Science ministry announces Gungnip Jungang Gwahangwan holiday programs

The science ministry said that Gungnip Jungang Gwahangwan will run special-exhibition programs from Aug. 13 to 16 during the Liberation Day holiday, pairing a meditation talk with a humanoid-robot exhibition-guide program.

The exhibition runs from July 14 to Oct. 18 and explores the nature of thought through science, art and the humanities, from brain science to artificial intelligence.

Kim Wan-doo, head of Hanguk Gwahak Gisulwon (KAIST)'s Meditation Science Research Institute, will lead a talk and meditation session at 2 p.m. on Aug. 13 in Narae Hall. The program will examine attitudes toward thought in modern society and invite visitors to observe their own thoughts through meditation. It is free for high-school students and older, with advance reservations and any remaining seats offered on a first-come, first-served basis at the museum.

From Aug. 14 to 16, a humanoid robot will act as an exhibition guide in a program developed with IL Robotics. The robot will explain exhibits on brain waves, the Pensive Bodhisattva and The Thinker, as well as robots and brain-computer interface technology, and discuss the exhibition's theme with visitors. The free, 20-minute sessions are available to sixth-grade students and older and limited to 15 participants. Only advance bookings through the museum's integrated reservation website are accepted.

"The linked programs let visitors directly expand on the exhibition question of what thought is through lectures and hands-on experiences," Lee Eun-young, the museum's director, said.