06/13/2017
Adventure Science Center explores climate change through traveling exhibition on loan from Chicago's Field Museum
Nature Unleashed: Inside Natural Disasters opens Saturday, June 24
Nashville, Tenn., June 8, 2017—Climate change has dominated the national conversation among politicians, scientists, and average Americans with increasing frequency over the past decade, and the current administration's position on the topic has fostered questions and concerns across the nation. In response, Adventure Science Center (ASC) is providing climate change science resources and programming to the community to help people make informed decisions about the future of the planet. This effort begins with their newest traveling exhibition, Nature Unleashed: Inside Natural Disasters, which opens to the public on June 24.
NASA Earth Observatory has stated that the current climate change is very likely to impact future catastrophes. The extreme changes in temperature associated with climate change can increase the likelihood for of severe weather-related events. As temperatures rise, more water evaporates into the atmosphere fueling more powerful storm systems.
A 2015 study published in Nature Climate Change found that, over the last century, global warming has caused periods of extremely hot weather to increase from one every 1,000 days to every 200 days. All that heat has resulted in a world in which natural disasters occur nearly five times as often as during the 1970s.
"We have permanently altered the earth's climate, and that change has consequences," said Tiffany Farmer, Ph.D., ASC's Director of Education and Community Engagement. "We have to focus on adapting to that change and designing innovative ways to prepare for and manage the way it’s going to alter our world. One of the primary places we’re already seeing that is in the weather.”
In the Nature Unleashed exhibition, the incredible – and somewhat terrifying – power of nature is on display, filling two large galleries at Adventure Science Center. Developed by The Field Museum in Chicago, Nature Unleashed explores natural disasters through stunning displays, state-of-the-art animations, poignant, large-scale images, and cultural artifacts that reveal the dynamic relationship we have with the Earth. The exhibition helps to illustrate how much we know – and how much we are still learning – about four types of disasters: earthquakes, volcanoes, hurricanes, and tornadoes.
Highly interactive and immersive, Nature Unleashed goes beyond the sensational headlines to explore Earth's most impressive natural events. Guests can discover what triggers a volcanic eruption, witness the power of hurricane-force winds, experience the roar of a tornado from within the eye of the storm, monitor earthquakes around the world in real time, and see real objects that tell powerful stories about natural disasters, and about the resilience and creativity of the people who survive and study them.
"The science center is here to serve our community. There’s a lot of confusion out there about climate change—a lot of questions. We’re hoping to help people find answers and a deeper understanding of the science behind climate change as well as how they can help halt our impact on the change, ensuring a brighter future for those who come after,” Dr. Farmer said.
Entry into the Nature Unleashed: Inside Natural Disasters exhibition is included with the price of general admission. Nature Unleashed will be at the Science Center from June 24 through October 29. Supporting Sponsor: TVA. This exhibition and its national tour were developed by The Field Museum, Chicago.
About Adventure Science Center
For more than 70 years, Adventure Science Center has been bringing science to life for students, teachers and families in Middle Tennessee and across the U.S. The Science Center offers engaging learning experiences and science fun through hands-on, interactive exhibits; innovative programs; and fulldome productions in state-of-the-art Sudekum Planetarium. Adventure Science Center strives to open every mind to the wonders of science and technology, fostering a better understanding of ourselves and the world around us.
Adventure Science Center is located at 800 Fort Negley Blvd. in Nashville.
For more information about the exhibition, visit www.adventuresci.org/natureunleashed or call Alexis McCoy, Director of Marketing and Communications, at (615) 669-5094.
