Dhenkanal: Dhenkanal Science Centre, a unit of the National Council of Science Museums under the Ministry of Culture, has opened its mirror gallery.
Prof Hirendra Nath Ghosh, Director National Institute of Science Education and Research, Bhubaneswar graced the occasion as Chief Guest on April 15 in the august presence of Pramod Kumar Grover Director, Science City, Kolkata. M M Rout, District Science Officer, Dhenkanal Science Centre, Dhenkanal was also present.
School and college students of Dhenkanal along with visitors attended the event. While addressing them Prof Ghosh said, “Children who are studying in villages can make the difference. I am from a village myself, and we have a certain perseverance in us to reach our goals. I came here today to tell these students that they should take up science as a career. The world completely depends on how fast you develop as a scientific nation. This is a science centre, and the bottom line is that not everybody has to become a scientist. But when you learn to see things scientifically, your analytical power improves. That scientific thinking process can be used in any sphere of life, and that is what is most important.”
Pramod Grover motivated the students by saying, “You might be studying science, but if you don’t understand it, come here and interact with the gallery. The gallery will teach you on its own. Because when you’re having fun… you can keep reading laws, like the laws of reflection, but they don’t always make sense from a book. When you come here, you’ll understand the laws of reflection naturally, and it’s very interesting. Who doesn’t want to see themselves in a mirror? A mirror only shows the truth. So come and see the reality, learn from the exhibits, and take advantage of this.”
M M Rout talked about how this gallery simply explains of reflection turning fascinating play of images, illusions, symmetry, and infinite spaces. From microscopes, the mirror gallery shows how with logical arrangements of mirrors, it’s purely based on optics only, reflection, refraction, how a simple object’s image can be distorted, elongated, or shrunk, and make some fascinating patterns.”
In this Mirror Gallery, visitors can experience a range of exciting exhibits such as the mirror maze, ghost walk, elliptical illusion, vanishing images, dine with yourself, all eyes on me, infinity tunnel, corner mirror, fun mirrors, and floating in air.
Each exhibit showcases the fascinating play of light, reflection, and images in a fun and interactive manner.
The event concluded with the formal inauguration of the Mirror Gallery through a ribbon-cutting ceremony, following which the gallery was opened to visitors, and attendees toured the same.
