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bio domes in clay pits
Sep. 17th, 2007 09:56 pmSpent day at Eden project. Started off as shitty weather, (cold, gray, not helped by being on a bus that had its top window open). Went round one side of the pit, gawped, went 'oooo pretty' a lot, and 'huh, really?' at the little bits of info on many of the plant markers, giggled a bunch, stared at the giant bee sculpture and the mythological significance of trees and the allotments bit, went into the Rainforest biome and went 'oooo pretty' even more, with added 'innnteresting' at all the food/how stuff gets traded/what it can be used for of all the tropical plants, went 'waaaant' at the waterfalls. From there, into the Mediterranean biome. Which after the dense humid rainforest is pretty and light and spacious (helped that the sun came out while we were in there, so lots of warm sunshiney-ness) and has mosaic floors and smells gorgeous (one person couldn't figure out why until I pointed out that half the stuff in there is kitchen garden herbs). Also pigs and piglets made of cork and in the grapes bit, mad dionysian ritual bronze sculptures. Two of whom are tearing a deer apart. Then outside, to explore the rest of the pit - medicines and grasses and paper plants and trees and ice cream :innocent look: and bamboo thingies and sculptures made from electrical goods. Seriously, it is clear that loads of information and interesting facts combined with outdoors makes the Heather far too giggly. Several people definitely saw me skipping and laughing and squeeing. Also planted several containers of bulbs in Bulbmania which is for next spring - they're getting visitors to plant them and stick their wishes in the pots.
Then into the Core, which is supposed to be fun and educational and ... see me get bored within about five minutes. I'm quite sure that all the interactive stuff and cartoons and so on were interesting for the majority of the visitors, to judge by their reactions. It's just that I remember getting bored very quickly even as a child and feeling like I was being spoken down to whenever confronted with interactive exhibits that try to make the subject fun and interesting. Give me the data, give me the relevance, and then we'll judge whether I'm interested. Do not try to make it cutesy or dress it up. The only really cool thing in there was the two pieces of machinery where you turned the wheel for a good few minutes to get the intensely complicated, heavy machinery (all gigs and levers and balls knocking into things - nutty professor gone mad type of machine) to do some unbelievably simple tasks. We're not sure if it was supposed to be instructive, but the crowds for that - and the amount of egging on whoever was turning the lever would get - were HUGE. Oh, and a bit of video about the making of the Eden Project which was fascinating to see the construction and how fast they actually got it done.
De-disappointed self by going round the Wild Cornwall section of the pit, which I'd missed on my way in. Ooooo pretty and mining leftovers and all that kind of thing. Interestingly, this bit has the least sets of explanations - there's a recreation of an old slate hut and charcoal burning and all kinds with either nothing or bare minimum. Wanna go again. Maybe during the christmas season.
In other news, poking my food intake. It appears it's mostly healthy when I'm not in reach of work's constant supply of biscuits and coffee. Dammit.
Then into the Core, which is supposed to be fun and educational and ... see me get bored within about five minutes. I'm quite sure that all the interactive stuff and cartoons and so on were interesting for the majority of the visitors, to judge by their reactions. It's just that I remember getting bored very quickly even as a child and feeling like I was being spoken down to whenever confronted with interactive exhibits that try to make the subject fun and interesting. Give me the data, give me the relevance, and then we'll judge whether I'm interested. Do not try to make it cutesy or dress it up. The only really cool thing in there was the two pieces of machinery where you turned the wheel for a good few minutes to get the intensely complicated, heavy machinery (all gigs and levers and balls knocking into things - nutty professor gone mad type of machine) to do some unbelievably simple tasks. We're not sure if it was supposed to be instructive, but the crowds for that - and the amount of egging on whoever was turning the lever would get - were HUGE. Oh, and a bit of video about the making of the Eden Project which was fascinating to see the construction and how fast they actually got it done.
De-disappointed self by going round the Wild Cornwall section of the pit, which I'd missed on my way in. Ooooo pretty and mining leftovers and all that kind of thing. Interestingly, this bit has the least sets of explanations - there's a recreation of an old slate hut and charcoal burning and all kinds with either nothing or bare minimum. Wanna go again. Maybe during the christmas season.
In other news, poking my food intake. It appears it's mostly healthy when I'm not in reach of work's constant supply of biscuits and coffee. Dammit.
