Here are a few pictures of the Science Centre that I have managed to take. I find some theories and facts there very interesting so I have decided to share a few with you.
(Elephant Water Clock)How does it work?
The mechanism was inspired by an Indian water clock, using a bowl with a hole in its base,which sinks inside a container of water, hidden in the elephant. After the bowl sinks, a ball is released, which spins the phoenix at the top of the clock, as well as turning the clock dial by half a circle and causing the Balcony Man to lean to one side. The ball then drops out of the falcon's beak and into the mouth of one of the serpents. The serpent pivots downwards, drops the ball into a vase, hits a cymbal and moves both the Mahout and Scribe on the top of the elephant. At the same time, the bowl is pulled out of the water and begins to sink again, restarting the mechanism.
The first video that I am showing you is actually a magical flask used in the ancient times. It is used to fill up the cups of 2 people efficiently.
To sum it up, the flask is filled with wine on both sides of the flask, or at the two ends. Thus, when the flask tilts towards one side, the wine from the flask will flow into the cups of the people. When done, this machines would proceed to do the same for the other side, thus, this is an efficient system used in the olden times.
Experiment 2:
The Spinning Spiral
What exactly do you see? Sometimes, our eyes see things correctly, but our brain interprets the message from our eyes incorrectly. When you spin the disk, either forwards or backwards, it appears to form concentric circles. When you stop the disk you can clearly see that the pattern is made from zigzag lines that radiate out from the center. This is also what is known commonly as an illusion.
Experiment 3:
The 6-sided mirror
This is a picture that I took after standing in front of this 6-sided mirror.
The Science behind this phenomenon is very simple, it uses the application of the reflection of light. The light bounces from one mirror to another, and back into our eyes to produce multiple images. That is why we are able to see so many different images. It is actually because of the reflection of the light into our eyes.
Reflections:
I feel that this trip to the Science Centre was really meaningful, since I had uncovered many things that I did not know of before. I have actually realised that Science was actually evident in the ancient times too. For example, a scientist named Abbas Ibn Firnas was a famous engineer and he actually discovered how the birds were able to fly. Through various testings, he finally managed to uncover the theory of how birds were able to fly. He actually created a glider from bamboo stats, stretched fabric and eagle's feathers. He then launched himself off a hill. By guiding these wings up and down, he would be able to ascend like the birds. Therefore, I have realised that Science actually involves hard work and much research before we can even come to a conclusion on a certain matter. Thus, I have learnt the importance of determination and resilience in Science. A further example would Al Jazari, who was a famous Muslim inventor, engineer and scholar. His greatest achievement was the grand Elephant Water Clock, made for his King.
I have also learnt how Science evolved from the past to present day. Even simple mechanisms from the past were related to Science. An example would be how the magical flask is able to fill up the cups of 2 people efficiently. Using this method, it would be able to save energy and effort. For instance, if 2 big shots (presidents, whatever), were to be discussing about a certain issue, they would be able to use this system to refill their cups of water efficiently. Therefore, I feel that the practice and applications of science has developed over many centuries.
