Star Wars: Where Science Meets Imagination

Last updated

Exhibition logo StarWarsExhibitLogo.jpg
Exhibition logo

Star Wars: Where Science Meets Imagination was a traveling exhibition created by the Museum of Science, Boston, featuring props and costumes used in the Star Wars films, and focusing primarily on the science behind George Lucas' science fiction epic. The exhibition was developed by Boston's Museum of Science in collaboration with Lucasfilm Ltd., with the support of the National Science Foundation, under Grant No. 0307875. The exhibit was presented nationally by Bose Corporation.

Contents

The exhibit premiered in Boston in 2005, and drew nearly 3 million visitors across the United States and Australia and before making its final appearance in San Jose, California. [1] A companion book was released in 2005.

History

The exhibit was developed over a period of four years, beginning in 2002. [2] It opened to the public at the Museum of Science on October 27, 2005. George Lucas was the guest of honor at the museum's Grand Opening Gala; Anthony Daniels, the actor who plays C-3PO, was the master of ceremonies.

The exhibit left Boston on April 30, 2006, to commence its 20-venue international tour. The final venue of the tour was announced in the spring of 2013, and ended in March 2014 at The Tech Museum of Innovation in San Jose. [3]

Features

Model of a BrainGate interface at the Star Wars exhibition at the Boston Science Museum in December 2005 BrainGate.jpg
Model of a BrainGate interface at the Star Wars exhibition at the Boston Science Museum in December 2005

The primary focus of the exhibit was the presentation of modern science and technology through the lens of Star Wars. Topics ranging from space travel, prosthetics, robotics, and levitation technology as in hovercraft and maglev trains were addressed through hands-on activities and volunteer demonstrations.

Interactive displays

The exhibit included a reproduction of the Millennium Falcon 's cockpit, which featured a four-and-a-half minute experience about real-world space exploration, particularly the unmanned exploration of the outer planets of the solar system, and the hundreds of exoplanets that have been discovered. The experience was narrated by Anthony Daniels, and added effects in the cockpit (rumbling seats, fans, and lights) were meant to simulate traveling through space and looking out the windshield. This exhibit was not included in the version at the Powerhouse Museum. [4]

The "Living on Tatooine" section of the exhibit featured three augmented reality kiosks in which visitors interacted with a virtual environment on a large screen. The environment included reflected imagery of the visitor and computer-generated elements from the Star Wars universe which were attached to the props in the video. Visitors moved physical props in order to complete tasks of increasing complexity to build communities in the environments. The kiosks were developed by ARToolworks, Inc. [5] When the user interacted with the props, the user and props appeared in the video, but once placed, the video took over the whole screen, the props disappeared, and the interaction between the computer generated elements was altered by their relative positions. [6]

Also included in the initial 14 venues of the 20-venue tour was the Robot Object Theater. This interactive presentation on robotics narrated by C-3PO showed mockups of specific-purpose robots (pipe inspection and welding) and contrasted these with the Star Wars robots, robot soccer and the Kismet (robot). Its purpose was to provide insight into 21st-century thinking on how to improve the usefulness of robotics and the nature of human–robot interaction. [7]

Props and costumes

The exhibit included a large number of props, costumes and models, including of Yoda, C-3PO, R2-D2, and Darth Vader's helmet from Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith , as well as the models of the X-wing, Millennium Falcon and many others used in the films. There were also costumes for Mace Windu, Princess Leia, Anakin Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi and the stormtroopers, and lightsabers belonging to Luke, Obi-Wan, Darth Maul and Count Dooku. On January 16, the Boba Fett costume was added to replace the Chewbacca costume. [8]

Other features

There was a multimedia tour which used a PDA to provide additional audio, video, and image content. The PDAs had a bookmark feature, that allowed visitors to email special features of the exhibit to their email address. The exhibition also included a number of documentary films about the technology of Star Wars and its comparison to real-world technology.

Awards

One of the interactive computer exhibits, Human or Machine?, [9] developed by interactive media developer Paula Sincero [10] in collaboration with the Boston Museum of Science, was given an honorable mention in the 2006 Media & Technology MUSE Awards in the science category by the American Alliance of Museums (AAM). [11] "MUSE awards recognize outstanding achievement in Galleries, Libraries, Archives, and Museums (GLAM) media. The Media & Technology Professional Network's annual awards are presented to institutions that enhance the GLAM experience and engage audiences with useful and innovative digital programs and services. The MUSE awards celebrate scholarship, community, innovation, creativity, education, accessibility, and inclusiveness ... Winning projects for each category are chosen by an international group of GLAM technology professionals." [12]

The multi-person, role-playing exhibit encouraged interaction among museum visitors around ethics and decision-making at the intersection of science and society. Humor, surprise, animations, and questions prompted reflection and discussion about the possible consequences of human augmentation as visitors were invited to simulate augmenting themselves and see how various scenarios played out.

Book

A companion book of the same name, produced by LucasBooks and edited by the Boston Museum of Science, was published by National Geographic in October 2005. The book's introduction is by Anthony Daniels. The book mainly discusses the same themes and concepts as covered by the traveling exhibition. [13] A second edition of the book was released in September 2006. [14]

Tour schedule

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Museum of Science and Industry (Chicago)</span> Science and technology museum in Illinois, U.S.

The Museum of Science and Industry (MSI) is a science museum located in Chicago, Illinois, in Jackson Park, in the Hyde Park neighborhood between Lake Michigan and The University of Chicago. It is housed in the Palace of Fine Arts from the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition. Initially endowed by Julius Rosenwald, the Sears, Roebuck and Company president and philanthropist, it was supported by the Commercial Club of Chicago and opened in 1933 during the Century of Progress Exposition.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Science museum</span> Museum devoted primarily to science

A science museum is a museum devoted primarily to science. Older science museums tended to concentrate on static displays of objects related to natural history, paleontology, geology, industry and industrial machinery, etc. Modern trends in museology have broadened the range of subject matter and introduced many interactive exhibits. Modern science museums, increasingly referred to as 'science centres' or 'discovery centres', also feature technology.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Tech Interactive</span> Science and technology center in San Jose, California, United States

The Tech Interactive is a science and technology center that offers hands-on activities, labs, design challenges and other STEAM education resources. It is located in downtown San Jose, California, adjacent to the Plaza de César Chávez.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cynthia Breazeal</span> American computer scientist

Cynthia Breazeal is an American robotics scientist and entrepreneur. She is a former chief scientist and chief experience officer of Jibo, a company she co-founded in 2012 that developed personal assistant robots. Currently, she is a professor of media arts and sciences at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the director of the Personal Robots group at the MIT Media Lab. Her most recent work has focused on the theme of living everyday life in the presence of AI, and gradually gaining insight into the long-term impacts of social robots.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Museum of Science (Boston)</span> Science museum, Indoor zoo in Boston, Massachusetts

The Museum of Science (MoS) is a nature and science museum and indoor zoological establishment located in Science Park, a plot of land in Boston and Cambridge, Massachusetts, spanning the Charles River. Along with over 700 interactive exhibits, the museum features a number of live and interactive presentations throughout the building each day, along with scheduled film showings at the Charles Hayden Planetarium and the Mugar Omni Theater. Additionally, the Museum of Science is an accredited member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), being home to over 100 animals, many of which the museum gained after they were surrendered, confiscated, rescued or rehabilitated.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Lord of the Rings Motion Picture Trilogy: The Exhibition</span> Traveling exhibit

The Lord of the Rings Motion Picture Trilogy: The Exhibition was a travelling exhibit, created for the Te Papa Tongarewa museum of New Zealand by the Wellington exhibition design company Story Inc, featuring actual props and costumes used in Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings films, as well as special effects demonstrations and "making of" documentary videos. The exhibit developed and changed slightly as it moved from one museum to another.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Science Museum of Minnesota</span> Science museum in Minnesota, United States

The Science Museum of Minnesota is an American museum focused on topics in technology, natural history, physical science, and mathematics education. Founded in 1907 and located in Saint Paul, Minnesota, the 501(c)(3) nonprofit institution has 385 employees and is supported by volunteers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kamin Science Center</span> Science museum in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

The Daniel G. and Carole L. Kamin Science Center, formerly The Carnegie Science Center, is one of the four Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It is located in the Chateau neighborhood. It is located across the street from Acrisure Stadium.

An entertainment robot is, as the name indicates, a robot that is not made for utilitarian use, as in production or domestic services, but for the sole subjective pleasure of the human. It serves, usually the owner or his housemates, guests, or clients. Robotic technologies are applied in many areas of culture and entertainment.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum</span> Presidential library and museum for U.S. President Abraham Lincoln, located in Springfield, Illinois

The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum documents the life of the 16th U.S. president, Abraham Lincoln, and the course of the American Civil War. Combining traditional scholarship with 21st-century showmanship techniques, the museum ranks as one of the most visited presidential libraries. Its library, in addition to housing an extensive collection on Lincoln, also houses the collection of the Illinois State Historical Library, founded by the state in 1889. The library and museum is located in the state capital of Springfield, Illinois, and is overseen as an agency of state government. It is not affiliated with the U.S. National Archives and its system of libraries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Virtual museum</span> Museum in a digital format

A virtual museum is a digital entity that draws on the characteristics of a museum, in order to complement, enhance, or augment the museum experience through personalization, interactivity, and richness of content. Virtual museums can perform as the digital footprint of a physical museum, or can act independently, while maintaining the authoritative status as bestowed by the International Council of Museums (ICOM) in its definition of a museum. In tandem with the ICOM mission of a physical museum, the virtual museum is also committed to public access; to both the knowledge systems embedded in the collections and the systematic, and coherent organization of their display, as well as to their long-term preservation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Computer Museum, Boston</span> Former computer museum in Boston, Massachusetts

The Computer Museum was a Boston, Massachusetts, museum that opened in 1979 and operated in three locations until 1999. It was once referred to as TCM and is sometimes called the Boston Computer Museum. When the museum closed and its space became part of Boston Children's Museum next door in 2000, much of its collection was sent to the Computer History Museum in California.

The MIT Museum, founded in 1971, is located at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, Massachusetts. It hosts collections of holography, technology-related artworks, artificial intelligence, architecture, robotics, maritime history, and the history of MIT. Its holography collection of 1800 pieces is the largest in the world, though only a few selections from it are usually exhibited. As of 2023, works by the kinetic artist Arthur Ganson are the largest long-running displays. There is a regular program of temporary special exhibitions, often on the intersections of art and technology.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Israel National Museum of Science, Technology, and Space</span> Museum in Haifa, Israel

The Israel National Museum of Science, Technology, and Space is a science and technology museum in the city of Haifa, Israel. The museum has approximately 200,000 visitors annually.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Discovery Station</span> Hands-On Museum in Hagerstown, Maryland

Discovery Station, is a hands-on, family-friendly museum in downtown Hagerstown, Maryland, United States that opened to the public in 2005. The museum's focus is to create an environment that stimulates curiosity for discovery, exploration, and further investigation through exhibits and programs that focus on Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math (STEAM) principles. The museum is a member of the Association of Science and Technology Centers (ASTC), the American Alliance of Museums (AAM), and the NASA Museum Alliance.

<i>Doctor Who</i> exhibitions Displays of television memorabilia

Since the first broadcast of the British science-fiction television serial Doctor Who in 1963, there have been a number of exhibitions of props, costumes and sets relating to the show throughout the United Kingdom. Some have been intended to be permanent, and others seasonal; most have been staged at existing tourist locations. None are currently open to the public.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Star Trek: The Exhibition</span> Traveling museum exhibit of Star Trek items

Star Trek: The Exhibition is a traveling museum display of Star Trek items and memorabilia. The exhibit includes items used in the films and television series, such as props, costumes, set components and full-scale replicas of the Enterprise bridge. Other comprehensive features of the exhibit include a complete timeline showing major events in the Star Trek Universe and how all of the various series and movies relate to each other chronologically, as well as a motion simulator ride.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Universum (UNAM)</span> Science museum in Mexico City

Universum is Mexico's primary museum dedicated to promoting science and technology to the public as well as support the university's science missions. It was opened in 1992 at the Ciudad Universitaria in Mexico City. Today it has thirteen halls divided by theme dedicated to various permanent exhibitions. It has worked with outside public and private entities to develop both permanent and temporary exhibitions and has worked to develop other science museums in other areas of the country.

<i>Museum of Science Fiction</i> Science Fiction Museum in Washington, D.C.

The Museum of Science Fiction (MOSF) is a 501c(3) nonprofit museum that originally had plans to be based in Washington, D.C. It was founded in the spring of 2013 by Greg Viggiano and a team of 22 volunteer professionals with a goal of becoming the world's first comprehensive science fiction museum.

References

  1. D'Souza, Karen (October 16, 2013). "'Star Wars' exhibit launches warp speed into San Jose Tech Museum". San Jose Mercury News.
  2. Puffer, Brad (October 27, 2005). "Starwars exhibit makes its premiere in Boston". New England Cable News (Television news article).
  3. Pizarro, Sal. "'Star Wars' science exhibition coming to Tech Museum". San Jose Mercury News. Bay Area News Group. Retrieved July 9, 2013.
  4. "Star Wars - Where Science Meets Imagination Exhibit - Museum of Science, Boston".
  5. "Case Studies - ARToolworks". www.artoolworks.com. Archived from the original on May 11, 2020. Retrieved April 6, 2024.
  6. "Experience 'Star Wars: Where Science Meets Imagination' At The Tech". InventorSpot.com. April 15, 2013.
  7. "Star Wars: Where Science Meets Imagination Lands in our Galaxy--at the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History - Business Wire". June 7, 2007.
  8. 1 2 Tran, Michelle. "Famed Mandalorian Warrior and the Best Bounty Hunter in the Galaxy Joins the Empire". The Tech Museum of Innovation. Archived from the original on January 30, 2015. Retrieved February 25, 2014.
  9. http://paulasincero.com/index.php/portfolio-item/human-or-machine/
  10. http://www.paulasincero.com
  11. https://www.aam-us.org/programs/awards-competitions/2006-muse-award-winners/
  12. https://www.aam-us.org/programs/awards-competitions/media-technology-muse-awards/
  13. Star wars: where science meets imagination (2005) . National Geographic. 2005. ISBN   079226200X via Internet Archive.
  14. Star wars: where science meets imagination (2006). Boston Museum of Science. 2006. ISBN   079226200X.
  15. "Next month, in a gallery not so far away". Sydney Morning Herald. November 21, 2008. Retrieved December 14, 2008.