Traveling Exhibition

* Lending terminated

About the Traveling Exhibition, "Beyond Fibers"

Fibers generally present an image of being composed of threads and fabrics such as they have been from ancient times. However, utilizing its characteristics of flexibility and strength, fibers have been actively used in the field of cutting-edge science and technology, which is far from their typical use as articles of clothing. Advanced fibers are used in such diverse fields as medical science, space development, recycling-based products, and sports. The traveling exhibition, "Beyond Fibers," starts with an exhibition of items which usually are not commonly apparent, such as sportswear used by Olympic athletes, and metal molds made of synthetic fiber. We see that fibers are highly advanced technology. Fiber's impressive contribution to the most advanced technological innovations will be introduced from various perspectives, with hands-on exhibits and experiment demonstrations.

The initial exhibition was held in conjunction with The Society of Fiber Science and Technology, Japan as a co-host with Miraikan in summer 2004. There were various related world-class events such as the successful landing of the Mars Exploration Rover and the Athens Olympics. However, it is a little known fact that advanced fibers greatly contributed to those events.
In this 2006 exhibition, the cutting edge of fiber research will be introduced. Featured will be such innovations as fibers which develop colors without using dye, a concept developed from the structure of the scales of the Morpho butterfly; and devices which create nano-sized fibers and examples of the fibers which have supported the abovementioned scientific and technological advances for events that took place in 2004. During the production of this traveling exhibition, we strived to include the most up-to-date information on topics such as the 2004 Cool Biz* and Warm Biz* initiatives, which have been attracting international attention. Furthermore, we will add late breaking information by utilizing the researchers from corporations and universities who jointly planned "Beyond Fibers".

*Cool Biz/Warm Biz
This is the slogan for the campaign for the prevention of global warming encouraged by the Ministry of the Environment of Japan.
Warm Biz
This is the name for a stylish business fashion which is warm and comfortable and reduces dependence on heating systems for indoor comfort in cold weather. This Ministry of the Environment of Japan initiative seeks to have people work comfortably in their workplaces with the heating set at 20 degrees during the winter to reduce energy consumption and thus, the amount of greenhouse gases.
Cool Biz
This is the name for a different yet stylish business fashion which is conversely cool and comfortable and does not depend so much on an air conditioning system for comfort in hot weather. This is also a Ministry of the Environment of Japan initiative that seeks to have people work comfortably in their workplaces at a temperature of 28 degrees Celsius during the summer to again reduce energy consumption and thus decrease the greenhouse effect.

【Miraikan co-hosting with The Society of Fiber Science and Technology, Japan 】

Miraikan and the Society of Fiber Science and Technology, Japan jointly planned "Beyond Fibers." This exhibition was actualized with the cooperative assistance of researchers who are usually thought of as competitors active on the front lines of universities and fiber-related corporations, to convey more knowledge about fibers to the general public.

【Appealing point: Have fun with science that is challenging to understand. 】

The contents of this traveling exhibition "Beyond Fibers" can be enjoyed among people of all ages and interests through a gallery of sectional photographs of fibers, a video section, an experiment set including samples, books and documentation providing basic knowledge on fibers, a quiz rally where you can get to answer to questions on fibers by checking out various kinds of fibers regular exhibits and hands-on exhibits.

Reference

Special site for the event held at Miraikan

http://www.miraikan.jst.go.jp/sp/fiber/

Quiz board	Hands on exhibit	Cross section photo gallery
Learn about fibers and touch samples of different kinds of fibers with quiz.	Touch and experience fibers and other related artifacts.	Rare hotographs of cross section of fibers.

Availability

Only English and Japanese bilingual version is ready for traveling. The traveling package with full local language is not ready yet. Please contact for the possible dates for acceptance for the exhibition.

Space requirement

Mimimum exhibit space: 150m2
Ceiling　height: 3.0 meters

Tours

Reference Relative Website

The Society of Fiber Science and Technology, Japan
http://www.fiber.or.jp/index-e.html

Special site for "Beyond Fibers" held in 2004
http://www.miraikan.jst.go.jp/sp/fiber/

For further information, please contact:
The National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation
Mr. Makoto Imai, Ms. Akiko Watanabe
International Development Group
Secretariat division
TEL: +81-3-3570-9161
FAX: +81-3-3570-9150
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