Murtzcellanious: Spider-Murtz and Wolveromo Experience The Marvel Superheroes Science Exhibition

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On October 17, Matt Romanada and I visited the Ontario Science Centre in Toronto for a special preview of a new exhibit that has launched after more than three years. The Marvel Superheroes Science Exhibition opens on October 18 to the general public and runs until March 25, 2007. The display allows visitors to experience the comic book experience by participating in 30 action stations that Matt and I have detailed below. The action stations are dedicated to all of Stan Lee’s favorite characters. While there, we ran into our pals Scott Fox and Dave Blezard who host the Z103.5 Morning Show with IP blogger, Ashley Greco.

In addition to discovering the science behind The Incredible Hulk’s anger, the strength of Spider-Man’s webs, and the nuances of Daredevil’s echo-location abilities, visitors also can learn about the art and history of Marvel comics over the last 67 years and their relation to modern-day concepts of politics and culture.

While comics have always received attention from Comics Nexus, they have now come into the spotlight once more with NBC and Global’s new primetime hit Heroes. The show follows average people with spectacular abilities. The idea that your next-door neighbor could teleport anywhere or that the artist that lives down the street can actually paint the future.

The exhibit is something to be seen and I have been looking forward to it for several months. And as you will see, by the time we left, Romo and I were not the same men who entered the Science Centre on a rainy Tuesday morning.

ENTRANCE

In the Marvel® Universe, Super Heroes™ are constantly confronted with dangerous situations. This area explores the psychology of fear and how our bodies respond to danger.

THE BEAM
Visitors feel a stab of fear in the belly as they are confronted with having to cross an I-Beam encased in Plexiglas® 12 feet off the floor! Visitors have no choice but to face their fear of heights as they cross the beam. This provides the first learning experience in the exhibition–the body’s physiological response to fear is called the “flight or fight” response.

DAREDEVIL

Daredevil may not be able to see, but his other super senses are the secret to his powers. This area explores human senses and how we use them to gather information about our world.

BLIND ALLEY
Visitors are asked to close their eyes and navigate an alleyway within a certain time, relying only on audio and tactile clues.

ECHO CHAMBER
Visitors step up to an echo chamber where they can make clicking sounds with their tongues and listen to the echo they produce. They can learn how echoes work, and how the blind use them to navigate.

TOUCH BOXES
Visitors try to identify ordinary objects by touch alone. After placing their hands inside a box, they can feel the object inside and try to identify it. A flip-up panel will identify what items they just felt.

Murtz: This was an interesting exercise. The blind alley was cool, but I think it is an exhibit that only younger kids can have fun with. I kind of felt strange running around the alleyway. I did like the touch boxes. It was kind of cool to be Ben Affleck for a day. Unfortunately, there was no Jennifer Garner.

Romo: Yeah I agree, this was more of a “younger kid” thing. Though, the echo-location of the echo chamber was one of the best uses of practical science in the exhibit. I think it’s one of the learning experiences that will really stick with people.

DOCTOR OCTOPUS

Doctor Octopus’s four steel, robotic arms work similarly to prosthetic limbs used today. Scientists are even working toward controlling them with the mind—just like Doc Ock. This area explores biomechanics and the development of prosthetics.

DOC’S ARMS
Visitors interact with a life-size figure of Doctor Octopus, who has four tentacle arms. Visitors can control one of the arms with a joystick and perform a simple task. This arm ends in a claw similar to most prosthetic hands, giving the visitor a first-hand feel of what it is like to use a prosthetic limb. No matter how sophisticated prosthetic arms may be, even basic tasks can still be a challenge.

EVOLUTION OF PROSTHETICS
Photos and artifacts illustrate the history of prosthetics, from peg legs and hooks, to bionic arms and legs controlled by computer chips in your brain. Visitors can try to tie shoelaces with chopsticks and control a zipper by using clothespins to understand the difficulties of using prosthetics.

Murtz: I LOVED the Dr. Octopus set-up. Messing around with the joystick to control a gigantic version of the villain was very cool and this is something that kids and teenagers will enjoy for sure. I also thought the evolution of prosthetics exhibit was awesome. I tried tying the shoelaces with chopsticks a few times and didn’t even come close. Kind of makes you feel sorry for Dr. Octopus. What do you think Romo?

Romo: The Doc Oc thing was pretty cool. The joystick thing was pretty fun, although it was a bit limited and I wanted more freedom to try and pick stuff up or perhaps attack Murtz with the claw. The part where you try to tie shoelaces was SOOOO hard, but it sure did what it said it would, give one an appreciation of people who have prosthetic limbs.

THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN

Peter Parker has amazing spider-like abilities that allow him to scale walls, while his specially developed web fluid lets him swing from building to building. This area takes a look at the biology of our eight-legged friends, the strength of the webs they weave, and artificial materials that are being developed to match that strength.

SPIDER SILK
No artificial material to date has managed to match the tensile strength of spide’s silk. However, there are fibers that come close–one of the strongest being Technora®, a synthetic material 8 times stronger than steel. Visitors approach a giant web hanging in mid-air. Trailing down are thin threads of Technora fiber, measuring 3mm in diameter, with harnesses attached to them. Though the thread appears to be delicate, it can easily handle the combined weight of seven visitors. A scale above the web indicates how much weight it is supporting, how much more weight it can take before the Technora threads snap, and how it compares to the strength of real spider silk.


CLIMBING WALL
Visitors walk through a make-believe “shrinker” to bring them down to the size of a spider. Next, they approach a climbable wall that is scaled to makes them feel like they are the size of a spider. Visitors learn how spiders have hairs on the ends of their legs that allow them to grip all the tiny edges on a surface, and that there are hairs on those hairs that interact with a surface on a molecular level to create even more “grip”.

Murtz: I am a huge Spider-Man fan as you will find out. The spider silk exhibit was interesting because it offered a scientific explanation for the strength and elasticity of Spider-Man’s weapon of choice. Romo didn’t venture on the climbing wall, but I decided to. Once again, I think it was created for little kids as it wasn’t tall enough to offer even the athletically-challenged Murtz a challenge.

Romo: The climbing wall was a bit small for my tastes, but for kids who are under five-foot tall it will be perfect. Plus we all know Spiderman ain’t got nothing on Wolverine!!

THE INCREDIBLE HULK

Bruce Banne’s emotions are the key to his transformation into the Incredible Hulk. This area explores the neuroanatomy and psychology responsible for generating human emotion.

HULK’S BRAIN
Visitors approach a larger-than-life size model of the Bruce Banne’s brain. Visitors are encouraged explore why his (and our) ability to think and act reasonably is compromised, as they view different areas of his brain. When they find the amygdala, Bruce’s face transforms into the raging Hulk.

FACES
There are seven emotions that we express facially in the same way all over the world. After visitors see what the key features of an angry face are, they can step up to a mirror and make their best (worst!) angry face. For fun, their faces are tinted green!

Murtz: I didn’t see the faces exhibit, did you? The brain demonstration was cool. I liked it because it was easy to understand and offered an easy-to-understand explanation for how rage is produced. I think that it captured the essence of what the exhibit was all about. The science of superhero powers.

Romo: Yeah I saw the faces exhibit, it was interesting. The brain thing was cool, but seemed a bit simplified for my tastes. The connection between science and fantasy seemed a bit stretched here. Just a thought, maybe this could be used to explain Ali Larter’s character on Heroes. Maybe she is The Incredible Hulkette, except she has no memory of her transformation(did Hulk?), no green of course and enjoys casual sex.

THE INVISIBLE WOMAN

Humans may not be able to suddenly disappear, like Sue Richards, but our eyes do not always see what is in front of them. This area explores visual perception, including elements of cognitive psychology and the physiology of the eye.

INVISIBLE WOMAN
Visitors approach a wall/panel that has a moving field of crosses and an image of the Invisible Woman. They are instructed to focus on a flashing green dot at the center of the panel. An optical illusion caused by Motion Induced Blindness is created, making the Invisible Woman disappear in front of their eyes.

OPTICAL ILLUSIONS
A display of optical illusions challenges the visitor’s perception of what they see and why they see it that way.

Murtz: Matt is totally going to rip me on this one. I just couldn’t see the Invisible Woman disappear. I think I tried like 8 times with Romo’s coaching until it finally worked. I don’t think this was the fault of the exhibit as much as it was my own abilities (or lack thereof).

Romo: Yeah I felt like I was with my kid, not that I have one, at this exhibit. Murtz totally couldn’t make it work no matter how simple my instructions were. I think that’s because Murtz isn’t someone that can concentrate on one thing at a time. I think this exhibit was good but I would have liked to see a bit more science behind it, as I’ve recently read stories about the U.S. army working on invisibility and other scientists working on a Harry Potter-like invisibility cloak. I didn’t see any of that stuff mentioned.

IRON MAN
Iron Man’s suit of armor increases his strength. Today, engineers can create powered suits called exoskeletons that give humans extra strength, bringing Iron Man’s fictional invention closer to reality. This area looks into engineering and the development of technologies that increase our strength.

EXO-SUIT
Visitors can place their arms inside an exo-suit that gives them the power to lift a 4,500 lb. sports utility vehicle.

PULLEYS AND LEVERS
Visitors learn about simple machines such as levers and pulleys, and then experiment to see how they affect the effort needed to lift a weight.

Murtz: Dude, tell me this wasn’t the best. We lifted a car!!! And we have the photographic evidence to prove it. By far the highlight of the exhibit. It’s amazing because this actually makes it seem like Iron Man’s invention could actually work.

Romo: (ala Otto from The Simpsons) I AM IRONMAN, da da da da da da. Yeah this was fun, although I feel like a loser for having slightly struggled to get the thing started and then see some three-year old lift it with one hand… haha. Yes, the ideas shown in the Iron Man exhibit did have the most practical real-world possibilities.

DANGER ROOM
Banshee uses his sonic waves to fight villains. Sound waves can be powerful forces that can be used to see inside the human body or even disable a person. This area explores the physics of sound and how scientists use sound waves today.

SHOUT IT OUT
Visitors approach a chamber with images of several villains inside. They are then asked to make sonic waves (yell!) to defeat the villains. As they yell, a decibel meter will record the noise levels. When they reach a predefined level, they destroy the villain. Information about sound waves is nearby, including real-world uses for sound – from ultrasound to sound weapons.

TUNING FORK
Visitors can strike a tuning fork and see the physical properties of sound in action; the sound waves they create have the power to move cork shavings.

Murtz: The image of Romo, Dave from the Z103.5 FM Morning Show and I yelling into a room to try and defeat villains is an image that I will never forget. It was pretty entertaining.

Romo: Trying to yell after just getting over a cold, not a good idea. I lost my voice after about…oh five seconds of yelling. My coughing fit didn’t do much to take out the villain. I could tell that the kids sure enjoyed this exhibit, as it gave them an excuse to yell as loud as they wanted to.

CHARLES XAVIER’S SCHOOL FOR GIFTED YOUNGSTERS

MAGNETO
Magneto is able to manipulate magnetic fields that exist naturally or artificially; humans are also able to utilize and control the power of magnetism. This area explores the physics of magnetic forces.

SHIELD
Visitors holding a magnetized shield move towards Magneto who has an opposite charge. The closer they get, the harder it is to push – demonstrating a basic principle of magnetism (opposite poles on a magnet repel each other). The shield is on a track, so it can only be pushed in one direction.

MAGNETS
Visitors experiment with different types of magnets to learn some basic magnetic principles.

Murtz: I have always liked magnets. I did one of my highschool science projects on them and I have always liked Magneto. It was really hard to push the opposite magnets toward each other, and surprisingly, this was just as difficult as lifting up the car with the pulls.

Romo: I wasn’t too excited about this one. This seemed just an updated exhibit from ones I played with as a kid. That being said Magneto is an awesome character, with an easy tie to science so leaving him out because “been there, done that” would have been a bad decision, so it was good to have it part of the exhibit.

ICEMAN

Iceman can decrease his body temperature and turn himself into ice. This area covers the states of matter and cryogenics, the study of the effects of low temperatures.

ICEMAN
Visitors are able to touch a life-size figure of Iceman, permanently encased in ice. As they touch the figure, the surface melts, demonstrating how matter can change into different states.

Murtz: This was okay. Romo and I had photographic evidence, but unfortunately the pictures didn’t come out.

Romo: Yeah for me touching ice isn’t such a bit deal. Then again I’m from Canada where ice is plentiful.

COMIC’S TIMELINE
Comics are a form of social history and they reflect certain attitudes and events.

TIMELINE
Visitors can explore a timeline that covers the history of Marvel comics. The timeline reveals comics in its social-historical context and how comics reflect the events and attitudes of our time.

WHO’S YOUR HERO?
At the end of the timeline, there is an area that focuses on real life heroes. Visitors are encouraged to share who their real-life heroes are.

CREATE YOUR OWN COMIC BOOK
Comic book publication is a complex process. This area looks at what it takes to publish a comic book and the various experts that are involved.

CREATE YOUR OWN COMIC BOOK
Visitors can create their own comics. There are two aspects of creation that the visitor will be able to try: a photo op, and a drawing table.

COMIC BOOK COVER
Here, the visitor becomes the Super Hero and appears on the cover of a comic book. A camera photographs the visito’s face and superimposes it onto the face of a character from a selection of covers. The final (optional) step is printing out and purchasing the cover.

DRAWING TABLE
A simple outline of a character is provided for visitors to color, letter, and take home. An outline of the process involved in creating a comic book is included.

Murtz: I accidentally drank something at lunch and something happened. This is the result. Spider-Man may not wear glasses, but Super-Murtz certainly does. All in all, a great day. It was a lot of fun and this was one of my first experiences with superheroes and definitely with the science behind their powers. Heroes, on NBC and Global, is probably the best new show of the season and I think that comics and superheroes will always be popular. This exhibit will help to bring them to a more casual and widespread demographic.

Romo: This was an awesome day and experience. I’ve already told a boatload of people they must go. Plus now Wolveromo and the cutie cheerleader from Heroes Claire Bennet can hook up with their mad regeneration skills. Oh wait, that might be the longest relationship ever as neither would ever die. ‘Til death do us part sure takes on a new meaning in that situation.

Murtz: Romo, you can have the cheerleader. I’ll take my girl Ali Larter.

Which couple is a match made in Heroes heaven?

Sir Linksalot: Heroes

Murtz Jaffer is the world's foremost reality television expert and was the host of Reality Obsessed which aired on the TVTropolis and Global Reality Channels in Canada. He has professional writing experience at the Toronto Sun, National Post, TV Guide Canada, TOROMagazine.com and was a former producer at Entertainment Tonight Canada. He was also the editor at Weekendtrips.com.