science museum of virginia

The Aluminaut & a 1960s View of the Future

The above drawing is a futuristic view of the world as envisioned by Reynolds Metals Co. in the mid-1960s for what the future would hold for the Aluminaut (shown as the dark vessel at top left).
 
Here are some projects it was believed the Aluminaut would initiate:
 
  • Producing electricity through subsurface dams set up over strong ocean currents
  • The ability to move large amounts of people safely underwater as opposed to dangerous travel above the surface during hostile weather or attacks

Submitted by Sarah.Lanigan on April 18, 2011

What one degree will do...

If you lowered the thermostat on your water heater by one degree this year, you could save enough energy to microwave 207 bags of popcorn or power a fish tank for 19 days.

If 1000 people joined you, we could power 10 homes for 30 days or power a hospital for 4 days.

More energy facts at the Energy Generator:
http://www.willyoujoinus.com/usingenergywisely/energygenerator/?gclid=CKOi6rTRjagCFcPd4AodWDCxDQ

Submitted by Liz.Mebane on April 15, 2011

What one light bulb can do...

If you replaced one incandescent light bulb with a CFL, you would save enough energy to watch TV for 429 hours, watch 215 DVDs or play a video game for 201 hours.

If 1000 people joined you, you could power a roller coaster for 34 days, power a shopping mall for 31 days or power Alaska for 8 hours.

More energy facts at the Energy Generator: http://www.willyoujoinus.com/usingenergywisely/energygenerator/?gclid=CKOi6rTRjagCFcPd4AodWDCxDQ

Submitted by Liz.Mebane on April 8, 2011

Question of the Week

Congratulations VCU!!!  The VCU Rams are in the Final Four!!!  Virginians are cheering for the "Cinderella" #11 seed Rams whom many said did not belong in the tournament.

Only two other teams with double-digit seeds have ever reached the Final Four.  Who were they?

And don't miss March Ratness on Thursday, March 31 (11 am) at the Science Museum of Virginia!!!  Four rats will play their own tournament - who do you think will win???

 

Submitted by Liz.Mebane on March 29, 2011

Traveling by Air in the 1940s

A recent acquisition into the collection of the Virginia Aviation Museum is this 1944 Eastern Airlines timetable which contains flight times and prices.

At the time of this publication, one way travel from Richmond cost at most $85.25 for a trip to Brownsville, Texas and the cheapest flight was $7.45 to get to Baltimore, Maryland.

Eastern Airlines began offering passenger flights out of Richmond beginning in 1932.

 

 

 

 

Submitted by Sarah.Lanigan on March 23, 2011

Question of the Week

The word "nerd" is a fairly recent addition to the English language and is now quite common in everyday speech.

When and where was the first recorded usage of the word?

(Hint:  Today is Dr. Seuss's birthday...)

Answer:  Dr. Seuss holds the honor of first printed usage of the word "nerd."  It appeared in the book If I Ran the Zoo, written in 1950.

Submitted by Liz.Mebane on March 7, 2011

Question of the Week

On this day in 1876, Alexander Graham Bell received a patent for the telephone from the US Patent Office.  On March 10, three days after receiving the patent, he successfully transmitted the famous first words.

What famous sentence was transmitted?

Answer:  "Mr. Watson, come here, I want to see you."

Submitted by Liz.Mebane on March 7, 2011

Question of the Week

Space, the final frontier...

Today at 4:50 pm, space shuttle Discovery will blast off on its final mission into space.  On board Discovery are six astronauts, the Permanent Multipurpose Module which will become sort of a storage closet for the space station, and Robonaut 2, the first dextrous humanoid robot to go into space. Robonaut 2 will test his ability to operate in zero gravity and will eventually become an astronaut's helper.


Submitted by Liz.Mebane on February 24, 2011

Question of the Week

Happy Valentine's Day!  Sure, Valentine's Day is about love and your significant other, but Valentine's Day is also about chocolate.  How much do you know about this delicious and tempting treat?

Which statement(s) below are true?
     a.  Chocolate causes cavities.
     b.  Chocolate causes acne.
     c.  Chocolate raises cholesterol levels.

Submitted by Liz.Mebane on February 14, 2011

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