Detroit Zoo Sphere A Science Trip

The Detroit Zoo has a new teaching device that's also one of the coolest tech toys ever.

Science On a Sphere is a six-foot acrylic globe that is transformed into a living representation of the earth by four projectors and sophisticated computer hardware and software.

Turn down the lights in the new Science On a Sphere theater in the zoo's Wildlife Interpretive Gallery, and you'd swear you were floating in space thousands of miles up, looking at a serene, cloud-banded planet, dominated by the rich blue of the oceans that cover 70 percent of its surface.

But the globe is a whole lot more than just something to stare at. It also displays dynamic representations of the planet's atmospheric, oceanic and land activity.

And the zoo has more than 200 entertaining science programs that can be projected onto the sphere, teaching about everything from ocean currents to the scarcity of fresh water.

"I saw this for the first time at the Natural History Museum in Washington, D.C. and I was hypnotized -- and I started looking into bringing one here," zoo director Ron Kagan said.
"Science On a Sphere is just the kind of whiz-bang experience that intrigues kids of all ages and provides another powerful tool to motivate learning... We think technology is a very important part of engaging people in science."

Science On a Sphere was originally developed by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to study environmental data.

The zoo can also use the globe to monitor earthquakes around the world, and to display realtime weather around the planet, including the tracks of major storms during this summer's busy hurricane season.

Kagan said the zoo intends to start developing its own programs for the sphere, emphasizing animal science, as would befit a zoo -- things like migration patterns or habitat shifts.

The Detroit Zoo is only the second zoo in the country to install Science On a Sphere as a permanent attraction; the other is the National Zoo in Washington, D.C.  There are 45 Science On a Sphere systems operating in the United States, 70 worldwide.

Kagan said the $300,000 cost of the sphere installation was financed entirely with private donations.

The Science On a Sphere program is free with zoo admission.

More at www.detroitzoo.org.