The goal of the project «Science Toys = Science Tools» is to enable a direct exploration of natural phenomena outside the science center. Our specific focus is on air related phenomena. We aim to connect aspects such as flow, pressure, force or density of air to everyday experiences such as breathing or weather sensations. Science Toys should represent the balance of playful immagination and scientific awareness created by interacting with and within our everyday environments.
The goal of the project «Science Toys = Science Tools» (STST) is to enable a direct exploration of natural phenomena outside the science center. We explore and develop products, workshops and installations through which such investigation can take place, in a multidisciplinary approach from the fields of design, engineering and natural sciences together with the Swiss Science Center Technorama. Our specific focus is on air related phenomena. We aim to connect abstract aspects of natural phenomena, like flow, pressure, texture, force or density of air to everyday experiences, such as breathing, weather forecasts and energy harvesting. We start by exploring how air phenomena are presented in science museums and understood from a science perspective, but also how air is represented and used in the arts, particularly in performative and participatory projects. We then develop simple prototypes such as lightweight airplanes, containers with styrofoam balls which can visualize airflow and wind, and inflatable structures which can make air tangible in shape and texture. We test our prototypes in participative workshops. Overall, we aim for the most fruitful interconnections between creative exploration of air qualities and scientific understanding of air phenomena. The final Science Toys should represent this balance of playful creative tweaking and scientific awareness created by interacting with and within our everyday environments. Therefore, a STST must foster both an individual learning process and an imaginative creative experience.