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Techmania Science Center

2005 establishments in the Czech RepublicAssociation of Science-Technology Centers member institutionsScience centersUniversity of West BohemiaŠkoda
Techmania Plzeň
Techmania Plzeň

Techmania Science Center is one of the first science centers in the Czech Republic and an important institution of informal education. The project was established in 2005 by the Škoda Transportation joint-stock company and the University of West Bohemia in Pilsen. The intention has been to build up a modern, interactive center (often known as a science center) in the industrial estate of the Škoda company. The mission of Techmania is to help the public, especially young people, to get more familiar with science, technology and with the development of human knowledge in general. Another goal is to point out the unanswered questions for which the next generation, the young visitors of the science center, will find answers. The science center opened its gates to the public on November 4, 2008. Since then over 300 000 visitors have experienced science and engineering in an interactive environment of learning in the science center, which is based on explanations of particular physical or mathematical principles by means of game-like activities. The interactivity involves visitors making the exhibits move, so the natural principle will be demonstrated by the particular process. In these cases, learning is based on personal experience. Between 2008 and 2013 the center offered following main exhibitions: The Edutorium, which composes of 60 physics-based exhibits and there are categories for optics, mechanic, electricity, magnetism, acoustics. This part of Techmania is mostly used by school teachers to explain physical phenomenon (over 30% of Techmania's visitors is made up by (high) school groups). There's the Rub! is a collection of Brain-teasers and scientific toys. The exhibition ŠKODA tells the story of the Škoda company and shows, for example, world unique locomotives, a trolleybus or a steam engine from the year 1909, which is used to demonstrate steam power.Between September 2010 and March 2012 the controversial artwork Entropa was displayed at Techmania.The science center was closed down on September 2, 2013 because of its total renovation. The first 3D planetarium in the Czech Republic is going to be opened as a part of the “new” Techmania on November 4, 2013. The main hall of the science center will be re-opened in March 2014 showing new interactive exhibitions dealing for example with renewable sources of energy, physics, human body, water world etc. An integral part of Techmania's activities are the “scientific shows” which demonstrate, for example, static electricity (Van de Graaff generator), Bernoulli's principle, Non-Newtonian fluid and many other phenomena as well as lectures on special topics.

Excerpt from the Wikipedia article Techmania Science Center (License: CC BY-SA 3.0, Authors, Images).

Techmania Science Center
Emila Škody, Pilsen Plzeň

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Wikipedia: Techmania Science CenterContinue reading on Wikipedia

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N 49.7409 ° E 13.3615 °
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Techmania Science Center (Techmania;Techmánie;Techmanie;Techmánia)

Emila Škody
301 00 Pilsen, Plzeň
Southwest, Czechia
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techmania.cz

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Techmania Plzeň
Techmania Plzeň
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Náměstí Republiky, Plzeň
Náměstí Republiky, Plzeň

The Square of the Republic (in Czech Naměstí republiky) forms the historical centre of Plzeň, Czech Republic. With a size of 552 by 627 feet (168 m × 191 m) it is one of the largest medieval squares in the Czech lands. Plzeň as a town appears at the end of the 13th century, the square existing since then. Around the oblong square regular blocks of houses delimitated by a rectangular network of streets were built. Archaeologists have identified wooden pavement from the 13th century and another three layers of pavement from the 14th century. The square was cobblestoned in 1859. The stones were replaced by asphalt cover in the 20th century; this replaced again with cobblestones during 2005-2007 reconstruction. In the beginning of the 16th century the water supply became critical. A water tower with a mechanical pump was erected, the water being stored in a leaden reservoir and fed through wooden pipes to public fountains at the main square. A graveyard had existed on the square since the town was established until 1789, when Emperor Joseph II ordered to close such graveyards. The buildings in the square are of predominantly build in Gothic and Renaissance styles. In the courtyards east side remains of the medieval walls are still preserved. The best preserved part of the square is its southern part. Many buildings contain two or three levels of cellars used to preserve food, for wells or as cesspools.The most important historical landmarks are Church of St. Bartholomew (1295, since 1993 a cathedral), the city hall (the building serves as city hall since 1496) and St. Mary's plague column from 1681 by the Plzeň sculptor Kristian Widman, all in the northern part of the square.