Not such good use of technology

MBA has a (fairly) new exhibit on exploring the deep sea called Mission to the Deep. There are 3 missions that you can choose from in the immersion theater. Each participant has a touch screen that allows one to put input or explore an aspect of the mission.

I don't know how many of you have seen it, but I found it rather flat. The room is very high-tech and flashy (see video below), but the interaction and quality of experience did almost nothing for me. For example, in one of the missions called "Investigate A Sunken Whale," you explore the carcass of a dead whale on the bottom of the ocean. This is mind bendingly cool thing (even if it sounds gross!) because these whale falls, as they are technically known, provide a unique habitat for a variety of animals, some of which are only found on dead whales. How these organisms find (recruit) dead whales is just one of the many questions that are presently being asked. However, the touch screen experience was simply clicking on and identifying these organisms...a pretty uninteresting activity in my mind.

I find comparison/contrast of exhibits fascinating, especially where technology is involved. MBA excels at live animal display but they are still learning the ropes on the technology end of things (although they hit home runs on some of their technology exhibits, like the Real Choice Cafe and Live From the Deep programs).


Mission To The Deep room.