The Science Factory

Science Factory (Norwegian: Vitenfabrikken) is a museum and science center located at Sandnes, in Rogaland, Norway.[1]

For the children's museum in Eugene, Oregon, see Science Factory Children's Museum & Planetarium.
The Science Factory
Vitenfabrikken
The Science Factory in 2010
The Science Factory within Norway
Established22 May 2008
LocationSandnes, Rogaland, Norway
Coordinates58°51′5″N 5°43′51.8″E
TypeScience museum
Websitewww.jaermuseet.no/anlegga-vare/vitenfabrikken

Background

The Science Factory opened in May 2008. It is a science museum with exhibitions about mathematic, astronomy, chemistry, physics, art, and technology. The history of Sandnes also well as regional history also showcased in the museum. In June 2013 a new exhibition called 100% energy was opened. As a part of the exhibition, the Science Factory has their own Tesla Coil. In the weekends and summer there are shows and educational workshops. The Planetarium is located in the center of the Science Factory. The Science Factory also has a Foucault pendulum (named after Jean-Bernard-Leon Foucault) weighing 60kg and is 11,17 meters long. There is an observation terrace located on the fourth floor featuring two telescopes.[2]

The Science Factory is the largest department of the regional museum, Jaermuseet, which is headquartered in Nærbø. Jærmuseet is also responsible for running several other local museum facilities in various parts of the region of Jæren. Jærmuseet is the regional science museum for the municipalities of Randaberg, Sola, Sandnes, Gjesdal, Klepp, Time and Hå. Jaermuseet received the Museum of the Year 2009 award in Norway (Årets Museum 2009 i Norge) and also the Luigi Micheletti Award 2009 for best technological museum. [3][4][5] [6]

Exhibitions

Abel's Sketchbook

Abel's Sketchbook (Abels skissebok) is an interactive exhibition that shows the relationship between art, technology and science. The name is inspired by the famous mathematician Niels Henrik Abel, who was born at Finnøy in Ryfylke not far from Sandnes. The exhibitions is based on the art and industry in the regionof Jæren. [7][8]

Topics include:

Planetarium
Inside the Planetarium

In the middle of the building the planetarium looms above the café. It is a large dome-shaped projection screen where you can see the stars, planets and galaxies. In addition to the guided tours of the starry sky, several educational movies about different topics are shown. There are films in Norwegian and in English. There are 57 seats, and was when it opened (2008) as one out of five planetariums in the world using a combined Skymaster ZKP 4 optomechanical projector and Spacegate system from Carl Zeiss.[9] [10]

Other Exhibits
  • Krossen Havremølle is an exhibition that features oat processing and how important that has been to the region.[11]
  • "Øglænd in 150" is an exhibition over 2 floors which shows the history of the company Øglænd. One floor is dedicated to the production of clothing, the other of bicycles and motorbikes.
  • There are several new additions to the exhibitions, including the most recent one - a domino course and marble run.

Reviews

In 2012 National Geographic wrote this about the Science Factory: "The Science Factory: My favorite place by far, the Science Factory is in nearby Sandnes and serves as a high-tech playpen for kids of all ages. Stargaze in the planetarium..."[12]

References
  1. Vitenfabrikken (Region Stavanger)
  2. UMOE Planetariet - Jaermuseet (International Planetarium List)
  3. Luigi Micheletti Award 2009 Winner (Luigi Micheletti Award)
  4. Keep up with Jærmuseet (Jærmuseet)
  5. About Jærmuseet (Jaermuseet)
  6. Museum of the Jaeren Region (European Heritage Association)
  7. "Exhibition in the Science Factory". www.jaermuseet.no. Retrieved 2012-07-28.
  8. Abels Skissebok (Jærmuseet)
  9. SKYMASTER ZKP 4 og installasjonsliste, 2. mars 2010.
  10. Skymaster® ZKP 4 with LED Illumination (ZEISS Planetariums)
  11. Krossens havremølle (Jærmuseet) Archived 2015-06-29 at the Wayback Machine
  12. Evans, Andrew (May 22, 2012). "Stavanger for Kids". National Geographic Traveler. Retrieved July 27, 2012.
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