ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Friday, February 23, 1996 TAG: 9602230086
SECTION: EXTRA PAGE: 1 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: HAMPTON
SOURCE: JONATHAN HUNLEY SPECIAL TO THE ROANOKE TIMES
Klingons stroll around like they own the place. Starfleet officers and Ferengis mingle with civilian Earthlings.
A scene out of ``Star Trek''? Not exactly.
It's "Star Trek: Federation Science," a traveling exhibit that will be at the Virginia Air & Space Center until April 30. The Klingons and other ``Star Trek'' characters are costumed volunteers, and the civilian earthlings really are civilian Earthlings.
The exhibit aims to educate the public about science through the entertainment vehicle of ``Star Trek.'' It shows the true-to-life scientific principles that make the films and television programs believable, said Margaret Carlini, educational programs manager at the museum in Hampton.
She said the exhibit was brought to the center because it was ``very educational.'' It takes the topics ``out of the realm of science lecture'' and into a more entertaining venue.
The exhibit is divided into four main parts. The first replicates the bridge and sick bay area of the starship Enterprise. It consists of four computer stations and a 120-inch view screen. At each station, a visitor can run through a computer program that requires the completion of a task. One task, for example, involves locating Earth from the vantage point of a spaceship out in the galaxy.
After the task is accomplished, the visitor is rewarded with the opportunity to view scenes from ``Star Trek'' on the large screen.
The sick bay part of the exhibit re-creates the medical area of the Enterprise. People can see readings of their skin temperature and blood-oxygen saturation, and examine an electrocardiogram on a commercial medical monitor.
The second major portion of the exhibit is called the Away Team area, playing off the ``Star Trek'' name for a group of officers sent to explore a planet. It contains a place where visitors can actually see themselves "beamed up."
After a visitor steps into a re-creation of the transporter area of the Enterprise, a computer digitizes his image and the computer screen simulatres the effect of transportation. The digitized image is then shown on a different background. With the help of virtual reality technology, the visitor can even interact with objects at this new location before being ``beamed home.''
The Away Team area also includes a display where visitors can use special mirrors and lighting effects to see how they would look as a Klingon or Ferengi alien.
Science stations and life support are the subjects of the third main area of the Star Trek: Federation Science exhibit. Visitors can read about and watch videos of space shuttle missions and learn how astronauts eat and go to the bathroom in the space environment. They also can participate in interactive displays dealing with what it's like to walk on the moon and how scientists study the behavior of gases and fluids in space.
In the fourth main section of the exhibit, visitors can use an interactive computer program to examine the phenomenon of anti-matter and learn how Newton's third law of motion - that every action has an equal and opposite reaction - is used in the development of rockets.
Special programs for children are included in the regular price of admission to Star Trek: Federation Science. One such program, ``Space World,'' shows how NASA scientists use liquid nitrogen to test building materials for their reaction to space-like conditions.
The other children's show, ``Aliens R Awesome,'' teaches how aliens would respond to atmospheric conditions on fictional planets.
Kimberly K. Hinson, director of marketing and development at the center, said the Star Trek: Federation Science exhibit has brought 30 percent increases in attendance to some of the other museums where it has played.
According to the Virginia Air & Space Center, a poll conducted by the National Research Group Inc. indicated that 53 percent of Americans consider themselves ``Star Trek'' fans and 99 percent of people among all demographic groups recognize the ``Star Trek'' name.
Some Hampton-area ``Star Trek'' fans got to see the exhibit early; they were trained as volunteers to aid the museum in presenting their favorite topic to the public.
Stephen Thomas, who began a ``Star Trek'' club in the Hampton area in 1982, said he is lending his "Trekpertise" to for the exhibit because the museum allows his group to meet there regularly.
``Almost like being there, isn't it?'' said Thomas, outfitted in a ``Star Trek'' officer's uniform.
The Oregon Museum of Science and Industry in Portland, Ore. produced the 6,000-square foot interactive exhibit. Design and construction took eight months beginning in 1989 and continuing into 1990.
The Virginia Air & Space Center is at 600 Settlers Landing Road in downtown Hampton. Its hours are Monday through Thursday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Friday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Admission is $6 for adults and $4 for seniors, military or NASA employees, and children aged 3 to 11. Special rates are available for groups of 20 or more. For more information, call (800) 296-0800.
"Star Trek: Federation Science" at the Virginia Air & Space Center until April 30. For more information, call (800) 296-0800.|
LENGTH: Medium: 98 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: LOGAN WALLACE A volunteer costumed as a Klingon warriorby CNBhelps visitors at the Virginia Air & Space Center in Hampton.
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