i4 Initiative
The Connecticut Science Center and the Connecticut State University System (CSUS) have partnered to bring science applications developed by university faculty at Central, Eastern, Southern and Western Connecticut State Universities to Connecticut Science Center visitors through this web page, Gallery Science programs, podcasts and more.
The “i4 Initiative” showcases science research and applications underway at the four universities, and highlights career paths for young people pursuing scientific fields. Initial applications to be featured include geology, genetics, navigation and technological simulations. Below are the four major applications that are highlighted at the Connecticut Science Center.
Connecticut State University System News Release: Jul 16, 2010.
Simulating the Human Body: Health
Today sophisticated, computer-controlled machines can simulate the human body’s responses and create experiences close to human patients. Simulation is creating an experience as close to real-life as possible. Nursing utilizes simulation through state-of-the-art mannequins with body functions similar to those of humans.
Explore this section.
The Dynamic Earth: Geology
This storyline is actually two interconnected research projects, Art Rocks! and Earthquakes and Faulting in Connecticut. Each provides a basic understanding of geology, promotes an understanding of erosion, and explains how scientists examine historical data to interpret land changes.
Science Center visitors will get an overview of Connecticut’s unique geology and examine historical data to assess weathering, erosion, plate tectonics and the human-influenced changes on the land.
Explore this section.
Finding Our Way: Navigation and Remote Sensing
Throughout human civilization people have navigated the landscape using local knowledge with the help of specific tools.
Current research on sea turtles and their seasonal, annual, and lifetime migration routes highlights the application of modern navigation and telemetry.
These movements can reveal things about their behavior. Learn how sea turtles are tagged with satellite transmitters to monitor post nesting migration and how telemetry assists in understanding turtle behavior and ecology.
Results contribute to modeling changing global weather patterns in the ocean and the conservation of marine biodiversity.
Explore this section.
Life’s Common Thread: Genetics
This program provides a basic understanding of genetics, techniques for analyzing DNA, and research applications that illustrate how genetics is used to understand health and in tracking ancestry.
This storyline is actually two interconnected research projects, Mutant Mice and Discovering Genetic Relationships.
Visitors to the Science Center will have the opportunity to analyze DNA and explore research applications that illustrate how genetics are being used to understand health and physical traits in both animals and humans.
Explore this section.