Outline of exhibition

See the Earth in a fresh, even more real way.
The Geo-Cosmos: Reborn after 11 years.

The Geo-Cosmos is a sphere that projects a realistic vision of Earth, expressed in a digital format. The Geo-Cosmos employs vibrant images of our planet that we inhabit, and also serves as a venue where you can come face to face with many challenges that currently exist on Earth. For example, diversity, a theme currently being debated worldwide. The Geo-Cosmos shows you that for all aspects of Earth, a variety of approaches and perspectives exist.
Listen to the new questions posed by the revamped Geo-Cosmos, whose viewpoints has shifted from space to Earth.
Location
1~5F (Discover your Earth)

Highlights and details 

Introduction

Our revamped cloud imagery showcasing the vibrant color changes of the seasons.

The cloud imagery
Data: University of Wisconsin SSEC, Geoscience & PlanetObserver.com

The cloud imagery has also been upgraded to now incorporate photo data supplied daily by weather satellites, creating an incredibly detailed experience of the Earth’s changing appearance. Plus, by dividing the Earth’s base map background images into multiple sections enables richer expressions of seasonal color changes, including polar ice and vegetation.


Digging the Future

This video takes us from the creation of the Earth to the present, telling us through rap music what humans leave behind on the geological history our planet. It is possible that the plastic and concrete that humans continue to produce will remain to form a geological layer in the Earth’s distant future. Designating this hypothetical manmade stratum as the Anthropocene epoch, scientists who study the history of our plant through rocks, scientists who do so through evolution, and artists collaborated to create this video.

Program schedule: 10:15 / 11:45 / 12:20* / 13:30 / 14:30 / 15:30 / 16:15* (Approx. 4 min.)
*: English version

* This video “Digging the Future” was produced with support from Aramco Asia Japan K.K., the Japanese subsidiary of the Saudi Arabian Oil Company (Armco), the Saudi Arabian national petroleum and natural gas company.

Science Supervisor: Motoyoshi Yoichi (Professor, National Institute of Polar Research), Sakura Osamu (Professor, The University of Tokyo / Team Leader, RIKEN)
Artist: Tamaki Roy / U-zhaan / Furuya Kurando


World Processor SOCIAL

World Processor powered by Geo-Cosmos - WP(x)GC, was created by Ingo Günther, a media artist and journalist originally from Germany. This is a project that illustrates humanity’s interaction with Earth. It presents distributions and movements in politics, economics, the environment, and social issues with themes such as “social” and “communication”. It is best viewed from the third floor.

Program schedule: 11:00 / 13:00 / 15:00 (Approx. 7 min.)


Into the Diverse World

Into the Diverse World
Image Tenchijin, Inc. / GK Tech Inc. / Akira Hayasaka
Music Snail’s House

This work draws on observation data supplied by artificial satellites, such as cycles of water, snow and ice, and surface temperatures, as well as statistical data concerning ethnic groups, languages, and other information. This allows you to sense firsthand the global environment you inhabit, in all its wonderful diversity.

*Due to data update, this program will be suspended for a while.

Data credit: Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule Zürich Weidmann, Nils B., Jan Ketil Rød, and Lars-Erik Cederman. 2010. "Representing Ethnic Groups in Space: A New Dataset". Journal of Peace Research 47(4): 491–99.

Program Schedule

time Program Showing
10:15 Digging the Future(Approx. 4 min.)
11:00 World Processor SOCIAL(Approx. 7 min.)
11:45 Digging the Future(Approx. 4 min.)
12:20 Digging the Future【English version】(Approx. 4 min.)
13:00 World Processor SOCIAL(Approx. 7 min.)
13:30 Digging the Future(Approx. 4 min.)
14:30 Digging the Future(Approx. 4 min.)
15:00 World Processor SOCIAL(Approx. 7 min.)
15:30 Digging the Future(Approx. 4 min.)
16:15 Digging the Future【English version】(Approx. 4 min.)
  • Programs are subject to change or cancellation. We ask for your understanding.

Movie

"Up Close with New Geo-Cosmos!"

For this maintenance, the 6-meter-diameter Geo-Cosmos was lowered from a height of about 12 meters to the ground, and the replacement of 10,362 panels and wiring work were all done by hand. This maintenance took about a total of six months. Plus, the usually unseen images of the inside of the Geo-Cosmos are included.

About the new Geo-Cosmos

The smooth panel layout remains, but the existing organic LEDs have been upgraded to 10,362 of the latest LED panels. This technology creates a fresh, more realistic vision of the Earth. The HDR (High Dynamic Range) panels and wider color gamut deliver richer, deeper color and light gradation, and the doubled framerate enables a much smoother impression of motion.

Permanent Exhibition | Discover your Earth