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SCIENCE, CULTURE, EXPERIMENT

Neon has lived the life of a legend. An inert unreactive gas, discovered in 1898 by British scientists William Ramsay and Morris Travers* when they observed a brilliant red glow in Geissler tubes. Travers wrote, "the blaze of crimson light from the tube told its own story and was a sight to dwell upon and never forget."

The noble gas went on to become an iconic symbol representing an entire era in history. What comes to mind when you think of Las Vegas? In the present world, the element is past it’s prime, lost in the brightness of cheaper LEDs. Yet, the Neon Sign, a work of art and craftsmanship, is a reminder of the story of science becoming a part of culture - it all starts with an experiment. 

We displayed a neon sign depicting the chemical symbols for Scandium, Copper and Xenon which also represent Science, Culture and Experiment to remind people that the story of science is becoming a part of culture - it all starts with an experiment.

*Incidentally Ramsay advised the Indian Government in 1902 on the setting up of a scientific institute in India, whose founding director was Morris Travers - the Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru.