Friday, July 20, 2007

Deutsches Museum - 1

The Deutsches Museum is huge. Really big. They say you would need to walk 16 km to see the whole thing, and even if you tried to see it all and spent even a few seconds at each labeled exhibit, it would take you more than 8 hours.



We’re talking about huge stuff and lots of it. Today, for example, I counted 32 different airplane engines, 31 props, and I lost track after 40 different aircraft on several floors. There’s a full-sized V-2 rocket (complete with a picture of a town unlucky enough to have been hit by one during WWII), 4 helicopters, gliders, models… you get the picture.



I was particularly impressed by the steam engines of James Watt and others. These things, which were initially used to pump water from mines, are simply amazing to see in the flesh. Other favorite exhibits inside include a water gallery, children’s interactive gallery, and a chemistry area with dozens of push-button chemical reaction exhibits that demonstrate analysis, synthesis, biochemistry, and more.

There is also a gallery devoted to climate change and the environment, which I’ll describe later.




Outside in the entrance courtyard are several rides, including a small simulator and a ferris-wheel like machine (see photo) that gives one a great view from several stories up. There are other outdoor exhibits such as a human sundial (yours truly as gnomen) and the Sun station of a 4.6-km planet model (gold sphere).

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