Science Centre Experyment in Gdynia
What does Gdynia evoke? We probably think of one of the cities in the Tricity area, a port city, a city full of ships and sailing boats. The main attraction that tourists should see is the ORP Błyskawica – a museum ship. Gdynia is inextricably linked to the Baltic Sea. However, this time we will discover Gdynia anew, scientifically. And there will be no talk of the Naval Academy or other institutions with similar fields of study. Our focus will be on the Experyment Science Centre. To get there, it’s worth checking out their website, getting familiar with the opening hours, bringing a curious mind, and heading off.
The building is impressive, very modern, constructed of glass and steel. It is hard to miss, as it is located along the main artery of the Tricity agglomeration. The facility has plenty of parking spaces for vehicles. Inside, you can feel the spaciousness and the soothing breeze of air conditioning, which is especially noticeable during heatwaves. In the spacious lobby, you will find a shop with snacks, toys, souvenirs, and various gadgets. If you arrive with heavier luggage, you can store your backpack in special lockers.
Due to the glass-steel construction of the building, you can see what’s inside from the outside. And there’s a lot to see. During your stay, you will experience experiments from many scientific fields. You will learn about the effect of wind on water movement in a pond, the impact of pressure on various objects, and the action of centrifugal force. This is just a part of the physical phenomena you will experience. The devices will also allow you to explore your own body. You can test the pain threshold of your skin by lying on a fakir's bed – but don’t worry, it’s all safe. A unique and rare exhibit is a wheelchair driving simulator. You get into such a wheelchair and face an obstacle course that people with disabilities encounter every day. This drastically changes your perspective on the effort required by the user of such a wheelchair. There’s also no problem creating a sand model of the terrain, which, thanks to appropriate lighting, indicates depressions in blue and mountains in bright red. Further along, we will discover how a bat "hears," i.e., how echolocation works.
A person may think they see well. After using installations that utilize the phenomenon of illusion, they may change their mind. Nothing is obvious there. The longest queues of children form at the driving simulator. This attraction is not just for boys. After looping around, we arrive in the hall, where we have the task of creating a levee system that ensures the water rises to the appropriate level, allowing us to operate water guns. This fun will attract many enthusiasts. All installations can be experienced multiple times without getting boring, and they perfectly complement the otherwise unattractive school lessons in physics, biology, and other fields of science. This place will also interest adults, as they were not taught about many phenomena in school. If during your vacation the weather turns bad or it becomes extremely hot, there's no drama. Be sure to drop by the Experyment Science Centre.
Photo and text author: Krzysztof Kupczyk
