Exhibition: More re COSI Lost Egypt

At the end of the COSI Columbus exhibit "Lost Egypt: Ancient Secrets, Modern Science," children might chatter about a 2,200-year-old human mummy or a tiny animal mummy.

Kate Storm, director of experience development, hopes to see their interest in science piqued.

"Research shows that girls, in particular, tend to stop being interested in science about middle school," said Storm, the leader of the team that produced "Lost Egypt."

"One reason is, they view it as not being social. We really want to show it's like solving a huge puzzle."

The exhibit sheds light on careers involved in scientific research -- from archaeologists and anthropologists to zoologists.

The fruits of their labors, she said, are displayed in the show, which emphasizes laborers and artisans -- the common people who built the Pyramids.

"Lost Egypt," to run Saturday through Sept. 7, was produced by COSI and built by the Science Museum of Minnesota. COSI needed about five years to assemble the project.

Upon the opening of the 6,000-square-foot exhibit, visitors will experience several main areas: a mock field site that shows how scientists use aerial cameras and satellite imaging to pinpoint dig areas; a section with ancient Egyptian cultural artifacts, including the human mummy and other funereal objects; and a laboratory with X-ray and CT-scan machines, and rapid prototypes (three-dimensional physical models created from computer software) of ancient Egyptians.