**Notes from Science on a Sphere Users Meeting**

**Day 1 (1/22/07):**

**Break-**

**10:15 AM**

**SOS Users gave the group an update of what was happening with SOS at
their centers.**

-   **Maryland Science Center -- Roberta Cooks**

    -   Found that if no "interpreter" were present visitors did not
        stay long

    -   Learned that traffic through SOS area can be distracting

    -   Reduced the displays around the sphere to direct people's
        attention to sphere

    -   Have four monitors that explain how the sphere works and explain
        data presentations

    -   Are in exploratory phase of idea of allowing visitors to control
        the sphere

    -   There is bench seating around the sphere that encourages longer
        stays

    -   Have observed longer linger times during presentations, visitors
        are engaged by presenters

-   **Science Museum of Minnesota- Pat Hamilton**

    -   Has their exhibit set up as a free standing exhibit

    -   Play Footprints on a loop (plays on the hour)

    -   Has audio feedback control

    -   Played for board members and had projector failure. Still played
        well and well received. (A testament to the strength of SOS)

    -   Projector failed due to clogged filter, recommendation was made
        to keep up on filter maintenance

    -   They have set-up a separate rendering process.

    -   In the process of creating a traveling exhibition, must find way
        to make SOS travel.

    -   Allowing undergrad programs to use SOS. This is a two way
        partnership, undergrads make SOS work better, while at the same
        time students get the benefit of using the sphere.

    -   Doing evaluation of SOS.

    -   One observation was that people stood in one place and did not
        walk around the sphere.

-   **Bishop Museum - Mike Shanahan**

    -   The Bishop is a large museum in Hawaii

    -   It became science center about 14 months ago, focuses on science
        associated with Hawaii.

    -   They put SOS in lobby of planetarium

    -   There is a small barrier around SOS from Octonorm.

    -   When SOS opened it featured an automated program.

    -   Live shows started with "Climate of Paradise"

    -   Used wind patterns as part of show.

    -   Found people "kind of paid attention to automated show."

    -   Added Global Warming Exhibit.

    -   Attendance 180,000 automated; 77,400 attended live shows since
        they started.

    -   Footprints short run had 860.

    -   Future plans- news, weather, lecture series, teacher workshops

    -   Develop school programs for each grade level, aligned with
        standards.

    -   Still running automated shows but focusing more on live shows

    -   Want to give control of SOS to audience

-   **Nauticus -- Martin Fisher**

    -   Uses Octonorm system as barrier around SOS- would advise slats
        placed closer

    -   Information signs are located on rails (4-5 brief points and 1
        question)

    -   A set of plasma screen TVs explain data sets

-   **Hampton University -- John Anderson**

    -   Plan and coordinate the development of SOS tools.

    -   Uses a number of grad students to help with program.

    -   Calypso, Cloudsat and Globe Educators workshop.

    -   Did fieldtrips with school groups.

    -   Working on a On-line Problem Based Learning module- supports
        environmental issues and Atlantic-based hurricanes

-   **University of Wisconsin- Rick Kohrs**

    -   Wanted to present real-time data

    -   Used Java applets to supplement work with SOS.

    -   Receive satellite data from a number of sources examples
        include, water vapor and sea surface temperature(SST)

    -   Students can run applet of hurricane overlaid with SSTs and can
        see effect on storms

    -   Tornado applet allows students to change tornado characteristics

    -   Questions- any 3D layering data? Not sure how it will look on a
        globe.

    -   Question- are polar orbiting data free if unprocessed? No
        funding is available now but if funding changes then yes.

-   **Thunder Bay Great Lakes Maritime Heritage Center- Chuck Bennett**

    -   Built at former paper mill in Alpena Michigan.

    -   Projectors are suspended from ceiling, this creates nice
        illusion of sphere in space.

    -   7,000-10,000 people attended opening.

    -   Play mostly daily loops with audio datasets.

    -   Three daily showings of Footprints.

    -   Footprints event- moderated debut.

    -   Future plans- Great Lakes shipwreck datasets, address sound
        issues due to use of old building, potential relocation of
        installation to allow more room

-   **James Madison University- CJ Brodrick**

    -   SOS is used as part of outreach program.

    -   University provides a large number of undergrad researchers

    -   Installation is in old gym.

    -   Entire room dedicated to sphere.

    -   Control at kiosk allows faculty to use USB to upload datasets

    -   Pilot group of 25 faculty have been granted access to SOS. This
        group can bring in anybody from students to civic groups.

    -   Generally they use live presenters but occasionally they will
        run automated programs.

    -   Working out details how to open facility to the public.

    -   Area teachers are anxious to start bringing groups.

    -   College of Education is developing content based lessons aligned
        with standards.

    -   Grad students are working on overlays that do not rely on GIS.
        Allow data visualizations that are not currently being used.

    -   Question- Carrie McDougall- What areas of content will come out
        first? A- Geology

    -   Question- Carrie McDougall- Will content be available to public?
        A- NOAA sponsored will be but individual work will be come with
        a price.

    -   Question- Frank Niepold (NOAA)- How does the switch from global
        to local work? A- use of three different views. In testing phase
        currently.

-   **Imiloa Astronomy Center of Hawaii- Kalewa Correa**

    -   SOS will be installed for 2 months

    -   Located in special events hall.

    -   Sphere can be lowered and raised by pulley system- so far no
        problems.

    -   Utilize audio-tour and live guided datasets.

    -   Operated with a very small staff.

    -   Content- celestial type Hawaiian datasets

    -   Challenged by need to be bilingual and perhaps include Japanese.

    -   Are using Martian datasets as well

    -   Create hula distribution datasets.

    -   Track traditional navigation voyage to Japan.

    -   Wind data and storm tracking.

    -   They are a cultural and science center- balance between cultural
        and science needs.

    -   Partners- University of Hawaii all departments seem interested.

-   **National Museum of the Gulf of Mexico -- Tony Zodrow**

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-   Hope to open museum in 2008/9.

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-   **Orlando Science Center -- Brain Tonner**

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-   Exhibit drew 18,000 people in 10 days -- most visited exhibit at the
    Science Center. Electronic presenter stations get dwell times of
    6-14 minutes.

-   How will decision room concept evolve as the science changes? If
    works then should be a platform for other types of audience
    interactions beyond the current topic. Question of whether we can
    develop a game-like environment that fits with the renderings and
    provide the users to have input.

-   How do four user interfaces control one sphere? Controlling the
    sphere essentially means selecting the next script to run. Users
    will get choices about what they want to do and then will see the
    outcomes on the sphere. Each user is playing a role in a bigger
    story rather than each user controlling the sphere individually.

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-   **McWane Science Center -- Greg Christenson**

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-   Will have 6 or 7 layers of cable that can be expanded if
    necessary(?). Content on surrounding walls will mainly be graphic
    based. Will have live, interpretative presentations.

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-   **Fiske Planetarium -- Tom Muncy (in place of Doug Duncan)**

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-   Will be working with Fisher Technical to raise and lower the sphere
    -- sphere will be raised and lowered more than usual (2-3 times a
    week). Will have a three phase winch system w/ computer feedback to
    ensure the sphere is dropped into the exact position. Will also use
    computers to control light levels and multi-channel audio. Looking
    at having a removable fence system. 2 projectors will be hung on a
    16 foot ceiling and 2 will be on 8 foot structures

-   University of Wisconsin have a unit that does wildfire visualization
    data.

-   How will you do bilingual presentations? Hoping to have special
    shows for Spanish speakers -- will be available upon request.

-   Planetarium is well-known throughout the area and often K-12
    teachers call up and arrange to use the facilities.

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-   **Smithsonian -- Carrie McDougall (in place of Barbara Stauffer)**

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-   Scheduled to open fall 2008. SOS will be in auto-run mode, no live
    presenter. Will be in a prominent position in the Ocean Hall.

-   Space will be darkened to show the sphere properly. Won't be as dark
    as many spaces though. Is something that the Smithsonian has been
    struggling with.

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-   **NOAA Environmental Visualization Program -- Dan Pisut**

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-   Program located in NESDIS -- work mainly with satellite data,
    translates well into SOS. Can provide data visualizations as well as
    information explaining how the data is obtained.

-   GEOSS is a hot topic in NOAA right now -- could be a potential
    market for SOS.

-   Produce a lot of material for flat projections, mainly
    weather-related.

-   Have data displays that can layer over different sets of data to
    show for example coral bleaching events -- can then show how
    different event relate to each other. Climate Office is funding a
    forecasting product to predict coral bleaching events in the future.

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-   **AMNH -- Ro Kinzler**

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-   AMNH not a sphere installation itself -- most of AMNH's products are
    designed for HD flat screens. But is partnering with Science Museum
    of Minnesota for water exhibit which will use SOS. Have a good lot
    of content for the flat screen which could be rendered onto a
    sphere.

-   Feel that facilitated SOS programs will be a lot more helpful than
    programs on auto-run. Most of AMNH's visualizations are on auto-run
    mode.

-   Comment that coupling flat screens with SOS will be very helpful as
    people tend to grasp info of flat screens more easily. Having both
    work together will be very beneficial. Even small things like a
    legend can be hard to grasp on a sphere.

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-   **NOAA -- Bill Bendel**

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-   Have developed a SOS data catalogue -- could send out hard copies if
    wanted. Put together by a Hollings student last summer. Student has
    since applied for a Fullbright in Taiwan -- if successful she will
    translate SOS data into Mandarin.

-   Have a 3D rectangular cube type object (10" long, 3" deep, 3" wide)
    that NOAA would like the SOS locations to install at along with the
    sphere -- gives credit to Sandy MacDonald & others for designing the
    sphere. Comment that we really should explain the amount of work
    that goes into designing the sphere & sphere content, feel that
    Science Centers are getting a lot of high-end science work for
    free(?) and should credit developers.

-   Key question -- how do we make the science we have, and can display
    on SOS, relevant to the public? Have a very wide range in audience
    knowledge -- how can you appeal to everyone? One suggestion is have
    volunteers/museum workers put together a focus group and preview the
    SOS presentation before putting it out to the general public.