My Eyes Will Never Be the Same After the Color in a New Light Exhibit
I’ve always been fascinated with the idea of color. I often find myself wondering if we see shades differently. That I could see green, and you could call it green yourself, but the actual shade of green that you see would be something that I would call blue. I’ve also been fascinated with color blindness and how animals see different colors and the way it all works. The color episode on Brain Games forever changed me, especially when I learned that leaves actually reflect green because they don’t absorb it.
When I found out the Fleet Science Center in San Diego’s Balboa Park was launching a Color in a New Light exhibit, I knew I had to go and see what it was all about. The science center itself is one of the 18 museums in the park, and one I had not had the privilege of going to and experiencing for myself yet.
Not only am I glad I got to check out the museum itself, I’m stoked my first experience got to be with this exhibit.
What is the Color in a New Light Exhibit?
The Color in a New Light exhibit is an immersive and hands-on experience that peels back layers on all of the secrets involving light and color, some of which you may never have even noticed you didn’t know. Sections of the exhibit are designed to capture your senses and spark your curiosity as it explores everything from darkness to light and the rainbow of colors that exist in between.
When it came to creating the exhibit, creator Paul Siboroski says, “We were inspired by our excitement to celebrate our 50th anniversary by offering a truly unique and fun experience for our visitors and all our communities. We wanted to create a space where people can pause and reflect a little bit about something we may not think about very much but plays a huge part in how we explore and understand the world around us.”
As to putting it together, he says, “We are very collaborative when we put together a new exhibit. Not only do we work as a team internally, but we also reach out and get help from our communities who have expertise in a particular topic. We started work on this project months ago brainstorming what this exhibit could be. There is so very much about light and color to explore, that it was hard to decide what to include. Now that it is open, I hope that everyone who sees Color in a New Light has at least one ‘A-Ha!’ moment where they learn something interesting they didn’t know before.”
So What Do You Learn in the Exhibit?
Personally, I learned a lot, but a fun fact (or not so fun, depending on who you ask) I learned is that mosquitos see in infrared. The infrared exhibit itself is really great, and you can watch different levels of hot and cold turn different colors in the room you’re in. I brought in a hot coffee when I was there, and you could see the cup empty out as I drank it. There’s also a section with metal emblems that you cool off, then place your palm on them and when you hold it up, you can see the imprint on your palm through the infrared lens.
I also really enjoyed how the exhibit was set up. It starts in darkness, in the absence of light, so you can understand the lack of light before you can start to figure out what it means to bring light into the mix at all.
After the “How Dark is Dark?” section, you move into the “Light We Can’t See'“ part, where the infrared and the ultraviolet lights send your eyes all sorts of mixed signals. The blacklight section with the ultraviolet is really fun to explore, and there’s a pendulum you can play with to create your own glow-in-the-dark artwork.
Following that, you move into the “Light We Can See” section, which is full of mirrors, tricks of the eye, and a really freaking epic kaleidoscope that was just one of the coolest things I’ve ever seen. I was able to fully immerse myself into it, alongside my boyfriend, and we still had space to move around and explore.
Finishing out the exhibit is the “Colors” section, which is full of colored lights, motioned-sensory reactions, and arguably the coolest room in the house, the monochromatic room. This room is lit to resemble a streetlamp, and everything on the walls looks black and white. There’s a game in the room that asks if you can sort the different shaded balls in the bins into their correct color schemes. There’s a flashlight that will show you how right or wrong you are, and your eyes and brain will both be so confused by the results.
How Long Can I Go to the Color in a New Light Exhibit?
The exhibit is open to the public through May 2024, so be sure to get your tickets and explore the museum for yourself.
Be sure to connect with the staff while you’re there and ask any questions you may have. They’re all incredibly knowledgeable and friendly and put a lot of thought and effort into the exhibits they have.
Thanks again to the Fleet Science Center for letting us explore this exhibit! Can’t wait to go back and have my mind blown all over again.
