Re: Museum Exhibit

[LASKV@ccmail.ceco.com]

     Kara,
     
     One additional thought.  You might also add a simple exhibit with a 
     GM showing the "natural" background radioactivity in your area and 
     then comparing this to some "consumer products" old & new - Fiesta 
     ware, Vaseline glass, smoke detectors, etc.  Also contact Paul Frame 
     at Oak Ridge Associated Universities.  He may have some ideas as he 
     is the HPS Museum Guru.
     
     John Van Horn
     
     LASKV@ccmail.ceco.com
     
     This is only my opinion & not that of my employer.
     
     Learning is the essence of education.
     
     
______________________________ Reply Separator _________________________________
Subject: Museum Exhibit
Author:  radsafe@romulus.ehs.uiuc.edu at INTERNET 
Date:    4/10/96 3:56 PM
     
     
{Original Msg: 'RE: Museum Exhibit on Radiation Doses' from 
<radsafe@romulus.ehs.uiuc.edu>
{
{
{A cloud chamber is one of the best exhibits I can think of to visually 
{illustrate radiation interactions and simultaneously demonstrate that 
{radiation (cosmic & terrestrial) is a part of our everyday existence.  There 
{are several manufacturers out there, I will try to provide a reference. 
{ During my graduate work, I conducted outreach sessions with local High 
{Schools, and the cloud chamber was very informative, useful, and interesting 
{to the students.  Our chamber was back lit, and used dry ice to cool an 
{alcohol solution (very simple to set up, but may not be practical for a 
{continuous exhibit.  A mechanical refrigerated design may work better for 
{your purposes.
{
{R.K. Brewer                   602-393-6095 (office)
{Health Physicist                   602-705-0390 (voice mail) 
{9447 S. Palm Drive            kbrewer@indirect.com (or) 
{Tempe, Arizona 85284               RBREWER@apsc.com
{ ----------
{From: karav
{To: Multiple recipients of list
{Subject: Museum Exhibit on Radiation Doses 
{Date: Wednesday, April 10, 1996 1:53PM
{
{Hello Radsafers -
{
{You may remember me - I posted last year requesting advice about how to 
{handle Brookhaven Lab's "troubles with tritium" at our sewage treatment 
{plant. I work in Brookhaven Lab's Public Affairs office as a science 
{writer.
{
{(As an aside, that issue about pumping tritiated groundwater into the local 
{river's headwaters, so that underground tanks could be built, has been 
{somewhat defused. The Lab administration has decided to build the tanks 
{aboveground...but the activists and the suspicion remain with us, I can 
{assure you!)
{
{Anyway, this request for help is of a much more lighthearted, though no 
{less important, nature. I've been asked to help our Science Museum, which 
{has more than 25,000 visitors aged 5 and up each year, prepare an exhibit 
{on radiation. It has to be simple, colorful, informative and, oh yeah, fun. 
{I hope to ask for advice from our own crew of HPs here on site, but I also 
{wanted to pass my idea by the whole listserv group. If you have any other 
{ideas, or know of places that have exhibits with a similar aim, please let 
{me know BY DIRECT E-MAIL.
{
{Here was my idea: Basically, it would ask people to match up what they 
{_think_ is the radiation dose from a given source or pathway (in millirem) 
{to a cartoon of that source or pathway. It would be a big white board, with 
{a lot of colorful cartoon people and objects scattered around it 
{illustrating sources of potential radiation exposure. (e.g. an airplane, an 
{x-ray machine, the ground, different foods, living in the mountains, and of 
{course, Brookhaven Lab.)
{
{Each object or scenario would have a description and a piece of Velcro with 
{adhesive backing stuck next to it. The museum-goers would be presented with 
{a basket of small wooden circles with different numbers (doses) painted on 
{them and Velcro on the back. Then, they'd be asked to match up the dose 
{number with the pathway.
{
{This would allow them to express what they feel is the most "risky" thing, 
{in terms of radiation exposure. Then, the tour guide would put any wooden 
{circles that were incorrectly placed into their correct places (using a 
{cheat sheet), showing the visitors that what they thought was the dose from 
{a chest x-ray is actually much lower/higher, and that the dose from 
{Brookhaven Lab is actually much lower/higher, etc.
{
{If you have any input on this idea, or other suggestions, please send 
{DIRECT E-MAIL (don't just hit reply!) to me at karav@bnl.gov
{
{Thanks!
{
{ --Kara Villamil
{Brookhaven National Lab Public Affairs 
{karav@bnl.gov
{
{
{
{
{
     
     
Kara,
Have you thought of contacting some other museums?  The Lawrence Hall 
of Science @ LBL Springs to mind.  I was there once a long time ago, 
seems like they had something on radiation but it's a little hazy now, 
it's been 10 years or so.  Plus I had my kids with me.  But seeing as 
they are who they are, I would think they've given the matter some 
thought and taken a whack at it or two.  I do remember generally
it was a fun interesting trip.
     
REgards and good luck!
Peter G. Vernig, VA Medical Center, vernig.peter@forum.va.gov
     
     
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VA Medical Center, 1055 Clermont St. MS 115 - DISCLAIMER
Denver, CO 80220; 303-399-8020 x2447 FAX 393-4656 Opinions = Mine 
FAX 303-393-4656, vernig.peter@forum.va.gov Opinions =/ VA or USA
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