A Glimpse at the Mind Museum

I have heard about the Mind Museum from my friends, and I have often been told that I must go there while I'm still a public school student so I can get in at a lower rate. Because of its distance and because of the number of things to do for school,  I have always put it off. Luckily, a few days ago, people from the Mind Museum visited our STS class, and I got a glimpse of what's inside the museum.

The goal of the Mind Musuem is simple: it is to pique at the curiosity of children and to cultivate in them a sense of wonder and appreciation for the things around them, to make them see the world around them with the science behind it, and not to be afraid or intimidated by it.  Their tagline "Science Comes Alive" is very appropriate for their goal, and they stayed very true to it when they started their demonstrations.

Their first activity was lighting a 500-peso bill on fire. They soaked it in a 40% alcohol solution, and with the water in that solution, the money did not burn. At first this seemed a lot like a fascinating magic trick, but after learning the science behind it, it became even more fascinating.

The next one involved coating  the inside of a 5-gallon water bottle (the one in water dispensers) with alcohol, and light a match inside it. I forgot the science behind it, but the bottle suddenly collapsed onto itself, like a deflating balloon. Even a person hugging that bottle trying to squish it with all his might couldn't do that, which makes that experiment so interesting.  Finally they did a few demonstrations on how to explain the solar system and the states of matter without any materials.

Right after they finished and announced they had a booth outside selling all day passes at a discounted price, I checked my wallet if I had money. I only had money for my own ticket so I called my friend and asked him to buy one for him so we can go together. I cannot wait to visit the Mind Musuem and see what else it has in store for us, and I promise myself that right after all my requirements are completed, that's the first place I'll go.


Lizabeth Ann Franco
2009-29329