WHEN IN MANILA, bring the kids to the interactive MIND MUSEUM and let the whole family experience Sciene in a whole new way; because, whoever you are, whatever you do, Science comes alive in The Mind Museum at Taguig!
“The Mind Museum helps children appreciate life and science because most of the exhibits are attractive and insightful. This can help change their perception that science lessons are intimidating.”
“Kids naturally crave for exciting activities that’s why The Mind Museum has made sure that its exhibits are not only informative but awe-inspiring and breathtaking.”
Being the first world-class Science museum in the Philippines, its vision is to be the country’s center for the public understanding of science, enthralling guests with its beauty, clarity and the intriguing character. The Mind Museum will be a tool to help breed scientific literacy that will help everyone be inspired to understand nature and support the sciences, whatever they do in life.
“Designs are by Filipino artists working with Filipino scientists and engineers to clearly and beautifully flesh out a Science principle or fact. Ninety percent of the exhibits were done by carefully selected local fabricators who also do work for science museums abroad.”
Trivia: There are only 3 experts in the world who can make hominid look like a real person – the third being a Filipino named “Mang Jun” from Pampanga. The Mind Museum is excited and proud to showcase his works to everyone. Those are real human hairs on the hominids, by the way.
What’s Inside The Mind Museum:
“The Mind Museum is an enthralling learning facility for kids age 6 to 96. It has over 250 interactive exhibits. It is a showcase of ‘What we know, how we know it and what we do with what we know.’ The galleries feature science facts, the process of discovery and their applications in technology. It is a place where visitors can learn science principles in a fascinating and interactive way, where teachers can find new and exciting ways to supplement their science lessons, and where students can satisfy their curiosity about how the world works.”
“Divided into five main galleries, it tells the story of the Atom, Earth, Life, Universe, and Technology:”
“The Atom Gallery has exhibit pieces that show the strange world of the very small in terms of forces and particles;”
Atom Centerpiece
The Atom Centerpiece contains a 3D visualization of the atom through a program called “Atom in a box” developed by a physicist. Through this, visitors will get a glimpse of how electrons behave, which serves as important knowledge to make the electronic tools humans use today.
Carbon: Basis of All Life on Earth
This is a game area where kids can create their own allotropes, and thus help them understand why carbon is such a versatile atom.
Static Ball
The Van de Graff static ball is a favorite of the kids and adults alike. When visitors touch the static ball, they will experience their hair standing on end. Visitors can explore how electrostatic energy is generated and what effects it produces.
“The Earth Gallery tells of the story of the planet and our archipelago across the breadth of time; it includes a 3D animated film made by an all-Filipino crew that features 4.6 billion years of the planet’s natural history and evolution in 12 minutes.”
Stan, T.rex
The first T.rex exhibit in the Philippines is named Stan, after Stan Sacrison, who in 1987 discovered the most complete male T.rex skeleton ever unearthed. It is cast from the real fossils. Everybody’s fascinated with the 40-foot creature. You might want to visit this early on so you could be first in line to take a good picture with the T.rex 🙂
“It takes just one spark of curiosity for a child to be drawn into the sciences. The Mind Museum at Taguig, the Philippines’ first world-class science museum, is a good place to start an educational and fascinating science journey with the kids.”
“Parents do not need to be scientists, doctors or engineers to support their children’s science learning. As long as they are willing to encourage their kids’ curiosity, they will be able to help them get interested in how the world works, and maybe even pursue careers in the different disciplines of the sciences. “
It would also be nice to introduce the coprolite to your family. Sounds scientific? Okay, in layman’s terms, it’s fossilized dinosaur’s poop. Don’t worry, it doesn’t smell :p
Volcano
See how volcanoes work by seeing how volcanoes erupt. A combination of mechanical controls and audiovisual screens help explain the power of a volcano.
Rock of Ages / Mass Extinction
This exhibit depicts the layering of the earth’s crust and illustrate the different geological ages – from the Hadean period to present. It also integrates the Mass Extinction exhibit, which illustrates 2 of the 5 mass extinctions that have occurred over the span of earth’s history.
Don’t forget to peek through those walls and be amazed 🙂
This reminded me of Land Before Time – such a classic movie!
Nature’s Hourglass
A mini-theatre that acts as a virtual time machine. Inside, visitors will view a fully animated film entitled “Birthplace”, that will tell the story of Earth’s 4.6 billion year history in just 12 minutes! It was still under construction when we went there. But I’m sure it’ll be fascinating as well since they will be using SONY’s 3D projector!!!
“The Life Gallery is a dive into deeper understanding of how life surrounds and inhabits us – from microbes to large animals (such as a life size ‘butanding’), and from DNA, cells to a giant human brain model.”
The Human Brain
This is one of the largest exhibits in the entire museum, it is a walk thru exhibit where you can identify what brain part lights up when you sense, feel or think.
Whale Shark
a suspended life-size model of a whale shark, locally known as the Butanding.
Small Worlds Within: Cells
A cell-shaped console that will serve as a tactile and visual encounter with an over-sized version of the cell and its parts. It features a multi-media interactive program that will help guests learn more about cells.
Web of Life
This illustrates the intricacy of the food chain by presenting the diets of different animals. Visitors can open different food trays to find they are actually mouths of various creatures, which are in turn connected to their respective preys or predators forming the web of life.
“The Universe Gallery features the mysterious vastness of the universe and holds clues to where we came from and where we are going. The gallery also contains a unique planetarium which simulates star-gazing from the point of view of literally laying down on a bed beneath the stars.”
Spaceshell
The centrepiece of this gallery is a mini-planetarium that is 8 meters in diameter and can accommodate 35-50 visitors at a time. Instead of chairs, visitors will sit and lounge on memory foam to simulate lying on the ground and staring at the night sky. It will feature films that discuss the other planets and starts, as well as debates such as the existence of extraterrestrial life. (For hygienic purposes, guests were requested to remove their footwear before entering the planetarium. It would be smart to bring socks!)
Sounds of Space
Hear the earth and other planets whistle! There is no sound in space because sound needs a medium to travel; and, since space is a vacuum, nothing will carry sound waves. However, scientists have converted radio emissions received by various spacecrafts over 40 years from celestial bodies into sound waves. Sit down and tune in.
Look at the Moon
This is an interactive wall display that shows the moon’s different phases, and includes other information about the moon’s cycle and path around the earth.
The Lifetime of a Star
This exhibit describes how stars were born and how they die. Hanging models display different phases in the life cycle of a star.
The Technology Gallery
The gallery features the different gadgets, tools, and technologies used in fashion, transportation, printing, and other industries across history. It gives an overview of how technologies have helped us improve their daily lives.
MIMO
Mimo is The Mind Museum’s in-house obstacle avoiding robot. It freely roams the Technology gallery – it has sensors that detect obstacles in its path causing it to turn a different direction. It uses the same sensors installed in cars today.
Solar Bugs
“Solar bugs” were caged in three see-thru vessels where they move all together when a halogen lamp (serving as the “Sun”) is on. The lights on the vessels are sensor activated, and will turn on and off upon motion detection. This exhibit shows how “solar” panels serve as power sources
Mathematics
This is the section that highlights mathematics, the tool and language of science. This consists of exhibits like how to pack squares and circles, or a very odd billiard table. They are inspired by Math and art books and advocates of fun in math.
Place both balls on the two marked foci. Hit any of the two balls and it is sure to rebound and hit the other ball – because in an ellipse, the sum of the distances from the two foci to every point on the line always remains the same. Try it out for yourself!
Beauty Symmetry
This exhibit highlights the technologies that we come up with – in cosmetic, architecture, and art – to express the role of proportion in our lives.
“The Mind Museum at Taguig is a venue for experiential learning. Children can actually touch and try the exhibits to have a better understanding of various Science concepts.”
“Exploring the museum also gives children the chance to experience things not normally done in school classrooms.”
OTHER CORRIDORS:
Light Bridge
This is the bridge that connects the Atom Gallery to the Universe Gallery. It is the only area in the museum’s mezzanine level, which will contain exhibits about the different kinds of “light” that fill the universe, whether seen or unseen by the naked eye. These exhibits will show museum visitors that light is beautiful, awesome and useful.
Avenue of Life
The escalators connecting to the 2nd floor is an exhibit in itself, immersing one in sights and sounds that showcase five of the Earth’s major habitats – temperate regions, polar environments and even cold, sunless existence in the deep waters of hydrovents.
FACILITIES
The other facilities of The Mind Museum will serve as educational offerings for workshops that explore how things work and the relationship of science to other fields of learning.
Auditorium – 198 seating capacity (with space for 2 wheelchairs)
Mind Lab – 1 Laboratory with 35 seating capacity
Mind Pods – 2 classrooms with 40 seating capacity
People behind The Mind Museum:
Manny A. Blas
Managing Director, Bonifacio Art Foundation, Inc. (BAFI)
“He was in charge of raising the P1 billion needed to build the first world class science museum in the Philippines.” Among other things, he pointed out that the museum was built not for entertainment but to be an educational facility that will teach Science to people in an engaging and exciting way. Also, he stressed the fact that this is completely non-profit, born out of donor’s money. Mr. Blas believes that The Mind Museum is not expensive because there are at least 250 exhibits inside, which averages at around Php 2 per exhibit. Every peso and all the revenues from the ticket sales goes back to the museum to make sure that they get the right staffs, develop more exhibits and to continually maintain the museum’s dynamic way of educating Filipinos. Tickets are sold at a certain 3-hour time slot to avoid overcrowding and for everybody to get a chance to get their hands on every exhibit.
Maria Isabel “Maribel” Garcia
Curator of The Mind Museum; Professional Science Writer
Maribel Garcia wanted to provide public understanding of the complexities of Science through The Mind Museum in a painless way. She wanted the people to learn and experience Science by themselves. She also suggests that you let the Mind Movers move and intrigue your minds inside the museum 🙂
“I am confident that through this Mind Museum, more young Filipinos will take an interest in the field of science and technology. Learning is always beneficial, but it becomes especially rewarding when it has something to do with the things going on around us. Learning about the the world around us and appreciating its complexities teaches us, whether we are young or old, that we cannot possibly understand everything about our world, but that it is valuable to keep on and to keep widening our knowledge and understanding. The more we learn, the more we want to learn, the more we feel an attraction to the answers and further questions that lie ahead, ultimately leading us toward a brighter future. That is the promise of the Mind Museum.”
– Speech of His Excellency, PRESIDENT BENIGNO S. AQUINO III (Delivered by VICE-PRESIDENT JEJOMAR C. BINAY on the occasion of The Mind Museum’s Pre-launch Reception, December 15, 2011)
WHEN IN MANILA, have a fun bonding and learning activity for the whole family at The Mind Museum. Reserve a slot now!
THE MIND MUSEUM
Website: www.themindmuseum.org
Phone Number: 909-MIND (6463).
Interesting Things to do in the Philippines: Visit THE MIND MUSEUM in Bonifacio Global City
WhenInManila photos by Aileen Tan, Warner Tan and JoTan23
Kid Friendly Places in the Philippines: Have a family bonding time at The Mind Museum in Bonifacio Global City, Taguig
small world!!! i know aileen and warner! 🙂
Wow! This is a really in depth post about the Mind Museum in Taguig! Thanks for all the info!