QUOTE
A team of graduate students at the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan in Mitaka, Tokyo, and staff from science museums across the country have developed a toilet roll featuring text and illustrations explaining the life of a star, in the hope the paper will stimulate the public's interest in astronomy.
Astronomical Toilet Paper (ATP) repeats text and illustrations of the evolution, life and death of a star every 70 centimeters along the paper.
The 160-member team was founded in 2003, including graduate students, teachers and observatory and museum staff. The team was concerned about the recent closure of many planetariums, so they started holding seminars on astronomy around the country in an effort to stimulate public interest in the science.
The toilet roll idea was conceived by Masaaki Hiramatsu, a graduate student of Tokyo University, as a way of introducing astronomy to more people.
"Since everyone uses toilet paper every day, we hope ATP will catch the attention of those who currently have little interest in astronomy," Hiramatsu said.
In November 2004, 100 ATP rolls were produced on trial and given out to 20 planetariums. After receiving favorable responses, the team decided to produce the rolls on commercial basis.
Since February 2005, the ATP rolls have been sold at 10 planetariums and science museums, including the National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation in Koto Ward, Tokyo. More than 13,000 rolls have been sold in a year, exceeding the initial sales target.
Hiramatsu and the other team members, however, have taken steps to make the toilet rolls more widely available, saying the rolls should be pitched to people with little interest in astronomy and who seldom visit planetariums.
One of the ATP project members works at the Mitaka Network University--opened in October under the joint control of the Mitaka city office and academic institutions in and around the city. Earlier this month, the university persuaded Mitaka Town Management Organization to stock the ATP rolls at outlets in the city to help promote the city's astronomical observatory as a must-see tourist site.
On each roll of the toilet paper, text and illustrations on the life of a star is divided into six periods, including those of a protostar, a main-sequence star with a planetary system and red giant star. Snippets of information on the paper include the fact that the sun is predicted to grow into a red giant star in 5 billion years.
"In your toilet we'd like you to feel the vastness of the universe and realize that men and the Earth exist as part of the universe," Hiramatsu said.
The astronomical toilet paper is on sale at 250 yen per roll at the Mitaka Sangyo Plaza and Poki Shop Kaze no Eki, both in Mitaka, as well as other museums and shops.
Astronomical Toilet Paper (ATP) repeats text and illustrations of the evolution, life and death of a star every 70 centimeters along the paper.
The 160-member team was founded in 2003, including graduate students, teachers and observatory and museum staff. The team was concerned about the recent closure of many planetariums, so they started holding seminars on astronomy around the country in an effort to stimulate public interest in the science.
The toilet roll idea was conceived by Masaaki Hiramatsu, a graduate student of Tokyo University, as a way of introducing astronomy to more people.
"Since everyone uses toilet paper every day, we hope ATP will catch the attention of those who currently have little interest in astronomy," Hiramatsu said.
In November 2004, 100 ATP rolls were produced on trial and given out to 20 planetariums. After receiving favorable responses, the team decided to produce the rolls on commercial basis.
Since February 2005, the ATP rolls have been sold at 10 planetariums and science museums, including the National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation in Koto Ward, Tokyo. More than 13,000 rolls have been sold in a year, exceeding the initial sales target.
Hiramatsu and the other team members, however, have taken steps to make the toilet rolls more widely available, saying the rolls should be pitched to people with little interest in astronomy and who seldom visit planetariums.
One of the ATP project members works at the Mitaka Network University--opened in October under the joint control of the Mitaka city office and academic institutions in and around the city. Earlier this month, the university persuaded Mitaka Town Management Organization to stock the ATP rolls at outlets in the city to help promote the city's astronomical observatory as a must-see tourist site.
On each roll of the toilet paper, text and illustrations on the life of a star is divided into six periods, including those of a protostar, a main-sequence star with a planetary system and red giant star. Snippets of information on the paper include the fact that the sun is predicted to grow into a red giant star in 5 billion years.
"In your toilet we'd like you to feel the vastness of the universe and realize that men and the Earth exist as part of the universe," Hiramatsu said.
The astronomical toilet paper is on sale at 250 yen per roll at the Mitaka Sangyo Plaza and Poki Shop Kaze no Eki, both in Mitaka, as well as other museums and shops.
oh no! now nerds will never get out from their seat!
america has playboy toilet paper i think X'D
