From: ecunha@sumax.seattleu.edu (Loki)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.startrek.misc
Subject: Star Trek exhibit at OMSI
Summary: info on OMSI exhibit
Keywords: OMSI
Date: 10 Apr 92 19:06:40 GMT
Distribution: na
Organization: Seattle University, Seattle WA

I recently visited the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry's Star Trek: 
Federation Science exhibit, and it was excellent.  First, I'll quote some
of the brochures and then get down to specific information.

The exhibit is in two parts:  the exhibit proper, and the planetarium show,
_Orion_Rendezvous_

"January 25 - August 31, 1992:
                              Star Trek:
                          Federation Science

Set against the backdrop of "Star Trek" movies and TV episodes, this
exciting exhibit will teach you about working and playing in outer space.
Discover how gravity can be created or how the body's immune system works.
Explore thematic representations of Engineering, the Bridge, and Sick Bay.
Costumes used in the movies and on "Star Trek:  The Next Generation" will
be on display, as will props and alien models...."

"January 25 - August 31, 1992:  ORION RENDEZVOUS, A Star Trek Voyage of
                                Discovery.
OMSI's Kendall Planetarium welcomes you aboard the Federation starship
Antares, bound for a rendezvous within the constellation Orion.  Visit real
galactic wonders, the scorching radiation of an exploding sun, the cosmic 
waltz of Castor, a star 100-million times bigger than our Sun, and more!
Admission price is $1.25 after general OMSI admission."
"Geordi LaForge is your guide.  Actor LeVar Burton joins the OMSI crew as
Lt. Commander Geordi LaForge, the popular character he plays on Star Trek:
The Next Generation.  (Two more Star Trek actors also make "guest voice"
appearances in Orion Rendezvous [Johnathan Frakes as Commander Riker and
Majel Barret as the computer voice.])  Geordi is joined on the Bridge by
Antares Captain DiChario, played by Portland actress (and OMSI explainer)
Laura Lundy."

OMSI is open 7 days a week from 9am to 5pm, except Fridays, when hours are
9am to 7pm.  It is located at 4015 SW Canyon Road, Portland, OR, 97221. 
For more info call (503)222-2828.  If you get lost, all directories list
it by its initials, OMSI.

Admission to OMSI is $5.25 for Adults, $3.50 for Students (3-17), and $4.25
for Seniors (62+).  Children under three admitted free, and preregistered
groups of ten or more get a special discount.  Call (503)222-2828 for details.
Members get in free, as always.

Some of the activities are:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Planet walker"  -- get a feel for how much you would weigh on another
planet by slididing on an inclined plane.  Obviously a existing activity that
was redressed to fit the Star Trek theme.

"Spectroscopy"   -- see the light emited by various excited gases.  Obviously
a redressed activity.

"Virtual Reality Transporter"  -- participants move into a featureless room
and see themselves superimposed on the Transporter Room of 1701-D.  The 
participants choose a "destination" and appear to beam to it.  At this point
the Star Trek stops and the participants merely try to "touch" computerized
"objects" that they can see in the TV.  This is a very popular activity, so
you will probably have to wait in line.

Ferengi & Klingon heads -- a activity designed to show that glass may act as
a mirror when there is little light on the other side.  Another redressed
activity.

(Okay, here is the good stuff)

Bridge Stations
"Distress call Runga IV"  -- The weakest of the Bridge activities, the
participant tries to pick up a distress call by manipulating variables such
as antenna temperature, number of antennas, and antenna direction.

"Orbits- station Runga IV"  -- While receiving advice/commands from Riker,
the participant tries to dock the Enterprise-D with Station Runga IV.  This
activity takes a long time, but there are two stations with this activity.

"Breathe Easy" -- While receiving advice/commands from Data, the participant
tries to locate a class m planet by atnospheric spectroscopy.

"Asteroid alert"  -- Save a planet from a asteriod collision using the tractor
beam, while recieving commands/advice from commander Worf.  (Worf is portrayed
with the appropriate brusqueness to make him believable.)

"Triangulation"  -- Find the Earth by triangulating from pulsars, with LaForge
giving advice/commands.

"Voice recognition" -- Teach the computer to recognize voice commands to bring
up crew files.  (Inspired by a thread a few months ago, I got the computer
to display Riker's file whenever I asked for "Potsie" :-)

General notes on the bridge:  All the stations are entirely in TNG style (with
some very convincing Okudagrams) except for the red alert graphic, which is
from the movies.  The "Bridge" area is set up with four aft stations (voice
recognition, orbits, distress call, and one really boring one I can't remember
the name of).  There are also four fore stations (breathe easy, asteriod
alert, orbits, and triangulation.  The "main viewer" is a big screen which
continually shows space clips from TNG episodes.   All the Bridge stations
are set up for the young teenage level.  They all require that the participant
use the library computer to find out about the topic the station is trying
to teach.  Succesful completion of a station entitles the person to choose
the material to be shown on the main viewer.

There were three original videos on space exploration, medicine, and
technology hosted by Patrick Stewart, Gates McFadden, and LeVar Burton,
respectively.  

The rest of the activities were just the usual science museum fare done to a
next generation theme.  There are also daily science demonstrations and
other events may be going on when you go.  There is a area for young
children to play, but they must be supervised.

There were some props and costumes on display:
- a Klingon pain stick from "The Icarus Factor"
- Spock, class "A" uniform from ST:TWOK
- Worf's first season uniform
- Leyor's costume from "The Price"
- A Rutian police uniform from "The High Ground"
- Zalkonian costume from "Transfigurations"
- Ssestar's costume from "Lonely Among Us"
- Captain Kirk's desert combat uniform ST:TFF
- Guinan's costume from "Redemption I"
- A hypospray next to a real-life Biojector (tm)
- A Next Generation "medical pad" (band-aid)
- "Medical Instrument"
- Many conceptual drawings by Rich Sternbach
- a PADD
- a VISOR
- a Isolinear chip
- a Type II phaser
- a Type I phaser
- a Tricorder
- Picard's season 1&2 uniform
- Guinan's costume from "Q Who"
- Sakkath's costume from "Sarek"

The Planetarium show is a must see which integrates laser, projector, and 
planetarium effects.  The show also plugs Deep Space Nine pretty heavy,
the main plot being that we are exploring a tunnel system of stable
wormholes and we see a derilict space station at one of the terminuses. 
We also get a short Vulcan history lesson.

The gift shop has been stocked with some interesting Star Trek stuff. 
Most of the usual, convention fodder is there:  models, tapes, glossy
photos, etc.  But there are also several items which bear the logo of the
exhibit (more about that in a moment)  and there is also a display of the 
digital jewlery that Worf wears on his second&up season sash.

The logo for the exhibit is the federation symbol with "STAR TREK" in its
usual title style superimposed and the words "Fedeartion Science" in
capital letters and Next Generation font underneth.

If anyone one has any questions about the exhibit, please e-mail.

-- Loki