July 16th, 2024

This past weekend Tim and I got to spend time with our best friends, the Minocks (yayayay!) AND got to visit MOSI up in Tampa.  Wow it was a two-fer!  MOSI, for those who are wondering, stands for Museum of Science and Industry.  Exceptionally cool.

I am a museum fan, always have been.  In fact, my earliest memory goes all the way back to Chicago, where I was born but specifically, the Museum of Science and Industry, Chicago.  My sister wasn't born yet and I am three years older than her, so it was before then.  I don't know exactly how old I was, but somewhere between brand spankin' new and 3.  I don't' know if that memory is why, but let it be said clearly here, that I will go to pretty much any museum.  The museum of spark plugs, the museum of cat toys, the museum of matchbook covers.  Yup I would go to those AND enjoy them AND learn things!  I love learning things :)

That long ago visit to the Museum of Science and Industry, Chicago, made such a huge impression on me that I've never forgotten it.  At the time, I was most impressed with Colleen Moore's Dollhouse than anything else there, but I do know that I enjoyed it all.  Colleen Moore's Dollhouse, if you are unfamiliar with it, is an amazing work of art.   If a person were 6 inches high, they could live in this dollhouse as it has electricity and running water.  Seriously!  The teeny tiny books in the library have actual words in them, the kitchen has pots, pans and dishware, the dining room table is set for a meal fit for a King or Queen.  Oh, did I mention that the dollhouse is a castle?   Colleen Moore's Fairy Castle - Griffin Museum of Science and Industry (msichicago.org)  (by the way, I just checked and the dollhouse is still at MOSI, Chicago!  

MOSI in Tampa does not boast such a thing as livable miniature castles, but it did have a planetarium and we definitely couldn't pass that opportunity by.  It was a great show, we learned a lot and, speaking for myself, caught a teeny tiny catnap in as soon as the lights went down.  Oops. Don't tell. Shhhh.

It's a very hands-on type of museum which is always fun. We got to be kids once again and, even though there were a LOT of actual children there, the staff encouraged us to participate as well.  There was a ton of real time, actual participation scientific principles illustrated. For instance there was a bed of nails to lay on, we got to experience the wind level of a hurricane and sharpened our Alpha and Beta brain waves in a game (which I won - woohoo!).  And so so so Very Much More! We  tried them all.

Next there was  a huge exhibit on Flight through the years, up to and including NASA projects.  It wasn't just reading and observing (which is cool enough) but we also got to do a few things like actually go through some of the computer steps to launch a rocket. How cool is that?  Got to get Tim fitted for a space suit too:

The next part was about brain games and I think that was my favourite part.  We tried (I believe) every single illusion and brain game and brain trick they offered.  It took quite awhile but it was worth every single second.  Here's Tim playing his part in one of the illusions:

It's amazing to me how our brains are just naturally wired so differently and how little science fully understands about it yet.  Remember a few years back there was that viral dress that some people saw as yellow and gold and other people saw as blue and black?  Yeah, that dress was there.  And yup, different folks saw it differently this weekend too!

The last part of the museum was dedicated to dinosaurs and other ancient creatures. That is always fun. Shall we put a little twist on it?  Everything was made out of Lego's.  How cool is that?  Answer?  Very!   I gotta tell ya, Tyrannosaurus Rex doesn't look nearly as frightening made of Legos. Still impressive just not scary.  There was a lot of informational signage in that room. My favourite explained that, "A lot of people ask us if we follow some sort of  instructions when we make these kinds of things.  The answer is, Nope".  I love that!  Be Creative, Go off-script, Learn Stuff.  If it doesn't work, you learned something and can try again another way.

By the time we finished up there we were filled to the brim with new ideas and starving so we moved on to find food!  We ate and talked and laughed and caught up and had even more fun which doesn't seem remotely possible and yet, that's exactly what happened.    By the time we went our separate ways, the skies had filled with ominous grey clouds, there was thunder rumbling over head and clearly rain was on it's way.  And while it rained, it did not dampen our enthusiasm for another great Minock Day!