As we approach the bubbleology exhibit, we see students exploring with a number of bubble machines. These devices allow students to form bubbles and examine their properties directly. One bubble machine permits the exploration of the films produced by a variety of geometric frames. This bubble machine, which is extremely easy to construct, is perfect for studying thin-film interference. This becomes quite obvious as we enter the world of visual illusions.
Visual illusions have a surprising number of applications and ramifications in daily life.
This exhibit examines how the eye-brain system receives, processes, and sometimes misinterprets visual information. The artistic, scientific, and social implications of human visual perception are examined. Displays range in complexity from interactive graphics to more complex 3-D displays. The boundary between two gray areas is quite obvious. When the boundary line is obscured, the two areas become indistinguishable.