Lakeview Museum
January 28 - May 20, 2012
Be the Dinosaur™: Life in the Cretaceous uses simulations to make it possible for each visitor to live the life of a T. rex or Triceratops. The most up-to-date findings are presented through text panels and displays.
The digital dinosaurs in this exhibit are lifelike reconstructions that move about within their digital realm. Their digital skeletons and muscles obey the laws of physics and the limitations of matter. Each one fits into its ecosystem in a specific way that cannot be altered. Plants grow and have nutritional value; the dinosaurs digest food to survive and burn virtual calories as they expend energy. They even give off digital “odors” that other virtual creatures can detect.
To prepare for a trip into this exciting virtual world, visitors must “dig” through the other exhibit components to unlock the secrets of how dinosaurs survived and thrived, and then apply that information to move with them through their natural environment. It’s an opportunity to experience life as a dinosaur — searching for food, nurturing young, moving with a herd and interacting with other species.