Wednesday

                                                          Gratuitous Space Needle shot
FOCUSED:  Yesterday afternoon we had an appointment at the Pacific Science Center to visit the new exhibit in their "Studio" space, "Food Allergies: Game On."  We've been part of a focus/feedback group about the rotating exhibits in PSC's studio for well over a year now.

The current, exhibit features information and interactives about what causes food allergies and just how serious they can be. The first thing we spied in the exhibit was a flat screen featuring what looked like one of the question mark boxes in a Nintendo Super Mario game. We flocked to it like moths to a porch light. :)

One of the things we learned about at the exhibit is a group called Washington Feast, which works with and advocates for people of all ages with life-threatening food allergies. And we learned about a product called Viaskin(R), which is a small patch peanut allergy suffers wear which can help reduce their sensitivity to them. The product is currently in clinical trials, fast-tracked by the FDA. 

One intriguing sign in the studio noted that how and when children are introduced to foods might have a factor on food allergies. It noted that children living in Israel have less peanut sensitivity than Israeli children living in England. There is speculation that one reason might be because children living in Israel snack early and often on a snack called BAMBA, which is peanut- and corn-based.

In addition to visiting the studio and sharing our impressions of it with a PSC staffer, we checked out a couple of other spots at the science center. We spent a little time on the space near the Boeing IMAX theater, where there are some music-related exhibits. Annabelle tried playing an oversized guitar from the inside out.

CJ enjoyed experimenting with a theremin.

CJ tackled a (classic) logic puzzle about transporting a fox, a chicken, and a bag of corn across a stream without the fox eating the chicken or the chicken eating the corn. 

Once he figured out he could double back with things when need be, he got it quickly.

The kids each took a spin at creating an environmentally friendly power plant at a computer station. Annabelle constructed a hydroelectric plant, while CJ went for a nuclear reactor. Each had its pros and cons, they learned. Anyone can play at home via this Web site: PlanItGreenLive.com, an educational site created by National Geographic. On the site, people can make cities, manage their infrastructures and try to create a sustainable, nice place for people to live. Here's a trailer for the site: 

ANOTHER DAY, ANOTHER SHORE: It was a tad chilly today, but it wasn't raining, so we made sure to get some fresh air. Today's nature stroll: the waterfront in Mukilteo. 

There's such a pretty beach down at Lighthouse Park. The kids clambered on some playground equipment ... 

... but they spent way more time climbing on and around driftwood. (See the freight train in the background?)

We also checked out some signs, one of which pointed out the importance of protecting the "nearshore" area, not just the immediate waterfront area. 

We also stopped to appreciate a striking art installation. According to a Wikipedia article, the sculpture is by Tualip tribal carvers Joe Gobin and James Madison. The art helps indicate the significance of the present day park's site to tribes who inhabited the area for over 1,000 years, before being pushed out by European Americans in the mid-nineteenth century.