The Busan National Science Museum is presenting family-oriented content combining science, performance and hands-on experience for Family Month.
The museum announced Wednesday that it will run two science performance programs for families to enjoy together.
The flagship program, "Sunday Science Theater Season 2 — Science CSI: Elephant Toothpaste Commotion," is a participatory performance based on a forensic science concept that solves an incident at a science experiment site.
Visitors will track clues alongside a science investigator, using thermal infrared cameras, fingerprint collection and footprint analysis, naturally experiencing scientific principles in the process.
The 20-minute performance will be held free of charge at the large conference room on the first floor of the museum, every Sunday (except June 7) from May 10 through August 23, at 11 a.m., 2 p.m. and 3 p.m.
A special Family Month performance, "Magician Newt's AI Space Science," is also drawing attention.
Held for just one day on May 23, the performance tells the story of a space exploration journey with artificial intelligence (AI) to find a "second Earth." The main character Newt and his AI assistant Zenith explore new space environments in a storytelling format that combines actual space science theories with magic performances.
The interactive stage fuses cutting-edge technology with performance, featuring "AI deep learning magic" in which AI visualizes keywords suggested by the audience as images, along with a levitation performance visualizing a zero-gravity state.
The performance will be held twice on the day, at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. Reservations can be made from May 13 through the Busan National Science Museum's online ticketing service.
In line with the recent rise in demand for hands-on science and cultural content, the Busan National Science Museum has been expanding programs that incorporate cultural elements such as performance, magic and storytelling. The strategy aims to broaden its base of family visitors by transforming science from a difficult and rigid subject of study into play- and experience-centered content.
"We have prepared science performances that the whole family, from children to adults, can enjoy together," said Kwon Su-jin, director at the museum. "We will continue to present diverse content that allows visitors to encounter science in a friendly way."
