Museum of Science, Boston

Press Release [Return to listing page]

January 22, 2010

—Visitors explore what makes them unique with Identity: An Exhibition of You—

BOSTON—This February, the Museum of Science invites visitors to experience Identity: An Exhibition of You, a new temporary exhibit that explores the physical, psychological, and social elements in human life. Developed and produced by the Franklin Institute, Identity features a series of hands-on activities that demonstrate new, science-based insights into the ways people think about their personal identities and how people differ from one another. Presented by Harvard Pilgrim Health Care and open Sunday, February 7 through Sunday, May 2, 2010, Identity: An Exhibition of You is included with regular Exhibit Halls admission.

"Identity allows each of us to connect with our individuality and explore what makes us different and special," said Bruce Bullen, Harvard Pilgrim Health Care's Interim President and CEO. "It is our hope that the exhibit will enable visitors to gain a better understanding of themselves, which will then help them make better choices to live a better life."

Identity challenges visitors to examine and often make choices about their physical, psychological, and social identities and explore exhibits that transform their personal qualities into interactive experiences.

Highlights of Identity include:

>Physical Identity- "Why Do I Look Like I Do?"

Visitors can explore their physical identities by examining and comparing fingerprints and DNA, and taking facial photographs to determine their own facial symmetry. They'll also see a potential future version of their own faces, by taking a photograph of their face and applying effects such as UV exposure, smoking, and eating habits to learn how everyday choices can influence facial appearance.

>Psychological Identity- "Why Do I Think Like I Do?"

Identity allows visitors to engage in various activities that reveal psychological identities. Guests can determine if they are an introvert or extrovert by viewing images on a computer and rating their reaction to the images. They'll also discover if they are a traditionalist or innovator depending on their reaction to various smells. In an open-ended art piece, visitors can "hear" their personality by setting sliders to different positions based on five personality spectrums and listening to the song played according to the settings.

>Social Identity- "How Do Others Affect Who I Am?"

Museumgoers may also evaluate aspects of their social identities, discovering through a video guessing game how and why people act differently around different people. Visitors can take a "rapid implicit association test" on a computer to probe for and show how people form gender biases. They'll also take their own photographs and morph themselves into the opposite gender or various races.

The Identity exhibit creates an entertaining and interactive family experience that incorporates the latest scientific research to examine genetic, cognitive, and social sciences and investigate individual personalities

Identity: An Exhibition of You will be presented at the Museum of Science Sunday, February 7 through Sunday, May 2, 2010. Identity is included in regular exhibit halls admission: $20 for adults, $18 for seniors (60+), and $17 for children (3-11). For more information, the public can call 617/723-2500, (TTY) 617/589-0417, or visit mos.org.

About the Museum of Science:

The Museum takes a hands-on approach to science, engineering and technology, attracting about 1.5 million visitors a year via its programs and 700 interactive exhibits. Founded in 1830, the Museum was first to embrace all the sciences under one roof. Highlights include the Thomson Theater of Electricity, Charles Hayden Planetarium, Mugar Omni Theater, Gordon Current Science & Technology Center, 3-D Digital Cinema and Butterfly Garden. The Museum is the first science and technology center to be approved as a member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA). Reaching 25,000 teens a year worldwide via the Intel Computer Clubhouse Network, the Museum also leads a multi-museum, $20 million National Science Foundation-funded nanotechnology education initiative. The Museum's "Science Is an Activity" exhibit plan has been awarded many NSF grants and influenced science centers worldwide. Its National Center for Technological Literacy® aims to enhance knowledge of engineering and technology for people of all ages and inspire the next generation of engineers, inventors, and scientists. The Museum is ranked #3 by Parents Magazine in its list of the country's "Ten Best Science Centers." For more information visit mos.org.

About Harvard Pilgrim Health Care:

Harvard Pilgrim Health Care is a not-for-profit health plan that provides a variety of health benefits plan options and self-funding arrangements to more than one million members in Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Maine. Harvard Pilgrim provides innovative approaches to health improvement and disease management, unique online tools that speed and simplify key transactions for employers and providers, and personalized health support at www.harvardpilgrim.org.

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