It's Not Magic. It's Cool Science!
Guests of all ages can experience the extraordinary, bizarre and super cool science principles that govern the workings of our everyday world. Witness strange motions and weird happenings that delight the mind and senses.
See the invisible with thermography cameras. Be lifted by air in the vacuum-powered Air Chair. Lie across a bed of 5,000 nails unharmed. Defy gravity with gyroscopic technology and electromagnetism. Launch objects by the explosive force of a chemical reaction or pull yourself to new heights using a pulley system.
Perform incredible feats of strength, such as crushing a garbage can or winning a seemingly impossible tug-of-war match. Harness the power of the wind to steer a sailboat or spin a wind turbine. Cool Stuff is organized into three themed zones — LIFT, LOOK/MOVE and PUSH — each exploring a different facet of physics.
LIFT
Overcoming Gravity Through Science
"What goes up, must come down" becomes a playful challenge in this area dedicated to lifting, launching and levitation. Seven distinct exhibits demonstrate the remarkable variety of forces that can overcome gravity, from electromagnetic pulses to atmospheric pressure.
Magnetic Ring Launcher
Watch aluminum rings blast skyward without any physical contact. This exhibit harnesses electromagnetic induction, sending powerful magnetic pulses that instantly launch metallic rings high into the air.
Tennis Ball Launcher
Transform the energy of a falling bowling ball into aerial propulsion. Participants use a rope to raise and drop a 16-pound bowling ball to compress air in a chamber below, propelling a tennis ball into spectacular flight.
Hydrogen Ping-Pong Launcher
Experience the power of controlled chemical reactions. This exhibit safely demonstrates how hydrogen combustion can launch a ping-pong ball through a clear tube with an impressive bang.
Air Chair
Discover the incredible lifting power of atmospheric pressure. A classic vacuum cleaner creates a pressure differential strong enough to lift seated participants several feet into the air.
Bernoulli Blower
Make balls dance on invisible cushions of air. The exhibit demonstrates Bernoulli's principle–the foundation of airplane flight, spray bottles and countless other technologies.
Bed of Nails
Challenge your assumptions about pressure and pain. Guests are safely lifted by a bed of 5,000 nails, discovering how force distribution makes the impossible possible.
Pulley Chair
Become your own crane operator. Different pulley configurations offer varying mechanical advantages and visitors test each setup to determine which requires the least effort to lift themselves.
LOOK/MOVE
Revealing the Invisible Forces of Nature
Physics becomes art in this section dedicated to motion, light and heat. These exhibits illuminate the bizarre and beautiful aspects of our physical world, making visible the ordinarily invisible forces that surround us.
Lariat Chain
Create mesmerizing waves that seem to defy logic. Visitors send pulses through a rotating beaded chain, generating flowing patterns that ripple along its entire length.
Gyro Briefcase
Experience forces that seem to come from nowhere. This mysterious briefcase contains a high-speed gyroscope that demonstrates angular momentum conservation and gyroscopic precession.
Dancing Trees
Watch magnetism choreograph a spectacular dance. Sixty-four magnetic structures rise, fall and ripple in beautiful patterns synchronized to music.
Thermography
See yourself in a completely new light–infrared light. This thermal imaging station reveals the heat radiating from visitors' bodies as colorful, dynamic images.
Fiber Optic Magnifying Lens
Bend light around corners and through impossible paths. Visitors explore how fiber optic cables trap and guide light using total internal reflection.
PUSH
Multiplying Force Through Mechanical Advantage
How do forces make objects move and how can we amplify our own strength? This area explores the physics of pushing and pulling, revealing how mechanical systems can multiply force to accomplish seemingly impossible tasks.
Crush a Can
Harness mechanical advantage to achieve superhuman strength. This exhibit provides the leverage needed for a child to generate enough force to flatten a 30-gallon metal trash can.
Giant Lever
David defeats Goliath through physics. Kids can challenge their parents to tug-of-war and win every time by choosing the right position on this massive lever.
Vortex Cannon
Fire invisible projectiles with stunning force. This 42-inch diameter cannon launches powerful rings of air that can knock over targets 30 feet away.
Sailboat Racers
Master the wind to win the race. Visitors experiment with sail angles and positions to propel small boats across a table, discovering how sails generate lift.
Gizmotron
Collaborate to operate a massive compound machine. This complex apparatus requires teamwork as visitors work together to move plastic beads through an elaborate cycle.
Find Us on the Map
Level 2
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Cool Stuff is included with General Admission. Plan your visit today!
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