Exploring our fears
Hands- on ‘ Goose Bumps’ exhibit spotlights the science of fear
Learning about what triggers your fears is one thing, but facing them headon is another. Visitors to a new Fort Lauderdale exhibit have a unique opportunity to do both.
“Goose Bumps! The Science of Fear” at the Museum of Discovery and Science teaches people about the science of fear and provides stimulating activities to vividly illustrate the concepts.
The high- tech show, which was developed by the California Science Center, is in the museum’s second- floor Traveling Exhibit Hall.
“It’s so interactive. They’ve made fear fun,” said Michael Aguinaga, the museum’s public and school programs manager.
“Meet Mr. Goose Bumps” is a large representation of a human with five video displays at key anatomical areas involved in the fear response.
Visitors can learn from the display about the body’s fear response, which is controlled by the portion of the brain called the amygdala. Involuntary reactions like increased pulse and blood pressure, as well as sweating and goose bumps, prepare the body to react to a threatening stimulus, according to panels that surround the display.
The “Fear Challenge Course” has four color- coded rooms “where visitors can face fears in a safe environment,” according to exhibit materials.
“We are physically testing your body and letting you see your response,” said Joe Cytacki, the museum’s vice president of programs, life sciences and exhibits.
A device provides an electric shock to a finger, and other stations test one’s fear of loud noises and animals. Perhaps their most scary experience is at the “Fear of Falling” station, where people are strapped onto a table, mechanically tilted backward and safely dropped.
“Itwas fun because it felt kind of like a roller coaster,” said Plantation Park Elementary School fifth- grader Ashley Engel, 11, who recently toured the exhibiton