Cultures of Creativity: The Centennial Exhibition of the Nobel Prize is Coming to the New York Hall of Science; Press Preview March 10 at 10:30 am.

QUEENS, N.Y. -- What is creativity and how can creative activity be encouraged? Which is more important to the creative process: the individual or the environment? The Centennial Exhibition of the Nobel Prize will be on display in the Great Hall at the New York Hall of Science from March 12 - May 30, 2005. This exhibition examines these questions by presenting selected Laureates and atmospheres from the 100-year history of the Nobel Prize.

This traveling exhibition doesn't provide specific answers, but gives visitors the chance to think about the questions themselves. It encourages you to think in a new way, to question the world as it is and to strive for a better world, however an individual chooses to define that world. Although Cultures of Creativity: The Centennial Exhibition of the Nobel Prize is making its New York debut at the Hall it has traveled around the world. It has been to Japan, Malaysia, Italy, Norway, Korea as well as American cities like Chicago and Houston.

There are presentations of more than 30 Laureates and their creative work, as well as a number of atmospheres that inspired creativity, in the film room and artifact theater. The exhibition also gives an account of the Nobel Prizes of the 20th Century. Well-known Nobel Prizes are discussed against a background of historic events. Nobel Prizes that were controversial at the time are also discussed, such as the Peace Prize awarded to German journalist Carl von Ossietzky in 1935.

"Each year hundreds of thousands of youngsters come to the Hall to learn and experience science through our various hands-on exhibitions. I love to watch our visitors, and wonder which ones might just become the next pioneering engineers or Nobel Prize winners," said Dr. Alan Friedman, Director & CEO at the New York Hall of Science.

Some of the Nobel Laureates' work is difficult to illustrate by objects, so films, sound recordings, and multimedia will help demonstrate the accomplishments of the Laureates. A large part of the exhibition is in the form of interactive media. Visitors will be able to control what is displayed on the many computer screens.

Kiosks with computers connected to databases of Laureates and their biographies, films from their award ceremonies and more. To accompany the exhibition the Hall and the Nobel Museum have designed Discovery Tables to further expand the hands-on educational experience.

Hands-on Discovery Tables include:

Alexander Fleming - discovered penicillin
--  Observe and examine various types of live mold specimens
--  Use a slide viewer to observe various types of microbes
--  Make your own mold take home activity

Roger Sperry - Left and right brain functionalization
--  Examine a realistic model of a brain
--  Guess which animal each brain picture belongs to.
--  View various optical illusions

Wilhelm Conrad Rontgen - discovered x-rays
--  View various human x-rays
--  Guess the object in each x-ray picture
--  Learn about x-ray astronomy

James Watson & Francis Crick - discovered structure of DNA
--  Solve a crime through DNA
--  Extracting DNA take home activity
--  Create a model of DNA

Karl Ziegler & Guilio Natta - discovery of polymers
--  Test the strength of various polymers
--  Guess which polymers are natural or synthetic
--  Make your own slime take home activity

In combination with the Nobel exhibition and the installation of the Nobel Monument in Theodore Roosevelt Park, a new science essay contest open to New York City high school juniors was recently completed. The contest is a joint project initiated by the Consulate General of Sweden, the New York Academy of Sciences, the NYC Department of Education, Nobelprize.org - the official website of the Nobel Foundation, and the City University of New York (CUNY). The grand prize, sponsored by the Consulate General of Sweden, is an all expense paid trip to Sweden to attend the Nobel Week Festivities in December 2005.

The Centennial Exhibition of the Nobel Prize is sponsored by ABB, Ericsson, Merrill Lynch, Skandia and Volvo.

About the New York Hall of Science

The New York Hall of Science is New York City's only hands-on science and technology center. Ranked as one of the best science museums in the country, the Hall is a leading innovator in exhibit technology and educational programming. More than 400 hands-on exhibits explore the wonder and excitement of biology, chemistry and physics. On November 23, 2004 the Hall opened its 55,000-square-foot addition to the northeast end of the building. This $89 million project includes new permanent exhibitions about the search for life on other planets, connections and networks, the science of sport, an outdoor rocket park and an expanded preschool center. For more information, please visit www.nyscience.org.