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This isn't anything new. I went to a video game exhibit a few years ago at the Ontario Science Centre in Toronto. The exhibit was called Game On 2.0 It was a history of video games, and had over 500 playable games. Ranging from Pong to Call of Duty. It was a lot of fun if you still don't have the system as all the games were on the real consoles and controllers, not emulation. Some of the PC games were emulated via Dosbox (Doom, Dune 2, Commander Keen etc,) understandably.

I've been to a handful of science museums both here in North America and in Europe. I've rarely been as impressed as I have with my home Toronto's own Ontario Science Centre. Forget what people say about it being great mostly for kids. It's great for everyone, not everything is targeted at the younger ones. There's a significant amount of hands-on exhibits, active and animated ones, in quite a variety. I highly recommend it.

The Royal Tyrell Museum in Drumheller, Alberta is awesome if you are interested in paleontology. If travelling by car from the U.S., a route that also stops at Dinosaur Provincial Park is worthwhile. For a more balanced style of natural history museum (everything from bats to dinosaurs to insects), check out the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto. There's also the Ontario Science Centre, which is very cool too, especially for kids and, shall we say, adults that still think like kids.

Oh yeah. And if traveling to Alberta from the U.S., a stop in Bozeman, Montana yields both the Museum of the Rockies and the American Computer Museum.
 

Normally I would agree wholeheartedly that the Ontario Science Centre is a great destination for anyone. A Canadarm that actually flew on a shuttle is in the main lobby hanging from the ceiling, they have a moon rock on loan from Nasa, a Mars rock that I believe is part of their own collection and generally a very cool Space room with a brand-new planetarium projector.

I had the unfortunate experience of visiting the Ontario Science Centre a few weeks ago. Unfortunate because the long-beloved "Communications" room has been revamped into the "Truth" exhibit. Apparently they'll even rent it out to you.

A quick view of the link is all you need to see that this isn't something that even remotely belongs in a "Science" centre of any variety. So, as long as you stay out of that room you'll probably have a great time and an educational visit. They've currently got a traveling exhibit on Squamates which is very impressive. I was lucky enough to be there when it was time to feed the 4m Python!

Normally I would agree wholeheartedly that the Ontario Science Centre is a great destination for anyone. A Canadarm that actually flew on a shuttle is in the main lobby hanging from the ceiling, they have a moon rock on loan from Nasa, a Mars rock that I believe is part of their own collection and generally a very cool Space room with a brand-new planetarium projector.

I had the unfortunate experience of visiting the Ontario Science Centre a few weeks ago. Unfortunate because the long-beloved "Communications" room has been revamped into the "Truth" exhibit. Apparently they'll even rent it out to you.

A quick view of the link is all you need to see that this isn't something that even remotely belongs in a "Science" centre of any variety. So, as long as you stay out of that room you'll probably have a great time and an educational visit. They've currently got a traveling exhibit on Squamates which is very impressive. I was lucky enough to be there when it was time to feed the 4m Python!

They even have a nice virtual tour: http://www.ontariosciencecentre.ca/tour/default.asp

They even have a nice virtual tour: http://www.ontariosciencecentre.ca/tour/default.asp

Ontatio: The ROM (Royal Ontatrio Museum) -Toronto http://www.rom.on.ca/
The Science Center -Toronto http://www.ontariosciencecentre.ca/

Science North -Sudbury http://www2.sciencenorth.ca/

Alberta has The Royal Tyrell Museum of Palentolgy (which may still have day trips in to the bad lands to active dig sites where you get to help). http://www.tyrrellmuseum.com/

Yes Body Worlds is amazing! I think Body Worlds will be in Toronto's Ontario Science Centre starting October 9.

Here's a map.

The Ontario Science Centre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada is really wicked. It also has new exhibits all the time. However, the Centre tends to have more of a kids focus, although they do have really cool exhibits on that are very adult-oriented like Dr. Gunther von Hagens' Body Worlds exhibition happening this season.

http://www.ontariosciencecentre.ca/

There are lots of real science museums. These are just the ones I've been to, but they're probably all around.

Ontario Science Centre
Chicago science museum
Boston science museum
Ann Arbor Hands on museum

Sorry to be picky, but royal straight flushes come in four suits do they not?

You're right - I was thinking of a Royal Straight Flush in hearts, which I way back learned was the highest hand possible. The number of alien civilizations just went up fourfold! :^)

Speaking of which, who's to say that life has to develop differently elsewhere than it did for us?

Life has developed differently many times. Right here on Earth. For an interesting example, see the Movile Caves of Romania, where life seems to have been isolated for 500 million years.

This is not, of course, any proof that the cyanide-breathing aliens in my example could exist. Just a reminder that life can adapt to very different environments.

Some suggestions have already been posted but what science museum is worth taking a trip to a city just to see?

I grew up in Toronto and the Ontario Science Center was a favourite haunt.

Sadly I now live in Vancouver with only the pathetic Science World and the ungodfully overpriced Space Museuem.

Damnit. Does it mean I'm a supertaster?
I do envy all the other people who like Broccoli. I can't stand it.. I'm not sure if it's because it's bitter, but I just can't enjoy eating it in any way.

I also frequently complain that the lettuce is bitter, but if I use only the inner leaves I usually have no problems.. and I like peas, parsley and cucumbers. I don't have problems with most types of sugary foods.. although I don't like excess sugar.

So.. the only way to find whether I'm a supertaster or not is to soak my tongue in blue food coloring? I wish there was some other way. I guess I'm an above-average-taster, but not a supertaster.

Make sure that they've signed the personal injury waver first, of course...

Hmm pity, they don't have this demo on their web page Ontario Science Centre only a block away from me.

There are no shortage of precedents for Eames "Powers of 10" which was made in 1977.

The earliest is the other poster's mention of the Dutch teacher Kees Boeke's book from the 50's.

Every time I went to the Ontario Science Center starting when it opened in 1969 my favourite exhibition was a powers of 10 film that started at a man sleeping in a park beside an airport (plane on the right) and zoomed out to the universe then stopped and did an accelerated zoom back down (vertigo anyone?) until it reached the man and then did the slow zoom down to the "unimaginably dense nucleus of a a carbon atom".

Maybe I can answer some of your questions...

can any local residents recommend some geeky places for us to visit?

The three main things that I can think of are

Playdium - a big arcade. There used to be one in downtown Toronto, but it doesn't seem to be listed on their web page. Either way, the Mississagua one isn't too hard to get to if you have a car.

Canada's Wonderland - a theme park. Good for a day's worth of entertainment.

You also might be interested in the Ontario Science Centre

Also, how is the night life there? clubs, chicks, beer?

All great! I usually check out toronto.com for that stuff. It's a decent website.

Are there gonna be any lan parties?

Maybe. I don't know. I've reserved a residence for participants who want to stay on campus and it does have ethernet, but I still have to talk to the computing people to arrange for the connectivity to be activiated. So while I can't make any promises, it's pretty likely you'll be able to arrange something.

Drop me a line if you want to know anything else about the venue.