Science museum takes live science shows into the crowd from October

The National Science Museum will launch a roving live science show in October, sending staff into the galleries to perform experiments wherever visitors happen to be, the science ministry said Wednesday.

Unlike the museum's existing programs, which are held in fixed classrooms, the new "Science Busking" format uses a mobile experiment cart built by the museum to stage impromptu demonstrations on the spot. The shows are two-way: the experiments and their direction change according to visitors' questions and reactions, so audience members can ask about a phenomenon and watch the experiment switch or its result confirmed immediately.

The performances will run every Friday and Sunday at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. starting in October, beginning around the Science Tunnel and later moving flexibly to other spaces inside the museum depending on visitor traffic, weather and conditions on the day. The program centers on hands-on experience, with visitors invited to take part and work through scientific principles themselves.

"Interest in science begins with small curiosity and questions," said Lee Eun-young, director of the National Science Museum. "I hope Science Busking becomes a chance for visitors and science to grow closer, and we will keep creating various opportunities for anyone to experience science easily and enjoyably."

Based on how the program runs and how visitors respond, the museum plans to develop the content into a structured curriculum and distribute it to science museums nationwide to widen its use.