Interactive Race Car Exhibit Comes to Mayborn Museum

Follow us on Twitter: @BaylorUMedia
Media contact: Terry Goodrich, (254) 710-3321
WACO, Texas (May 25, 2017) – Do you think you have what it takes to be a Formula One driver? The Mayborn Museum Complex’s newest exhibit, “SPEED: Science in Motion,” allows visitors of all ages to test their reflexes and experience the exhilarating world of professional race car driving.
The exhibition offers 17 different experiences, including a race simulator with three screens, a pedal car game where visitors can compete to be the first to cross a virtual finish line, and a pit stop area for attempting a 10-second tire change.
Jess Outten, visitor services manager of the Mayborn Museum, said the facility searches for hands-on exhibits like this one to give visitors an immersive experience.
“We want to make sure that they get to experience the exhibit, not just see it,” Outten said.
“SPEED: Science in Motion” was developed by Scitech, an award-winning Australian nonprofit that aims to increase interest in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
Each component of the exhibit offers a new lesson in the physics behind professional racing. Visitors can learn about inertia at an air-hockey style “collision table” and see the concepts of potential and kinetic energy in action as they send balls down different tracks.
In addition to explaining the physics behind a race car, the exhibit also highlights the physical effects of racing on a driver. The fitness testing area of the exhibit can monitor a person’s heart rate in stressful situations. Visitors can play several games designed to test the reflexes and situational awareness they would need to race at 125 miles per hour.
“We are excited to be hosting such a dynamic exhibit that brings together the thrill of Formula One racing with science and engineering,” said Charles Walter, director of Baylor University’s Mayborn Museum Complex.
“SPEED: Science in Motion” will be open to the public from May 27 to Sept. 3. Admission is $8 for adults, $7 for seniors, $6 for children under 12 years old and free to Baylor University students.
The Mayborn Museum Complex is located at 1300 S. University Parks Dr. For more information about the exhibit, contact the Mayborn Museum Complex at (254) 710-1104 or visit www.baylor.edu/mayborn/.
by Kassidy Woytek , student newswriter, (254) 710-6805

ABOUT BAYLOR UNIVERSITY
Baylor University is a private Christian University and a nationally ranked research institution. The University provides a vibrant campus community for more than 16,000 students by blending interdisciplinary research with an international reputation for educational excellence and a faculty commitment to teaching and scholarship. Chartered in 1845 by the Republic of Texas through the efforts of Baptist pioneers, Baylor is the oldest continually operating University in Texas. Located in Waco, Baylor welcomes students from all 50 states and more than 80 countries to study a broad range of degrees among its 12 nationally recognized academic divisions.

ABOUT MAYBORN MUSEUM COMPLEX
Located on the Baylor University campus, the Mayborn Museum Complex features a natural science and cultural history museum focusing on Central Texas with walk-in dioramas, including one on the Waco Mammoth Site, and exploration stations for geology, paleontology, archaeology and natural history. In addition, two floors of hands-on discovery rooms encourage learning for all ages. Visit the museum online at www.baylor.edu/mayborn.