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Alice through the Looking Glass
Now showing, to 30 October 2007

Is seeing really believing?

Baffle your brains with exciting illusions in Explore's special exhibition Alice through the Looking Glass. Explore the worlds of perception and illusion with the characters from Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass as you learn more about your amazing brain!

With themed areas containing over sixty hands-on exhibits, there are plenty of mind-bending illusions to try!

Your journey begins as you experience exactly how Alice felt as she entered the rabbit-hole and found herself falling downwards. Watch as the pictures and pots which Alice saw flash in front of you as you speed past - but are you actually falling?

Find something intriguing behind every door in the hall of doors, which seem to go on forever - but appearances can be deceiving! Experience what it's like to shrink down to size as you gaze up on the huge glass table and as you move around its mirrored legs discover how you would look stretched or squashed.

Next, make your way into the loveliest garden and play a round of silly croquet with Alice and the Queen of Hearts. Experiment with force and momentum as you send the ball through a crazy croquet course - and with the 'magic' of the ellipse - sink a hole-in-one!

Alice through the Looking Glass

Take up the invitation to join the Mad Hatter's Tea Party where you'll meet the dormouse and the March Hare. Create a mad tea party using cups, saucers and your imaginations and get the chance to freeze a falling drop of liquid in time!

Enter the looking glass house and find out what happens when a magical dressing table makes everyday noises much, much louder or what sounds would look like if you could see them in the mirror. You will also meet the intriguing grin without a cat and at fifty times smaller, see life from the perspective of a mouse. Finally, you will be presented with the amazing world of illusions and how they affect our senses and the tricks our brains use to understand the world!

Supporting activities and shows will be running alongside the exhibition - click here for further details.

Free with a ticket to Explore.

Developed with Professor Richard Gregory from University of Bristol and Beau Lotto of UCL.

Click here to see a video of the exhibition!
 

Alice Through the Looking Glass curriculum links and downloadable classroom resources
Key Stage 1 and 2 classroom resources, including pre- and post-visit materials, are available to download in
PDF format here.
Teacher notes and Curriculum links
Activity: Mirror writing
Activity: Hole in the hand
Activity: Mini flick
Activity: Thaumatrope

Best links:
Your amazing brain www.youramazingbrain.org.uk
Explore home page www.at-bristol.org.uk/explore/default.htm
Membership www.at-bristol.org.uk/About/membership.htm