It’s almost the end of the first working week of the New Year, and I hope your year started great! Just in case you haven’t noticed, I have a Marc by Marc Jacobs New Year giveaway going on right now. :)
So I started the year by visiting the Science Centre! It’s been almost a year since my last visit; I’m glad I didn’t wait another decade to visit again. :P
When I first learnt of the Dinosaurs – Live! exhibition sometime last year, I knew I had to make time for it because Skye and I are both interested to learn more about dinosaurs. When we were kids, we pored over issues of Dinosaurs! and ate dinosaur-shaped gummies; now that we are considerably older, we are still fascinated by these ancient creatures that once walked our Earth. Dinosaurs – Live! features almost 50 life-sized animatronic dinosaurs nestled in their recreated habitats; naturally, we had to go!
I got us tickets! :) Dinosaurs – Live! is held at The Annexe. Each adult ticket is priced at SGD20 (or, if you’d also like to tour the Science Centre – you should! – there is a ticket package available for just SGD23).
Say hello to Rexy before you enter the exhibition! :)
I suggest you bring along a cardigan or jacket to this exhibition, because the air-conditioning is pretty powerful! Prepare yourself for darkness as you step in – the entire exhibition is shrouded in dim light, which creates a rather sinister atmosphere.
I was startled when I spotted the first exhibit – the Deinosuchus, a 15-metre long Crocodilian. It’s not a dinosaur, but it is ancient and extinct! Did you know that the Deinosuchus probably had a stronger bite than the Tyrannosaurus? Every exhibit moves and roars, and this one opens its mouth wide enough to swallow a kid. True to its name, which translates as “terrible crocodile”, the Deinosuchus is indeed terrifying.
Here’s the Spinosaurus, meaning “spine lizard”. Scientists thought that the tall spines on its back were either for show, or for regulating body temperature. Did you know that the high nostrils located near its eyes suggest aquatic or semi-aquatic behaviours, and that the Spinosaurus was probably more terrifying than the Giganotosaurus?
This is the lovely Maiasaura, meaning “caring mother lizard”. It is a plant-eating dinosaur, and was the first one to be found alongside its young, eggs and nests. :)
The Dilophosaurus (di for “two”, lophos “crest”, and saurus “lizard”) was named for its peculiar skull marked by two slim distinguishable crests.
Why, hello there! That’s baby Tyrannosaurus rex (popularly known as “T-Rex”) staring right at us. I’m sure no further introduction is necessary! :P
Accompanied by its parents on either side, the baby T-Rex appears every bit as ferocious as a full-fledged adult.
Despite having comically tiny arms, the roars of the T-Rex, coupled with its sheer height, are enough to intimidate you. I believe this to be Mama T-Rex, and you haven’t seen Papa yet!
I did this unintentionally while I was fiddling with my camera at the exhibition. 16 continuous shots of Papa T-Rex roaring. The T-Rex exhibit is probably my favourite. It kind of takes you by surprise – just as you reach the end of a section, the T-Rex family awaits in a veil of ominous red light.
As you tour the exhibition, don’t forget to look up! Besides those who once walked our Earth, there are also those who once roamed our skies. ;)
With its feathers, the Velociraptor actually reminded me of a chicken. Nevertheless, despite its fluffy exterior, you may want to watch out for its sharp teeth should you decide to reach out for a hug.
The Utahraptor, meaning “Utah’s predator” or “Utah thief”, certainly looks like the agile predator. Did you know that its sharp hind claws made it possible for the Utahraptor to prey on dinosaurs many times larger than itself?
Here comes the Triceratops! Known for its three horns, it was one of the first dinosaurs I learned about.
When I was a kid, almost all of the dinosaurs I drew resembled the Stegosaurus, with kite-like plates on their backs. Probably because it was very often featured in articles I read. Hehe!
What a large shadow! I swear I could almost hear a roar when I first laid eyes on this replica cast.
Great job with the dramatic lighting! It’s huge.
Triceratops again! Somehow still managing to look full of life… I guess Night At the Museum played a part. :)
I spent three hours touring the entire exhibition, and took hundreds of photos! I won’t be sharing all of the photos here with you, because I want you to experience the magnificence yourself! IMO, to preserve lighting effects, you should take all photos without flash.
Do download the Dinosaurs – Live! app from the App Store on your iPhone or iPad to view some really cool 3D effects on dinosaur images found on the event brochure and stickers, or you could experiment with the image here, as I did.
This is a screenshot of the 3D effect on an iPad2. It’s an angry T-Rex! Cool huh?
Dinosaurs – Live! runs until 26 February 2012 at The Annexe, Science Centre. For more details, visit here. Also, show them some love by clicking “Like” on their Facebook page!
Overall, it was a cool experience and I learnt so much. Go see the dinos and let me know what you think! Those of you who are planning to bring your kids along, check out the activity kiosks within the exhibition area, dino merchandise at the store near the ticketing counter, and the dino ride!
J
P.S. I wonder if they come to life at night? As in, for real?
Tags: 3D, Animatronics, App, Crocodilian, Deinosuchus, Dilophosaurus, Dinosaurs, Dinosaurs - Live!, Exhibitions, Facebook, iPad, iPhone, Maiasaura, Rexy, Science Centre Singapore, Spinosaurus, Stegosaurus, T-Rex, Triceratops, Tyrannosaurus, Utahraptor, Velociraptor, Weekend
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