New Science Central Exhibit Sizzles
FORT WAYNE – From the city where Benjamin Franklin flew his kite, area residents will soon be attracted to Science Central’s next traveling exhibition when BAE Systems proudly presents “Electricity,” Sept. 14 through Jan. 5, in the Science Central Traveling Gallery in Fort Wayne.
Developed by The Franklin Institute in Philadelphia, Penn., the fundamental scientific principles behind electricity are explored and presented through highly-engaging hands-on units. Visitors can safely examine such concepts as static electricity and live current; motors, batteries and wires; attraction and repulsion; sparks, charge and discharge; voltage, AC and DC; magnetic fields and magnetic motion; lights, telegraphs and transmitters, and more.
“Electricity is one of the most basic scientific principles that impacts us every moment of every day. Go without power for a day, and you’ll understand why electricity is so crucial to our everyday life,” said Science Central Executive Director Martin Fisher. “We are delighted that BAE Systems is sponsoring this exhibit for us to share with the community. By learning how electricity is made and harnessed for everyday use, we hope to give everyone a better understanding of how important electricity is to all of us.”
“This exhibit helps demonstrate the core principles behind many engines and machines,” said Jeff Benzing of BAE System’s Fort Wayne facility. “As a manufacturer of airline electronics, made right here in Fort Wayne, BAE Systems wants to help educate our community on these important concepts. Knowing how electricity works helps our future employees, and we want to help build a workforce well-versed in these key science principles. Bringing in this exhibit to Science Central is a great investment for us to make.”
In addition to the Franklin Institute exhibit components, artifacts from the work of Philo T. Farnsworth during his tenure in Fort Wayne will also be on display. These artifacts are on loan courtesy of Exelis Corporation. Farnsworth is credited as being the inventor of television, and spent many years working in Fort Wayne for ITT, now Exelis.
Science Central, a not-for-profit 501(c)3 organization, has provided a hands-on fun learning environment for over 17 years. Through 120+ exhibits, school tours, distance learning programs and weekend public events, we bring the excitement of science and technology to nearly 140,000 children and adults annually. For more information, contact Science Central at 260-424-2400 or visit them on the web.