Explore
the world inside your head: BRAIN
exhibit opens January 2006 at the NC Museum of Natural Sciences
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - December 8, 2005
For calendar, event, science and education editors/writers.
Contact information below. Images available.
RALEIGH -- What's more important than your brain? Now you can take a look inside this quintessential organic computer that is responsible for every thought, every motion and every response your body makes. The newest traveling exhibit at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences in downtown Raleigh— "BRAIN: The World Inside Your Head"— opens Saturday, January 28, 2006.
BRAIN employs innovative special effects, 3-D reproductions, virtual reality, hands-on learning activities and interactive technology to delve into the inner workings of the brain, including its processes, potentials and mysteries. BRAIN is made possible by a grant from Pfizer Inc and is produced by Clear Channel Entertainment of San Antonio, in collaboration with the National Institutes of Health.
Upon entry into the exhibit, you will walk through a shimmering tunnel — the midst of a functioning human brain. Flashing fiber-optics illuminate networks of neurons firing and communicating.
From this dynamic beginning, BRAIN invites you deeper into the brain to discover its basic workings. You can explore the revitalizing nature of sleep and learn about the latest brain imaging technologies, then study the re-created skull of Phineas Gage— a man who survived after his brain was pierced by a metal rod— as you trace the evolution of scientists' understanding of the brain's physiology.
You also will discover the reality of brain disorders, injuries and irregularities, and learn more about conditions such as Alzheimer's, depression and addiction as you explore the relationship between depression and creativity, how drugs work in the brain, and the nature of pain. Finally, you will get a glimpse of the future of brain treatments in the new era of genome mapping and molecular medicine. By the end of this interactive adventure you will enjoy a new appreciation for the amazing brain.
"The goal of this innovative exhibit is to demystify brain disease and put to rest some of the negative stigmas associated with them," said Dr. John Gillespie, U.S. Medical Director for Pfizer Inc. "We also aim to open the doors of communication within families dealing with any type of brain disease. According to a recent survey, 38 percent of American adults said they have a family member with a brain-related disorder; yet only 16 percent of parents said they have 'very thoroughly discussed' mental illness with their children."
BRAIN opens Saturday, January 28, 2006 and runs through Sunday, May 7, 2006. Hours: Monday-Saturday, 10:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m. and Sunday 1:00-4:30 p.m. (last tickets sold at 4:00 p.m.). For more information, please visit naturalsciences.org.
BRAIN is sponsored locally by WakeMed, a 752-bed private, not-for-profit health care system based in Raleigh. The national exhibit is made possible by a grant from Pfizer Inc, a research-based global healthcare company whose mission is to discover and develop innovative, value-added products that improve quality of life for people around the world, and help them enjoy longer, healthier and more productive lives.
Pfizer Inc also has funded a new guide for parents through the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, titled "Talking to Kids About Brain-related Conditions." Like the exhibit, this brochure explains brain-related conditions and helps families to talk about these important, sensitive issues. It will be available at the exhibit in both English and Spanish, or you can request a free copy by calling 800.882.3718 or visiting www.pfizer.com/brain. A virtual tour of the exhibit is also available at this Web site.
The National Institutes of Health, serving as a partner in exhibition production and content collaboration, is the principal biomedical and behavioral research agency of the United States government and one of the world's foremost medical research centers. Exhibit developer and producer Clear Channel Entertainment provides high quality, family-friendly educational experiences, and serves as a major development partner to more than 200 leading museums and research institutions.
The North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences, in downtown Raleigh, documents and interprets the natural history of the state of North Carolina through exhibits, research, collections, publications, and educational programming. Hours: Mon.-Sat., 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sun., noon to 5 p.m. Admission is free. Visit the Museum on the web at naturalsciences.org. The Museum is an agency of the N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources, William G. Ross Jr., Secretary.
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