Monsters" is used because when we do not fully understand a creature, we refer to it as a monster. The exhibit is designed to help us understand these marine creatures and shows various types of sharks, squids and fish, some that I have never heard of.

As this was my first day, I was thinking I would do a quick tour, get acquainted with various staff members and be given something to work on as my first project. While all of those things did happen, I was also able to witness and be a part of the filming of a commercial. Luckily I did not have any speaking roles or things could have been really bad. I was able to get a few pictures from behind the scenes before it was time for my "close-up."

I know the rest of my internship will not be as simple as today, but just because I have to do actual work not mean that I cannot have fun doing my job. I am looking forward to the rest of my summer here at MOSI. 

-Dexter (Marketing intern, Florida Atlantic University)

MOSI Summer Science Camps Registration Now Open

S.T.E.M. (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) camps made fun

Registration for the Museum of Science & Industry’s 2013 Summer Science Camps are now open. MOSI’s Summer Science Camps begin Monday, June 10, and registration is available at MOSI.org.

Whether it’s rocks or rockets that interest your child, MOSI’s Summer Science Camps offer something for everyone. Through hands-on experiments and projects, children will learn the wonder of Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (S.T.E.M.). Attendees will have the opportunity to build roller coasters, create art with lasers, participate in a battle at Hogwarts, decipher DNA to solve crimes or cook up edible slime, depending on their age group and the week they attend.

For teens, MOSI’s S.T.E.M. Career Camps provide students plenty of opportunities to explore careers that utilize S.T.E.M. skills through active, project-based experiences with the support of field experts and scientists. Through real-world experiences in a fun, thought-provoking environment, students will make discoveries about S.T.E.M. careers in addition to discoveries about their own interests. Receive a S.T.E.M. Certificate of Achievement for successful completion of each of these camps.

Summer camp sessions are available to children in preschool through high school. Multiple week and multiple child discounts are available. Extended care and hot lunches are offered for an additional fee. For more information, class descriptions and prices, visit www.mosi.org.

MOSI opens world premiere exhibition - Sea Monsters Revealed

Sea Monsters Revealed, an exhibition of the world’s largest plastinated sea creatures, makes its world premiere debut at the Museum of Science & Industry (MOSI) on Saturday, March 9.

“MOSI is thrilled to host the world premiere of Sea Monsters Revealed. We believe that it will set a new standard for traveling exhibitions and has the potential to match the tremendous impact created by the world premiere of Bodies… The Exhibition,” said MOSI President Wit Ostrenko.

Like the human anatomy exhibits that now circle the globe, Sea Monsters Revealed uses the revolutionary polymer preservation technique commonly known as plastination to bring real sea animals onto dry land for an up-close and personal look at the most mysterious creatures the deep sea has to offer. Visitors will not only see the outside, but also the inside of the most elusive aquatic life ever discovered, including a 6-foot-wide manta ray, a 15-foot-long mako shark, a giant squid, and an 18-foot-long, 3,000 pound whale shark. All specimens in the exhibition are authentic, stunning examples of the mysteries that lie beyond our shores and have been carefully recovered in accordance with the highest animal protection standards.

“The oceans are Earth’s last frontier. Scientists have explored only 5 percent of its mysteries, leaving the remaining 95 percent to the imagination. Sea Monsters Revealed takes visitors on a journey of exploration in search of the elusive sea monster,” said the exhibition’s creator, John Zaller. “The creatures in this exhibition are so massive, so impressive, and so magical, that you truly have to experience it to grasp its impact and importance.”

More than 18 full-body sea creatures will be on display, along with more than 150 individual organs and smaller specimens that define the life of the sea.

While these impressive sea creatures truly are the stars of the show, they are set in a multi-sensory environment unlike any other traveling exhibition. The exhibition’s theatrical and scenic elements take visitors back in time to an 18^th century oceanographer’s study to learn about humanity’s fascination with the ocean throughout history via an interactive map table and lessons from the earliest natural scientists and explorers, demonstrating that logic and adventure are important elements in the pursuit of science. Moving forward, visitors will then enter a specially-built submersible, where they will descend to the depths to explore the sea floor and meet renowned ocean explorers such as Fabian Cousteau and Sylvia Earle. They will then have the opportunity to walk on the ocean floor among the giants of the deep. At the end of the exhibition, visitors will be able to engage with live sea creatures in a specially constructed touch pool – a first for a traveling exhibition.

Sea Monsters Revealed explorers will re-emerge from the depths of the exhibit with a greater understanding of the world’s oceans and our relationship to them as humans. Additionally, they will learn that the health of the oceans and preservation of these beautiful species is within our control through conservation initiatives around the globe. Guests will be given the opportunity to participate in these initiatives through follow-up conversations with programs such as the NOAA Marine Sanctuaries Program.

An immersive and interactive experience, Sea Monsters Revealed is the most comprehensive exhibition on the deep sea ever created. The exhibition’s passionate expression of the oceans is the result of a robust partnership between MOSI, BASE Entertainment, KRE8 360, Mote Marine Laboratory, MacGillivray Freeman Films, and The Cascade Game Foundry. Each of these groups has brought their expertise and experience to this project to deliver an exhibition that is rich in science, technology, history and interactive elements. Sea Monsters Revealed is funded, in part, by the Hillsborough County Board of County Commissioners/Tourist Development Council.

Sea Monsters Revealed makes a splash with its world premiere on Saturday, March 9 and will be on display at MOSI through Monday, Sept. 2, 2013. Museum hours are Monday – Friday, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday, 9 a.m. – 6 p.m. Tickets are on sale now, and reservations are highly recommended. Tickets can be purchased by calling 813-987-6000 or visiting mosi.org. 

Tickets for Sea Monsters Revealed are $18.95 for adults, $16.95 for seniors (60+) and $12.95 for children (2-12). Guests can add MOSI general exhibits or a documentary IMAX film to their Sea Monsters Revealed ticket for $5 each.

For more information, visit mosi.org.

Food Truck Rally at MOSI

Mummies at night? Zipping in the dark? Gobs of food? What's not to like??

MOSI is hosting a Food Truck Rally, featuring ‘Mummies After Dark’ on Friday, Aug. 31, 2012 from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. This event will provide Tampa area residents and visitors a last chance to see the groundbreaking exhibition Mummies of the World before it closes on Sept. 9, 2012.

Attendees will have the opportunity to try food from the area's coolest food trucks, enjoy great games and music, and experience Mummies of the World at night like never before. Guests can conquer MOSI’s Sky Trail® Ropes Course and Zip Line in the dark, and check out The Dark Knight Rises on Florida’s largest and only IMAX DOME Theatre. MOSI’s standard exhibit galleries also will be open.

Admission to the Food Truck Rally is free! Additional fees apply for Mummies of the World, Sky Trail attractions, IMAX movies and MOSI general exhibits. Advance reservations are recommended. Tickets can be purchased by calling 813-987-6000.

Birthday Bash and Zip Line Launch Party on Saturday!

Join us as we celebrate the 7th birthday of our Kids in Charge! science center and the launch of our new Sky Trail® Zip Line. With mummy-themed activities, games and birthday cake, along with the opportunity to coast more than 700 feet on the new Zip Line, this celebration is guaranteed to have something for everyone. So bring your sweet tooth and get ready to defy gravity!

Kids in Charge! is the nation’s largest science center and is designed for children 12 and under. Kids in Charge! emphasizes the value of learning through play by bringing together science, creative thinking and the imagination. With the addition of our new Zip Line, children of all ages are sure to take fun to new heights!

This event will be held Saturday, July 14, from 11:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. The birthday party and cake are included with MOSI admission (while supplies last). Additional fees apply for Zip Line rides.

MOSI’s Sky Trail Zip Line will be open every day, weather permitting.  Mondays – Thursdays: noon – 5 p.m.; Fridays: noon – 8 p.m.; Saturdays: 10 a.m. – 8 p.m.; and Sundays: 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.  Group rates, team building and exclusive birthday party packages are available.  Please visit www.mosi.org or call 813-987-6000 for more information and ticket prices. 

Height and weight restrictions apply. Secured, closed-toe shoes are required and available for purchase. Tickets are per person and valid for one adventure only. The Ropes Course and Zip Line are separate adventures and each needs its own ticket. Waiver required. Availability subject to change. Guests should call prior to their visit.

Mummies of the World Geocaching Challenge

Aspiring treasure hunters and explorers can embrace their inner archeologist with the new Mummies of the World Geocaching Challenge, where modern-day GPS equipment and smartphones can double as treasure maps. The Geocaching Challenge will take place from June 17 – 30 in the Back Woods preserve behind MOSI.

Using a handheld GPS or the Opencaching phone app, explorers can hunt down geocaches (different types of hidden containers) containing special prizes and coordinates to other geocaches on MOSI property. There are four Geocaches hidden in the Back Woods area of MOSI. The first three stages all have free prizes, as well as the coordinates to the next Geocache. For the bravest and quickest Geocachers, the very last prize in the expedition will be a raffle for an 8GB Apple iPod.

Other prizes inside the geocaches include MOSI tickets and IMAX Dome passes, travel tags and geocoins. The “treasure” will be available starting Sunday, June 17.

All prizes are first come, first served. Though the contest doesn't officially end until June 30, the treasure may have all been taken by that time. Because of the nature of this game, MOSI cannot guarantee any prizes to Geocachers even if the Geocache is found within the contest dates.

Here’s the first clue. You must find this Geocache to get the coordinates to the second, third and fourth Geocache. Inside the fourth Geocache is the real treasure – a chance to win an 8GB Apple iPod!


Cache #1  (Coordinates to the second cache are inside this cache!)

Howler Monkey Cache

This howler monkey is from the site of Grand Chaco, in Argentina, South America. It has not been radiocarbon dated, but it is likely that the monkey was naturally preserved in the warm, dry environment of the area and prepared for display, with a rhea feather skirt and feather wreath around its head and neck. To learn more about the Howler Monkey, visit Mummies of the World – the Exhibition here at MOSI.


Hint to help you find it:

See a side of KIC rarely viewed (the back side).


Coordinates:

N 028°03.185
W 082°24.361


Prizes:

We are stashing 20 pairs of IMAX Dome Theatre tickets in this Geocache! The first few participants who make it to the Howler Monkey Cache get to see our IMAX film, Mummies: Secrets of the Pharaohs!



Give Me My Mummy!

Get ready, Tampa Bay. MOSI has hit the mummy-lode…literally. MOSI’s newest exhibit, Mummies of the World, is now open! Come join us as we journey as far back as 6,500 years and attempt to unravel the secrets that mummies hold about the past. This highly anticipated attraction boasts a staggering collection of 150 mummies and artifacts, more than enough to keep both the kids and adults interested. 

For the science lovers out there, Mummies of the World is a fascinating mix of old and new, including engaging interactive multi-media exhibits that illustrate how current science tools enable us to study mummies in new and non-invasive ways, allowing unprecedented insights into past cultures and civilizations. Mummies of the World demonstrates real advances in the scientific methods in which mummies are studied, including Computer Tomography (CT), Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), DNA analysis and radiocarbon dating, allowing researchers to learn about the lives, history, and cultures of the mummies.

 MOSI also offers guests the opportunity to learn about mummies from the comfort of MOSI’s IMAX® DOME Theatre with the film Mummies: Secrets of the Pharaohs. This film follows researchers and explorers as they piece together the archeological and genetic clues of Egyptian mummies. Both the exhibit and the film will leave you with much insight into past cultures and civilizations.

Mummies of the World is a timed-entry event so reservations are encouraged. The IMAX® DOME Theatre film Mummies: Secrets of the Pharaohs is a separate ticketed event. Please visit www.mosi.org or call 813-987-6000 for more information.