Most of us lead pretty dirty lives. Even if we try to drive as little as possible or consume less energy or eat locally, we live in one of the most energy-hungry nations in the world, and the vast majority of that energy comes from polluting sources. In an effort to highlight the very real possibilities of cleaning up our act by harnessing renewable resources to power our lives, Birch Aquarium unveiled its newest exhibit: “Boundless Energy.” A display for children and adults alike, the exhibit, which opened July 9, brings the complicated technologies involved in channeling the sun, wind and waves for alternative energy to the layperson. “This exhibit is really meant to be multi-generational,” Nigella Hillgarth, executive director of the aquarium, said of the variety of interactive displays. “Parents will enjoy reading the [scientific descriptions] and kids can play with the interactives, although I’ve noticed that the adults like playing on the interactives just as much!” The exhibit, sponsored by Sempra Energy, includes a “Power Playground,” complete with a kinetic water sculpture driven solely by human energy — in the form of two stationary bicycles, a teeter-totter and a hand crank. At the exhibit’s opening reception, adults in attendance showed they had no qualms about jumping on the various contraptions, delighting in the spray of water that trickled through the sculpture, powered by their play. Other interactive displays include a miniature lighthouse powered by waves, a mechanical fish powered by solar panels and a “party house:” a tiny house that lights up and plays music when a wheel is manually turned, demonstrating the technology behind wind turbines. “We’re really just trying to get kids engaged, and maybe actually learn some physics,” Hillgarth said. “They’ll learn the limitations as well as the benefits [of alternative energies].” The exhibit, set outdoors in the Robert Smargon Exhibit Court, greets visitors as they walk out of the aquarium’s “Feeling the Heat: The Climate Challenge,” an exhibit that presents the science of global climate change. Debbie Zmarzly, curator of “Boundless Energy,” said the idea of the new display came out of the desire to do a follow up to “Feeling the Heat” — one that would preferably lift visitors’ spirits as they contemplated the devastating effects of climate change. “People would come out of that exhibit and say, ‘ugh,’” she said. “So we thought, ‘let’s expand on the solutions [to climate change] in a fun, playful way.’” In addition to cheering visitors up, Zmarzly said she hopes the exhibit will engender an appetite for scientific innovation in the younger generations — one that she feels has been lost in recent years. “This will help kids understand what the new normal will be in regards to energy, whether or not we decide to burn that last nugget of coal,” she said. “We want to bring back the idea of invention, so kids don’t think we’ve got it all figured out already.” The exhibit, in addition to providing amusement and education, is also functional: a brand new trashcan allows visitors to learn even as they dispose of their waste. The trashcan, powered by a solar panel on top, comes complete with a self-compactor and a wireless monitoring system that provides real-time data and eliminates unnecessary pick-ups by sending a message to waste management if the can is not yet full — proving that even our dirty appliances can be clean.
