In this blogpost I want to give insights in the second of my two topics I researched during this semester. A concept for a hands-on exhibit in the context of science education.
Concept
Using the microscope as a reference for centuries of research, visitors will explore hidden information of objects by placing them under a modified microscope and looking through it.
The microscope as an invention to enlarge and discover details normally not seen by the human eye, gets therefore transformed into a hidden screen, displaying animations layered on top of the object in real time.
Explore
Visitors experience the research process in a playful way and explore hidden information about selected objects.
Physical Material
The Objects will have a reference to STEM-Education and be selected to fit different educational levels. They will be designed as slides normally put under microscopes. Depending on the size, objects will be cut in slices and protected by epoxy resin.
Participation
As only one person can look into the microscope, I also thought about alternative methods for displaying content. While still using the microscope as the primary display, one possibility would be to also project the content to a second display, visible to visitors walking by. However, by doing so technology gets visible what I try to avoid.
