This museum actually "moved" a real tropical rain forest here!

The Cosmobox Science Museum in Barcelona opened to the public in 2004. It is known as "one of the best, most technologically advanced and most authentic science museums in Europe" (Figure 1). The museum has the characteristics of a natural museum that collects fossils and presents tropical rainforests to tell historical stories, and also has the characteristics of a science center that explores scientific principles. It can be said that in today's era of increasingly detailed disciplinary research, the Cosmobox Science Museum boldly attempts to weaken the boundaries between disciplines and "truly" presents the science behind the ever-changing Earth biosphere.

Figure 1. Exterior of the Barcelona CosmoBox Science Museum

Unlike other museums, the CosmoBox Museum is built on the Tibidabo Mountain. From the outside, it only has one floor, but once you go in, you will find that there are five floors underground. The first floor is the visitor reception center, and the fifth floor underground is the cafe, planetarium, biological education activity area, conference room and classroom from top to bottom. Except for the biological education activity area and the classroom, which are relatively separate areas, the other parts of the fifth floor underground are connected, forming the main exhibition hall of the museum, including a 3,500 square meter theme exhibition area and a 1,000 square meter Amazon rainforest greenhouse.

Objects tell stories about nature

When you enter the Science and Technology Museum, the first thing that catches your eye is the huge tree root hanging in the building (Figure 2). Starting from this tree root specimen symbolizing the "Tree of Life", you will enter the main exhibition hall by walking down the spiral ramp. The main exhibition hall is very large and has four themes: the inanimate exhibition area, the life exhibition area, the wisdom exhibition area, and the human civilization exhibition area. The word "real" is reflected everywhere here. The inanimate exhibition area displays various rocks that really exist in nature, which record the appearance of the earth before life appeared.

The Life Zone displays the Earth's life materials, including seeds, conchs and other fossils that represent biodiversity. In the Wisdom Zone, visitors can see the physical changes from the first generation of mobile phones to the latest models, and see how inventions such as motorcycles and robotic arms have changed the way people live. The Human Civilization Zone highlights the inextricable connection between human civilization and nature. When multiple shells are arranged in a wavy shape and displayed side by side with a metal chain, it is not difficult to see that many of human design concepts come from nature. These real objects are proof of the magical power of nature, and also reflect the wisdom of human beings in studying nature and conducting creative activities.

Figure 2. Tree root display in public space within the building

Show the most authentic rainforest ecosystem

The tropical rainforest exhibition area is perhaps the most authentic and vivid part of the Universe Box Science and Technology Museum (Figure 3). This 1,000-square-meter tropical rainforest greenhouse was transplanted to the Science and Technology Museum in an area selected from a suitable area in the Amazon rainforest by the museum's builders who traveled to Brazil many years ago. As an independent exhibition area, it shows the public the most authentic tropical rainforest ecosystem. Because not only the trees of the entire rainforest, but also the various animals that originally lived on this land have been moved here. Through the glass, the audience can see all kinds of animals and plants. The branches of the trees are tall and sturdy, and the huge roots are rooted in the water; various fish swim leisurely in the water; birds and beasts flicker between the branches. The exhibition area will start artificial rainfall from time to time based on environmental monitoring data. When bursts of rain hit the trees and water surface of the rainforest, frogs croak and fish jump, and the scene is extremely shocking.

Figure 3. Tropical rainforest exhibition area

Visitors can also take advantage of the precious experience opportunity and follow the exhibition hall staff along a path into the rainforest to watch its vitality. The entire interior space is full of humidity and heat, with birds living above, insects and snakes in the middle, mammals and turtles below, and various fish in the water, which is overwhelming. Although this is only a corner of the rainforest, with the blessing of technology, the audience can experience the harmonious coexistence and continuous reproduction of the real tropical rainforest in Barcelona, ​​far away from the Amazon jungle, which brings a wonderful sense of immersion.

The most important feature of the Barcelona Cosmobox is its authenticity. Real objects and phenomena tell the survival stories of many lives and arouse the public's interest. Every day, tourists from all over the world visit the museum, learning about and respecting nature from real fossils, real specimens, and real rainforests, and feeling the mutual influence of technology, nature, and humans.

(Author: Huo Feifei is a lecturer at the China Science and Technology Museum Office)

(All pictures in this article are from the author)