Originally called "Eureka Labs: Science from Head to Toe"
Original Proposal | Prototypes | Final Exhibition

"Eureka Labs: Science from Head to Toe" will invite families to explore the science behind the clothes we wear. Families will become lab teams testing the qualities of clothing and apparel. They will stretch materials, carefully examine fibers with microscopes, use ultraviolet light boxes to test reflective properties, check insulation values of materials, and, in many other ways, explore the properties of textiles and materials. In "Eureka Labs", families will explore the qualities and technological advance in materials science that have a direct influence on our lives.

In "Eureka Labs", families will take a closer look at the marvelous mechanical devices which hold clothes together, such as buttons, zippers, snaps, and Velcro. They will test the effectiveness of protective gear such as knee pads and shin guards, and investigate specialty-designed clothing which takes us under the water and into outer space, and protects us from pollution, fires, and radiation.

With the advent of new materials and manufacturing processes developed during the past two decades, the science of clothing has emerged as a discipline in its own right. Synthetic fibers or materials have replaced or supplemented natural fibers or materials in textiles and other apparel. Many modern items of apparel, such as mountain parks or running shoes, are made with no natural materials. These new developments provide a wealth of areas for families to investigate materials they use every day.

REVIEW OF RELATED EXHIBITIONS AND APPROACH

There is only one major traveling exhibition on science and textiles. This recent NSF-funded exhibition "Behind The Seams: Fibers into Fashion" by Discovery Place (Charlotte, NC) looks specifically at the production and science of textiles in the fashion industry. "Eureka Labs" will instead focus on the science and properties of the clothing we wear, especially new materials, such as nylon, spandex, and Kevlar. More important, families will be using scientific equipment to examine, test, and contrast the qualities of these materials.

Our experience with family science night activities and in a small number of interviews with families indicates that clothing can indeed provoke a range of "how" and "why" questions. Apparel provides natural and familiar starting points for investigations by families of all ages. The exhibition will attract families with children of all ages by presenting opportunities to investigate clothing both familiar and appealing, as well as fascinating and new-tech, such as sports wear, fire fighting clothing, and space suits.

Investigations in "Eureka Labs" will range from simple inquiries into the basic properties and qualities of fabrics, using simple technologies, to investigations, using sophisticated technologies, into such areas as the insulating qualities or the strength or protective qualities of fabrics. Families will discover that the same principles can apply to a wide variety of different design problems. For example, soccer shin guards and sneaker soles both have the problem of protecting the body from impact by distributing forces; however, weight and rebound requirements lead to very different solutions for these two types of protective apparel.

EDUCATIONAL GOALS

After participation in "Eureka Labs", families will be more aware that:

• Recent developments in science have led to the use of new textiles and apparel which most of us wear or use every day.
  
• Textiles have specific qualities, such as strength, insulating value, or reflective properties, which can be tested, using scientific equipment.
  
• By using the tools and methods of science, we can discover solutions, such as developing warmer clothing, to problems in clothing design.

THE EXHIBITION

Families entering the exhibition will be greeted by a 2-meter-tall kiosk that is a model of a sports running sneaker mounted on its toe. "Eureka Labs" will be set up to create a materials testing lab environment. Life-sized mannequin figures will be scattered throughout the exhibition and placed appropriately next to activities where that garment or material is tested. The mannequins will be dressed in a variety of outfits, such as a toddler in diapers; a child wearing a jacket with reflective material; a teenager with protective gear helmet, chest protectors, shin guards; a person in a wet suit; a fireman in fire protected gear; a policeman in a bulletproof vest; and a woman in a space suit.

There will be four main areas: 1) in "Its a Material World" families will investigate materials and their properties; 2) in "Light, Color, and Reflection" families will look at how the reflective and light absorbing affect clothing design; 3) in "Protective Clothing" families will investigate sports apparel, impact testing of materials and space-age materials; and 4) in "Will it Fit or Stay On?" families will look at the mechanics of fastening systems and designing of clothing.

I. It's a Material World presents opportunities for families to take a closer look at a variety of materials such as natural fibers and man made materials and conduct tests of their properties.

Take a Closer Look: Families will be able to study materials of many types using large magnifying glasses and a Wentz Easy-View Microscope. Samples will include natural fibers (cotton, wool, linen) and various synthetic fabrics (light sensitive, nylon, spanned, polyester knit). Families will be challenged to match microscope slides of individual fibers with the fabrics from which they came.

Diaper Magic: A kiosk will describe developments in the design of diapers, with samples ranging from single-layer cotton diapers to the latest in disposable diapers. Disposable diapers and samples of the super absorbent chemical Sodium Polyacrylate will be used to test the "carrying capacity" of a disposable diaper.

Stretching It Out: Synthetic materials such as spandex have been designed to stretch over great distances. Families at this station will be able to take strips of different types of clothing material like underwear waistbands, pantyhose, denim, T-shirts, and wet-suit material, and attach standard weights to them. Families can then measure the length of stretch, as well as reading the stress placed on the material by reading the output of attached gauges. Using magnifying lenses, they will be able to observe the structure of various fabrics they test. A simple loom will encourage visitors to create small samples of patterns that can be tested for stretch.

Friction: Friction is a design factor in several types of clothing. This exhibit will include a small slide and a series of pads made from various materials, such as nylon, cotton, and rubber. Family member can slide down the incline while sitting on a mat, or slide dolls or bricks covered with the different materials. A variety of materials with different coefficients of friction will be used, such as nylon (low friction), cotton (moderate friction), and rubber (high friction; no sliding at all).

II. Light, Color, and Reflection: The science of reflective and insulating materials has developed dramatically during the past decade. In this area, families can conduct investigations of how light is reflected or absorbed by different materials.

Reflective Materials: Families can investigate reflectivity in clothing together, using a long horizontal box, 0.3 meter high by 0.3 meter wide by 2 meters long and painted black. Inside they will find a pair of eye holes on one end and a light source shining towards the other end. Working in teams, one visitor will place sample of various materials mounted on frames into a slot at the far end of the box. The other person will be able to evaluate the reflectivity by looking through the eye holes. Sample fabrics will range from a denim jacket (poor reflectivity) to the latest reflective running suits. These latter materials incorporate microscopic corner mirrors called microprisms and will be also available for observation at the microscope bench. Scanning electron microscope images will be mounted nearby to show the structure of this material and why it is visible from nearly any angle.

Light Sensitive Materials: Families will find a safe UV light source mounted in a housing and pointing down at the bench. Using a UV light meter with a readout, families will experiment with the transmission through various materials, including T-shirts, swim suits and special "tanning" swim suits.

Cool It!: Families will use a heat lamp and fast-acting thermometers to evaluate the insulating effect of various materials, including T-shirt fabric, synthetic fiber insulating materials, a fireman's protective coat, and a piece of the material used in a space suit.

Hot and Cool Colors: In this experiment, families will use samples of the same fabric in colors ranging from dark to light. Families will hold a thermometer or their hand below the cloth to measure or estimate how effective various colors are at reflecting heat. A heat source on a cord (properly shielded to prevent accidental burns) will allow families to experiment with the thermal properties of their own clothing.

III. Protective Clothing:

The technology and testing of materials are important ingredients in making protective clothing effective. Recent developments have resulted in "high-tech" running shoes, mountain parkas, and other specialized clothing that was not available even a few years ago.

Impact Testing: Sports equipment must be designed to be strong and durable as well as lightweight. Families will place framed samples of cloth, sports equipment, or a portion of a bicycle helmet in a slot at the base of a tall box. A falling weight device will provide a constant impact, and families will be able to compare the force transmitted through various materials. A hand-held charge coupled device (CCD) camera viewer will allow families to investigate cross-sections of the various materials and discuss their observations with others. (This exhibit has been prototyped by Dr. Susan Watkins, our consultant.)

Gloves: While gloves share a common purpose ­ to protect our hands ­ they are used for many different projects, such as space exploration, handling infectious diseases, underwater exploration, or to keep us from being cold. Families will be able to put their hands in different kinds of gloves and try to perform various tasks.

Insulation: Families will be able to explore air as insulation by viewing air pockets and measuring heat transfer with thermometers in various materials. A thermal view camera can tell how effective insulating clothing is as families view themselves through a monitor attached to an infrared thermal-view camera.

The Spring in Your Step: Using a series of 0.5 meter square platforms (15 cm high), that have surfaces of different types of sneakers or shoe soles, families could jump on the different surfaces and feel the difference. Samples of old and new running shoes will demonstrate the hardening of rubber soles that accompanies the loss of volatile solvents from most rubber products and why it is important to buy new running shoes every year, even if they are not worn out.

IV. Will it Fit or Stay On? Math and Engineering in Clothes. By measuring themselves and trying out fasteners, families will discover the role of mathematics and simple technology in clothing design.

Measuring Up: Families will use measuring tools such as tape measures and scales and clothing size charts to see where they fit in. After entering their data on a computer, families will be able to see graphic representations that compare their personal clothing and shoe sizes to others.

How Much Can You Move? Using a goniometer, families will be able to measure their body movements and learn about the need for mobility in clothing. This anthropometric device is used to help design special clothing such as space suits and hockey suits.

It's Fasten-ating: Using magnifying lenses, families will observe the various types of fasteners in common usage, such as the hook and eye, buttons, snaps, zippers, and Velcro. We will tell the story of how zippers were developed through accompanying graphics, and a large-scale working zipper will show how it operates. Whitcomb L. Judson, an African American who invented the zipper, will be highlighted.

Velcro vs. Snaps: Families will be able to see many variations of Velcro and snaps, and how the latching mechanisms work. Using prepared samples attached to blocks, families can hang weights off the snapped or Velcroed fabrics until they come apart. A nearby, low climbing structure (very well-padded below) will provide an opportunity for families to hang or cross by using Velcro-covered blocks with handles. Or families can wear a Velcro vest and attach themselves to a wall (like David Letterman does on his show)!