The exhibit, which contains something of interest for all age groups, highlights current scientific research on the aging process in the fields of biology, physiology, psychology and sociology.

Some of the questions addressed in Secrets of Aging include: What happens to our bodies as we age? What changes do our minds go through? How does society view aging? How long can we actually live? The exhibit information and interactive activities are organized around four main theme areas: Body, Mind, Society and Longevity.

These themes answer questions about the aging process and seek to educate us about choices, which bring results that we can see or feel. Three interactive programs - "Face Aging," "T'ai Chi," and "Journey with Me" - will be used to relate to each of the four themes.

• "Face Aging", an interactive feature, will enable young visitors ages 6 to 12 to be able to look into the future and see what their face may look like in the coming decades.
• "T'ai Chi" is an interactive feature that will enable visitors to experience this gentle martial art which consists of 108 slow motion movements to ensure effective circulation and energy.
• "Journey with Me", the third interactive program, is a multimedia presentation using video, dance, and creative expression to tell individual's personal stories of growing up and growing older.

The figures will not only be encountered at the beginning of the exhibit, but also at other points within the exhibit. These figures will serve as exhibit guides, familiar faces that the visitor will meet more than once.

Section 1: Body - What happens to Our Bodies as We Age?
This area of the exhibit explores the physical changes that happen throughout our lives, focusing on major organs like the heart. Alongside these activities are exhibits that demonstrate ways we can all improve our chances of aging successfully through exercise, proper diet and informed lifestyle choices.

In one hands-on exhibit, visitors will discover how scientists determine age in different species of plants and animals by handling turtle shells and reproductions of human teeth of different ages. Visitors will also examine growth rings on a slice of tree trunk.

At any point in viewing the exhibit, visitors will be able to relax in the resource room and delve into exploring the secrets of aging at their own pace. The resource room includes a reading area with magazine articles and books on aging, plus a computer for surfing aging-related websites. There is also a secluded video area, a storytelling place with children's books and storytellers.

A bulletin board will also be available to visitors, and will feature late-breaking news items. Another bulletin board will invite visitors to leave their stories, reactions to the exhibit, ideas and pictures for future visitors.

IMAX FILM "THE HUMAN BODY" TO COMPLEMENT EXHIBIT
In concert with the exhibit, the California Science Center IMAX will be showing "The Human Body." The film, which opens on October 14, explores the complexities of the human body by investigating, in great detail, the myriad functions the body performs routinely. Viewers will see the human body portrayed in ways never seen before - from the progression and culmination of a pregnancy to thermal imagery and x-ray techniques.