The Tech Museum of Innovation 3 2016-05-14

The Tech Interactive (formerly The Tech Museum of Innovation, commonly known as The Tech) is a science and technology center that offers hands-on activities, labs, design challenges and other

STEAM Steam is water vapor, often mixed with air or an aerosol of liquid water droplets. This may occur due to evaporation or due to boiling, where heat is applied until water reaches the enthalpy of vaporization. Saturated or superheated steam is inv ...

education resources. It is located in downtown

San Jose, California San Jose, officially the City of San José ( ; ), is a cultural, commercial, and political center within Silicon Valley and the San Francisco Bay Area. With a city population of 997,368 and a metropolitan area population of 1.95 million, it is ...

, adjacent to the

Plaza de César Chávez The Plaza de César Chávez is an urban plaza and park in Downtown San Jose, California. The plaza's origins date to 1797 as the ''plaza mayor'' of the Alta California, Spanish ''Pueblo de San José de Guadalupe'', making it the oldest public sp ...

Description

The building has a distinctive

mango A mango is an edible stone fruit produced by the tropical tree '' Mangifera indica''. It originated from the region between northwestern Myanmar, Bangladesh, and northeastern India. ''M. indica'' has been cultivated in South and Southeast As ...

and azure color, and has three floors. On the lower level there is a complex multi-story sculpture titled ''Origin'', inside a cylindrical tower. The artwork portrays relationships among art, technology, and natural resources of the earth. Near the entrance to the building, there is ''Science on a Roll'', a popular

rolling ball sculpture A rolling ball sculpture (sometimes referred to as a marble run, ball run, gravitram, ''kugelbahn'' (German: 'ball track'), or rolling ball machine) is a form of kinetic art – an art form that contains moving pieces – that specifica ...

George Rhoads George Rhoads (January 27, 1926 – July 9, 2021) was a contemporary American painting, painter, sculpture, sculptor and origami master. He was best known for his whimsical Rolling ball sculpture, audiokinetic sculptures in airports, science muse ...

. The front wall is inscribed with quotations from iconic

Silicon Valley Silicon Valley is a region in Northern California that is a global center for high technology and innovation. Located in the southern part of the San Francisco Bay Area, it corresponds roughly to the geographical area of the Santa Clara Valley ...

entrepreneurs

Bill Hewlett William Redington Hewlett ( ; May 20, 1913 – January 12, 2001) was an American engineer and the co-founder, with David Packard, of the Hewlett-Packard, Hewlett-Packard Company (HP). Early life and education Hewlett was born in Ann Arbor, Mic ...

David Packard David Packard ( ; September 7, 1912 – March 26, 1996) was an American electrical engineer and co-founder, with Bill Hewlett, of Hewlett-Packard (1939), serving as president (1947–64), CEO (1964–68), and chairman of the board (1964–68 ...

, Bob Noyce, and

Gordon Moore Gordon Earle Moore (January 3, 1929 – March 24, 2023) was an American businessman, engineer, and the co-founder and emeritus chairman of Intel Corporation. He proposed Moore's law which makes the observation that the number of transistors i ...

. The building was designed by Mexican architect

Ricardo Legorreta Ricardo Legorreta Vilchis (May 7, 1931 – December 30, 2011) was a Mexican architect. He was a prolific designer of private houses, public buildings and master plans in Mexico, the United States and some other countries. He was awarded the pres ...

. The

IMAX IMAX is a proprietary system of High-definition video, high-resolution cameras, film formats, film projectors, and movie theater, theaters known for having very large screens with a tall aspect ratio (image), aspect ratio (approximately ei ...

Dome Theater, opened in 1998 and upgraded since then, shows mainstream movies as well as educational films. It is Northern California's only domed IMAX theater and has the first dome laser projector in the world, seating up to 280 people. The Tech is a registered

501(c)(3) organization A 501(c)(3) organization is a United States corporation, Trust (business), trust, unincorporated association or other type of organization exempt from federal income tax under section 501(c)(3) of Title 26 of the United States Code. It is one of ...

History

Planning began in 1978 by members of the

Junior League The Association of Junior Leagues International, Inc. (Junior League or JL) is a private, nonprofit educational women's volunteer organization aimed at improving communities and the social, cultural, and political fabric of civil society. With ...

of Palo Alto, with later assistance by the San Jose Junior League. The City of San Jose promised funding for a Technology Center of Silicon Valley in the 1980s, but progress was slow. The first temporary exhibit opened in 1990; The Garage, named in homage to the

HP Garage The HP Garage is a private museum where the company Hewlett-Packard (HP) was founded. It is located at 367 Addison Avenue in Palo Alto, California. It is considered to be the "Birthplace of Silicon Valley". In the 1930s, Stanford University and ...

, was housed in San Jose's former convention center. On October 31, 1998, a brand-new facility was inaugurated, named The Tech Museum of Innovation. In May 2019, the organization was renamed as The Tech Interactive and announced a partnership with

Discovery Education Discovery, Inc. was an American multinational mass media factual television conglomerate based in New York City. Established in 1982, the company operated a group of factual and lifestyle television brands, such as the namesake Discovery Chan ...

. In 2018, an expansion of Tech Interactive by was proposed, as part of a major high-rise office development in Park Habitat. During the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...

, The Tech Interactive temporarily closed for in-person visits in March, 2020, and published online

STEM Stem or STEM most commonly refers to: * Plant stem, a structural axis of a vascular plant * Stem group * Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics Stem or STEM can also refer to: Language and writing * Word stem, part of a word respon ...

resources through "The Tech Interactive at Home", in English, and "The Tech Interactive en Casa", in Spanish.

Programs

The Tech for Global Good

The Tech for Global Good is a program aimed at inspiring young people to become problem-solvers who make the world a better place. It evolved from The Tech Awards, a yearly ceremony known as the Oscars of Silicon Valley in which individuals and organizations were recognized for their technological contributions to improving the human condition. In 2016, The Tech announced it was expanding The Tech Awards program from a once-a-year event to a year-round program with educational materials and exhibits. Since then, Tech for Global Good has focused every year on a different theme, such as health care or data. It honors organizations under that theme as its laureates for the year, focusing on their problem-solving abilities in lesson plans, videos and other materials for students.

The Tech Challenge

The Tech Challenge is a design challenge competition for students Grades 4–12. Since its inception in 1988, more than 25,000 students have participated in the program, in which teams of students use the engineering design process to solve a real-world problem. In past years, participants have been asked to design and build a hovercraft; a structure to withstand an earthquake; and a device to deliver water, among other challenges. One of the program's key goals is to engage students underrepresented in STEM fields.

The Tech Academies

The Tech Academies program, launched in 2014, provides in-depth professional development for educators to help them integrate high-quality STEM curriculum in their classrooms in Silicon Valley. The two-year Tech Academies Fellowship program, through The Tech and

San José State University San José State University (San Jose State or SJSU) is a public research university in San Jose, California. Established in 1857, SJSU is the oldest public university on the West Coast and the founding campus of the California State Universit ...

’s College of Science, trains educators in STEM instruction, with a focus on engineering and computer science. In 2020, the Tech Academies program received the EdCom award for Innovation in Museum Education from the

American Alliance of Museums The American Alliance of Museums (AAM), formerly the American Association of Museums, is a non-profit association whose goal is to bring museums together. Founded in 1906, the organization advocates for museums and provides "museum professionals w ...

, and in 2019 it won the Excellence in Museum Education award from the California Association of Museums and the office of the state superintendent of education.

School programs

The Tech offers in-person and virtual field trips to school groups from September to June each year. The Tech offers field trip scholarships to underserved schools.

Exhibits

Lower level

* Social Robots: Using sensors, controllers, and actuators, this exhibit allows visitors to design and build robots. * Body Motion: Sensors in this exhibit allow visitors to see how their movement and interactions affect their physical, social, and emotional health. * Space Exploration: This exhibit showcases innovations in space, including a maneuverable Jet Pack chair. * Solve for Earth: This exhibit opened in 2021 and teaches guests about living sustainably and how their actions impact the environment, highlighting the work of scientists and emerging technologies to battle the climate crisis. * Cyber Detectives: Presented by Palo Alto Networks, this interactive exhibit opened on June 3, 2015 and teaches visitors cyber security through “training modules” and a cybersecurity mission. * The Tech Studio: An open-to-the-public workshop space where visitors participate in maker-style activities.

Upper level

* Body Worlds Decoded: Opened on October 15, 2017, this permanent exhibition in partnership with

Body Worlds ''Body Worlds'' (German title: ''Körperwelten'') is a traveling exposition of dissected human bodies, animals, and other anatomical structures of the body that have been preserved through the process of plastination. Gunther von Hagens develo ...

and sponsored by

venture capitalist Venture capital (VC) is a form of private equity financing provided by firms or funds to startup, early-stage, and emerging companies, that have been deemed to have high growth potential or that have demonstrated high growth in terms of number ...

John Doerr L. John Doerr (born June 29, 1951) is an American investor and venture capitalist at Kleiner Perkins in Menlo Park, California. In February 2009, Doerr was appointed a member of the President's Economic Recovery Advisory Board to provide the ...

and his wife Ann, features plastinated human anatomical specimens, supplemented by

augmented reality Augmented reality (AR), also known as mixed reality (MR), is a technology that overlays real-time 3D computer graphics, 3D-rendered computer graphics onto a portion of the real world through a display, such as a handheld device or head-mounted ...

created in partnership with the

Institute for the Future The Institute for the Future (IFTF) is a Palo Alto, California, US–based not-for-profit think tank. It was established, in 1968, as a spin-off from the RAND Corporation to help organizations plan for the long-term future, a subject known as ...

and a
Anatomage
virtual dissection table. * The Tech for Global Good: Opened in 2017, this exhibit features stories of innovators who have used technology to create solutions to pressing global problems, such as vaccine delivery, homelessness, and wildlife poaching. It is a part of the Tech for Global Good program. * Reboot Reality: Opened on May 26, 2017, visitors to this space can experience various types of immersive media. * Innovations in Healthcare: Presented by El Camino Hospital, this exhibit opened in 2016 and showcases the innovation process as seen in advances in health care technology. * Biodesign Studio: Opened in 2016, this exhibit allows visitors an exploration of the fields of

synthetic biology Synthetic biology (SynBio) is a multidisciplinary field of science that focuses on living systems and organisms. It applies engineering principles to develop new biological parts, devices, and systems or to redesign existing systems found in nat ...

bioengineering Biological engineering or bioengineering is the application of principles of biology and the tools of engineering to create usable, tangible, economically viable products. Biological engineering employs knowledge and expertise from a number ...

, biological design, and DIY biology.

Past exhibits

1998 – Grand Opening, five galleries: Innovation: Silicon Valley and Beyond, Life Tech: The Human Machine, Exploration: New Frontiers, Communications: Global Connections, and Center of the Edge (for shorter-term exhibits) 2002 – Imagination Playground exhibits: You Cannot Catch Me, Fuzzy Spot, PlayPath Dots, Bend The Rule, Glow Stones (Nami Orbs), Spy Houses, Maracas, Light Beads, Elusive Dots, Bug Puppet 2004 – Genetics: Technology with a Twist exhibits: A letter to policymaker, GeneKid Phone, Counselor Phone, Incubator, Gene Array Simulator, Wet Lab Counters 2004 – Silicon Workshop exhibits: Hardwired Chip, Potato Head exhibit 2005 – NetPlanet (a.k.a. Internet 2004) exhibits: Crazy Connection, Internet Globe exhibit, Whack A Spam, Arm Wrestling, TrendPlay 2005 – Calpine (repurposed later into Green by Design) exhibit: Calpine bike-generator 2006 – Green by Design exhibits: SuperCap Cars exhibit, Energy Tower, Regenerative Braking, Sage Glass, Smart Window, Solar Collector, Solar Hybrid Lighting 2007 – Idea House 2008 – The Tech Virtual Test Zone (Art Film and Music) exhibits: WikiSonic, Avatar Mirror, Connecting Point, Mashup Easel, MIDI VJ, Musical Chair, Tilty Table 2009 – Tech Awards Gallery (a.k.a. UcanTu) exhibits: Life-Line Radio, Bare Foot College, Tree of Hope, Adaptive Lens, Cell Bazaar, Canopy, MorSand Filter 2010 – Silicon Valley Innovation Gallery Phase I exhibits: Transistors, Speed of Processor, Intel Microchip, and sponsored exhibits from

Nvidia Nvidia Corporation ( ) is an American multinational corporation and technology company headquartered in Santa Clara, California, and incorporated in Delaware. Founded in 1993 by Jensen Huang (president and CEO), Chris Malachowsky, and Curti ...

Google Google LLC (, ) is an American multinational corporation and technology company focusing on online advertising, search engine technology, cloud computing, computer software, quantum computing, e-commerce, consumer electronics, and artificial ...

, and

Adobe Adobe (from arabic: الطوب Attub ; ) is a building material made from earth and organic materials. is Spanish for mudbrick. In some English-speaking regions of Spanish heritage, such as the Southwestern United States, the term is use ...

2011 – The Tech Test Zone exhibits: Digital Foam, PIXEL, Sound Circles, GigaPixel Viewer, Mmmtsss 2012 – Silicon Valley Innovation Gallery Phase II exhibits: ReFace, Social Circles, Reactable 2014 – REBOOT: Music exhibit: Tim Thompson's ''Space Palette'' 2014 – Body Metrics In the past, The Tech rented out Parkside Hall from the City of San José to host

traveling exhibits Travel is the movement of people between distant geographical locations. Travel can be done by foot, bicycle, automobile, train, boat, bus, airplane, ship or other means, with or without luggage, and can be one way or round trip. Travel can ...

. In 2007, this hall was the home to the exhibit known as '' Body Worlds 2'', which brought in more than 280,000 guests. In winter of 2008, there was a special

Leonardo da Vinci Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci (15 April 1452 - 2 May 1519) was an Italian polymath of the High Renaissance who was active as a painter, draughtsman, engineer, scientist, theorist, sculptor, and architect. While his fame initially rested o ...

exhibit (called ''Leonardo: 500 Years into the Future'') that displayed some of his inventions, discoveries, and artwork; it ended January 25, 2009, after a three-week extension. The Tech also hosted '' Star Wars: Where Science Meets Imagination'' from October 19, 2013, to March 23, 2014.

References

External links

Website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Tech Interactive, The Museums in San Jose, California Children's museums in California Computer museums in California Science museums in California Science and technology in the San Francisco Bay Area Tourist attractions in Silicon Valley Museums established in 1990 1990 establishments in California Association of Science-Technology Centers member institutions Charities based in California Domes 1990s architecture in the United States Postmodern architecture in California Ricardo Legorreta buildings 501(c)(3) organizations