How loud can you scream?
You may think the exciting events at the U.S. Olympic Track & Field Trials have pushed your voice to the limit, but you won’t really know until you enter the scream chamber.
The chamber is a sound-proof room the size of a bathroom stall that measures sounds by the decibel.
Can you break 100 decibels?
Grab the kids and head over to Eugene’s most colorful building, the Science Factory, to put your voice to the test.
The scream chamber is just one of the many experiments in the museum’s latest exhibit, “Noise!”
“Noise!” is an exciting exploration of sound that features hands-on demonstrations of pitch, frequency and vibration.
The Science Factory’s education director Kevin Kurtz said “Noise!” gives people opportunities to learn about sound and have fun while doing so.
The nonprofit museum has a special Trials event for tourists and locals alike called “Oregon-ology Days.”
Kurtz said it was created to let people know about the science of Oregon.
“For the most part, it’s looking at the natural aspects of Oregon. One thing we’re doing is a Salmon run,” he said.
“The idea is the kids get to be salmon and find out what they’re up against when they try to get from the ocean to their spawning grounds.”
There will also be experiments with petrified wood and hands-on fish printing.
Kurtz said they have adapted the ancient Japanese art form of coating fish with paint, but the Science Factory will be using rubber fish.
Kurtz believes science education is very important and thinks the hands-on approach works.
“I think a lot of people don’t understand what science is. They think it’s a bunch of facts that are already known, but that’s not what it is at all,” he said.
“It’s a way of learning about the world, and part of it is to get people to understand what science is exactly.”
Kurtz also said that the more you learn about science, the more you understand how the world works and how your own body works, and that is what helps us take better care of those things.
In addition to “Noise!” and “Oregon-ology Days,” the Science Factory also has regular showings in its planetarium.
The current shows are “Up in the Sky” and “Mars: Explorations and Discoveries.”
“Up in the Sky” is a show geared toward any age, with an introduction to the night sky featuring planets, major stars and constellations.
“Mars: Explorations and Discoveries” is for children 8 and up. It features a summary of the last 50 years of exploration of the Red Planet. The show will feature footage from robots and spacecraft orbiting Mars.
Summer camps are the Factory’s major focus this season. There are nine weeks of camps scheduled for ages 3 to 14.
Most of the camps are half-days and cover subjects like astronomy, geology, computers, alternative energy and digital photography.
Kurtz said he thinks the Science Factory offers a great opportunity to have some fun.
“It’s a learning opportunity and [Oregon-ology Days] are a chance to find something out about Oregon, especially for people who are visiting,” he said.
“It’s an exciting time to be here, and people should definitely get to know what the community has to offer.”
The Science Factory is located next to Autzen Stadium at 2300 Leo Harris Parkway. For more information, visit sciencefactory.org or call 541-682-7888.
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