Mid-America to get Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibit 'Life in One Cubic Foot'

The following is a news release by Mid-America Science Museum on Tuesday.

Biocube

Mid-America Science Museum announced the temporary exhibition “Life in One Cubic Foot” today. The exhibition follows the research of Smithsonian scientists and photographer David Liittschwager as they discover what a cubic foot of land or water — a biocube — reveals about the diversity of life on the planet.

“Life in One Cubic Foot” will be on view Sept. 25 through Jan. 2, 2022. The exhibition is organized by the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service in collaboration with the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History.

The exhibit is sponsored by Red Oak Ridge and Weyerhaeuser. The education partner is Hot Springs National Park.  

A biocube — the tool at the heart of the exhibition — is a 1-by-1-by-1-foot framed cube that organisms from the surrounding environment can enter and pass through. Biocubes featured in the exhibition were placed in environments across the globe to learn what forms of life, both known and unknown, could be found in the cube during a 24-hour period. In addition to exploring life through the exhibition, visitors are also invited to participate in citizen science and uncover the biodiversity in their backyard by creating and monitoring their own biocube.

“Life in One Cubic Foot” explores life from exotic environments, like the coral reefs of French Polynesia and the alien mid-water ocean off the coast of California to the more familiar locales, like New York City’s Central Park. Hundreds of different organisms ranging in size from the head of a pin to the full size of the biocube are featured in the exhibition through collages of photographs, models, interactive elements and exhibition videos.

Among the visitor experiences featured in the exhibit:

• Look closely at the teeming life found in biocubes

• Stare into the dozens of eyes of a Paraphronima midwater creature

• Follow the steps to plan your own biocube survey

• Hunt for camouflaged animals

• Spin a cube to find animals, shells, and leaves

• Solve a biocube puzzle

• Speed up or slow down the action in a biocube video

For more information, visit www.midamericamuseum.org or call 501-767-3461. The museum is located at 500 Mid America Boulevard in Hot Springs. Admission is $10 for those over 12; $8 for 12 and under, seniors, teachers, active or retired military. Museum hours are Tues.-Sat., 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sun., 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. The exhibit is included as part of the admission fee.

COVID-19 update: The Museum follows CDC guidelines and strongly encourages guests to wear masks and social distance from other groups.  Hand sanitizing stations are available throughout the Museum.