Building’s Not Ready, but (Virtual) Visitors Welcome

Is the interior of Antarctica drier than the Sahara desert?

Do some fish really have antifreeze proteins in their blood?

Is a polar bear’s fur white or clear?

Find out in the Fun Stuff section of Discovery Science Center’s just-opened Web site, https://www.go2dsc.org.

The center itself isn’t scheduled to open until October. But with a little bit of computer smarts, children--even adults--already can take a virtual field trip to preview some of the center’s more than 100 interactive exhibits. They also can amuse themselves with “fun frozen facts” about polar regions and science experiments.

When the doors open, the exhibits will let visitors walk through a tornado, create sand dunes, even make clouds.

Construction is underway to turn a former furniture store on Santa Ana’s Main Street into a 59,000-square-foot science center with exhibits, a computer room, a demonstration theater, science store and 3-D laser theater. The goal is to make science, math and technology fun.

But why wait? The center already is serving up science fun via the Internet.

Web site visitors can learn to make a rocket out of a plastic film canister and get the answers to commonly asked questions about the center such as “What’s the difference between a science center and a museum?” The answer: Here, visitors can touch things.

Designed for children in kindergarten through 12th grade as well as adults, the Web site includes descriptions and photos of some of the exhibits such as the bed of nails, on which visitors will be able to lie (and it won’t even hurt), and practical stuff including maps, directions, hours, admission prices and information about the center and its programs.

An interactive educational game about the planets will be installed soon, and Web site users can find links to “other cool sites,” said Derek van den Bosch, of the center’s marketing department. They include a White House tour led by Socks the cat, Cartoonet and book reviews by children for children.

Educators can use the Web site to sign up for sneak-peek hard-hat tours to preview the center before it opens.

The site will be upgraded every few months with new science experiments, activities and information.