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Guests explore the tastes of many things, including bugs, at 'Candy Unwrapped.' |
By COLLETTE CAPRARA
For THE FREE LANCE-STAR
An entire family is shrieking and jumping up and down on a giant tongue, surrounded by a row of teeth.
A scene from the latest scary flick? No, just one of a host of displays in the newest traveling exhibit at the Science Museum of Virginia--Jelly Belly presents Candy Unwrapped, which opens Saturday.
In the enormous tongue display, dubbed the Taste Bud Tango, lights flash when visitors hop on a taste bud, registering the sensory sensation that they would be experiencing.
Interestingly, the display depicts the most current research that debunks past theories that entire sections of the tongue are devoted to one specific taste sensation. As tongue tango-ers will learn, buds for the spectrum of tastes are located throughout.
"Many of the exhibits are hands-on--and even 'bodies-on' experiences," said Patricia Sacchetti, a project consultant from the Ontario Science Centre, who helped create the event.
Visitors will explore the scientific principles in play during the simple act of tasting food, discover how the brain is affected by different scents, and pedal a stationary bike to determine how much exercise it takes to burn just one cube of sugar.
"The jelly bean taste test will be a real startler," said Ken Doyle, OSC project manager, who notes that both aromas and tastes combine to make flavors. "If you hold your nose while chewing on a piece of candy, you really won't be able to identify the flavor until you breathe in."
Visitors are in for another surprise when they register their preference for
One display that is sure to generate some laughter is Pucker Up. At this stop, visitors can sample candy with a super-sour taste--in front of a camera that will project their expressions on a wide screen for all to see.
The exhibit also explores the role of sweets throughout time and in different countries. At It's a Tasty World, visitors can check out display windows that show what tastes appeal to people of different cultures.
A stroll down Sweet Memories lane may remind parents of their childhood experiences with candy, while A Bar Is Born goes back much further in history, showing how chocolate has evolved from the 1500s to the 21st century. Chocolate is also the subject of Romancing the Bean, where visitors can take a quiz on the link between chocolate and romance and discover the chemical properties that come into play.
Crystal Mountain, a huge climbable sugar crystal, provides a larger-than-life sweet experience. Sugar Stack is a vivid depiction of the amount of sugar the average American will consume in a lifetime (a pile of sugar sacks that would loom to a height of 20 feet).
In addition, displays will show the role sugar plays in a surprising variety of situations, ranging from medical treatments to the creation of concrete and car bumpers.
"Everybody loves candy, and we've known that word before we ever heard of science," said Nancy Tait, spokeswoman for the Science Museum of Virginia.
"The exhibit shows that there is so much science in our everyday lives that we are not even aware of. It combines biology, chemistry, physiology and psychology," she said. "Who knew that light-hearted, fun candy could get so serious?"
Collette Caprara is a freelance writer who lives with her family in Spotsylvania.
WHAT: Jelly Belly presents Candy Unwrapped WHERE: The Science Museum of Virginia, 2500 W. Broad St., Richmond WHEN: Saturday through Sept. 4. Museum hours are Monday through Saturday, COST: Exhibit is included with admission fee: $9 for ages 4 to 12, seniors 60 and older and active military; $10 for ages 13 to 59 INFO: 804/864-1400, 800/659-1727, smv.org |
