This temporary exhibit features a collection of over 40 mechanical sculptures, called automata, which are intricately designed and full of humor. Their humor is brought to life by tiny cranks, pulleys and gears that allow the sculptures to move and take action. Twenty can be operated by museum visitors who will find it hard to resist bringing the creations to life at the touch of a button. Upon first glance, the automata are curious objects with a playful demeanor, but when the gears and pulleys move into action, the simple yet remarkable mechanics are revealed.

Minotaur Mazes, Rainforest Adventure
February 7th through May 19th, 2010

Grab your pith helmet and head to the Miami Science Museum for a tropical rainforest journey.

Swing like a Spider monkey! Discover a rodent that weighs over a hundred pounds and a beetle that can carry over 850 times its own weight! Rainforest Adventure is a fully interactive maze environment where visitors explore one of the least known habitats on earth,

Chock full of the sights and sounds of a tropical rainforest, the journey begins in the highest treetops surrounded by migratory birds and radiant sunlight. In an effort to reach the forest floor, visitors answer questions about the rainforest. Incorrect answers lead to dead-ends while correct answers lead them deeper into the four layers of the rainforest: emergent, canopy, understory and forest floor.

Created by Minotaur Mazes, Rainforest Adventure offers visitors an interactive experience that empowers visitors to make a difference after they learn how essential rainforests are to human health and survival, and that by caring for the rainforest they are caring for the planet.

Megalodon: The Largest Shark That Ever Lived!

At 60 feet long, Megalodon was the largest shark that ever lived and a dominant marine predator. Sharks are at risk today, with recent population declines attributed to humans. Though Megalodon vanished 2 million years ago, its fascinating story inspires lessons for science and shark conservation. This new national traveling exhibition, "Megalodon: Largest Shark that Ever Lived," which opens in February at Miami Science Museum, features a 60-foot-long walk-through sculpture and highlights the evolution, biology and misconceptions regarding giant prehistoric sharks.

Website http://www.miamisci.org/