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California: Los Angeles, California Science Center - 1001 Inventions: Discover the Golden Age of Muslim Civilization.10001 Inventions California Science Center Film Do not miss this exhibition - it is inspirational, educational, entertaining, and definitely fun worth sharing with your kids or grandkids.

Here’s the scoop. From now until the last day of 2011, the Golden Age of Muslim Civilization remains an exciting cultural bonus for families. This international traveling exhibition explores the scientific contributions made by men and women during seventh to 17th centuries. I recently had the opportunity to browse the exhibition and watch both young and old visitors become enthralled with the concepts featured.

It was for me WOW from the beginning to end. Before I go on and on as I often do when I discover pure excellence – the punch line is everything great, clever and useful did not begin with the Greeks and Romans. This exhibition brings into focus timeless, relevant innovations from the Muslim world - spanning the sciences of medicine, engineering, and design.

The exhibition begins with a delightful film combining Harry Potter-like whimsy with thought provoking facts. Oscar award-winning actor Sir Ben Kingsley plays the part of Al-Jazari, the inventor of the fabled Elephant Clock early 13th century clock whose design fuses together elements from many cultures. Kingsley is quite convincing as he conveys the most critical threads of the film’s theme which sustains the exhibition’s overall theme. 10001 Inventions Elephant Clock California Science Center Los AngelesAs the plot unfolds it becomes obvious that The Elephant Clock exemplifies the concept of multi-culturalism. It features an Indian Elephant, Chinese Dragons, a Greek water mechanism, an Egyptian Phoenix, and wooden robots in traditional Arabian attire.
 
A menagerie of fascinating interactive displays allows visitors to view an array of basic science concepts commonly taken for granted. The exhibition highlights the contributions of scholars from a diverse region stretching from what is current day Spain through China during the seventh to 17th centuries. It is easy to understand scholars of various faiths and cultures, preserved, nurtured, and advanced the knowledge in science and technology.

Just say cheese! We all take cameras for granted but before Kodak there was what? One of my favorite exhibition discoveries - a 9th-century dark room model, now known as the Camera Obscura, which Ibn al-Haytham used to revolutionize our understanding of optics. The optical science discovered 1000 years ago was a forerunner of the modern-day camera.

Look anywhere on the planet. Other interactive exhibition points include: a large 10-foot reproduction of 12th-century world map created by Al-Idrisis; an impressive model of Zheng He’s Chinese junk ship – originally measuring 325-feet long, and assorted medical instruments invented more than a thousand years ago many of which are still used today.
 
Location on the planet.  The California Science Center and IMAX Theater are located in historic Exposition Park just west of the Harbor (110) Freeway at 700 Exposition Park Drive, Los Angeles. Open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., except on Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day. For recorded information, including IMAX show times, call (323) SCIENCE (323.724-3623). IMAX ticket prices range from $4.75 to $8.25. Parking is available in the guest lot at Figueroa and 39th / Exposition Park Drive at $8 per car.

Make it happen. 1001 Inventions will be hosted at the Science Center until December 31, 2011. For details go to www.californiasciencecenter.org or for the larger picture www.10001inventions.com 10001 Inventions Golden Ages of Muslim Civilization

1001 Inventions is a global educational initiative that promotes awareness of scientific and cultural achievements from the Golden Age of Muslim civilization and how those contributions helped build the foundations of our modern world. This period lasted approximately 1000 years from the seventh century onwards. The 1001 Inventions global touring exhibition and the educational products that accompany the exhibition all highlight the scientific and technological achievements made by men and women, of different faiths and cultures, who lived in or were connected with broader Muslim civilization. Originally funded by the British government and launched in the United Kingdom in 2006, 1001 Inventions was created by the Foundation for Science, Technology and Civilisation (FSTC).

About ALJ Community Initiatives. Abdul Latif Jameel Community Initiatives (ALJCI) is the Corporate Social Responsibility arm of the ALJ Group, which is a Toyota automobiles distributor in 13 different countries. ALJCI plans and operates numerous global programs, such as poverty-alleviation initiatives, artistic and educational projects and technology innovation grants, including a long history of scholarships for students at Massachusetts Institute of Technology. ALJCI is the global sponsor of the 1001 Inventions exhibition and its international tour.California Science Center Exposition Park Downtown Los Angeles

The California Science Center is a dynamic destination where families, adults and children can explore the wonders of science through interactive exhibits, live demonstrations, innovative programs and awe-inspiring films. Its mission is to stimulate curiosity and inspire science learning in everyone by creating fun, memorable experiences, because we value science as an indispensable tool for understanding our world, accessibility and inclusiveness, and to enrich lives.

Content provided by California Science Center. Images and comments by Nancy Nelson-Duac, Editor at the Family travel Files. Copyright 2011. 


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