OLD NEWS

Visvesveraya Industrial and technological museum
Discover the wonders of science. Enjoy doing science.
Entrance fee: 20 rupees (20 british pence)



The first exhibit I visit is the dinosaur room on the ground floor. Upon entering, a sign warns ominously about global warming, with a note about how humans should be careful so they don't get wiped out like the dinosaurs. Once inside, the animatronic T-rex turns it's head, waggles it's tail and scans the room with it's eyes as families crowd around, taking snapshots of each other in front of the only dinosaur in the museum.

ELECTRO TECHNIC



On the day we visited the museum it was was packed with families and friends. On the first floor I enter the 'electro technic' area, which has a variety of interactive displays demonstrating various aspects of electricity and power generation, from emerging hardware for solar energy to the debate over nuclear power.


Domestic electronic goods: Microwave, rice cooker, telephone, iron.


Commercial electronic goods: Second generation IBM computer



There are several intricately crafted models throughout the museum. The one's pictured light up and demonstrated the urban and rural electrical grid system.


Design for Debate?


The Nuclear debate: "Move everyone out of Iceland and put the nuclear waste there!"

BIOTECHNOLOGICAL REVOLUTION



On the next floor I entered the "Biotechnological Revolution" section, which showcased some of the most incredible graphic design within the museum, a fitting complement to the techno-utopic content.







I was pleased to find a section on fermentation with a small side note on vegetarian cheese, which folds nicely with the research I've been doing with Genomic Gastronomy - See Cheese as an appropriate biotechnology.


We also found the flavr savr tomato on the timeline of genetic research, but no mention of the fish tomato...

SPACE





Wandering around the space section I came across food packaging by the Defense Food Research Laboratory, Mysore (DFRL). Everything from "Instant Soya Veg-Pulav" to "Hurdle Technology Mango". The DFRL was involved in the development of space food for both the Soviet space mission and for NASA, who approved 17 different food items developed in Mysore. It was interesting to see what foods were (I assume) developed to suit the culinary preferences of an Indian astronaut.

TRANSPORT




The visit ended in a large hall, which showcased modes of transportation. The four story extravaganza, detailing the 'wonders of science', was an experience of exhilarating sensory overload.

26|10|2011