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| This is not what the Hall of Life looks like. This is what it feels like. |
When the day started, I didn't really want to go to the museum, because it was early, and I hadn't slept well, and I just kinda wanted to stay at home. But, I went anyways, because I'm like that. I don't remember much of the ride, or signing in, or the first hour of work, really. It was a slow day, and there were only like three families in the entire health exhibit. I do remember that one little boy asked me if the Perplexus was the museum. Presumably, he had just exited the topsy-turvy animal rooms. I informed him that it was not the museum.
Visitations didn't pick up until a group of kids with matching shirts came in. Well, I say "kids," but they were about my age. They were part of some sorta summer school thing, and they had a packet to fill out. It was through their questions, and my lack of answers, that I ascertained an important truth: even after ten years, I still didn't know all of the stuff in Expedition Health. Now, to be fair, part of the problem was that someone had removed the blood pressure station, and nobody had told me about it. But, still, I feel like I could have been more helpful.
So, with this new realization, what did I do? Did I resolve to better myself? To spend the next few weeks learning the ins and outs of Expedition Health, to the point where I could effortlessly answer any questions asked? No. Instead, I gave up. I decided that, if I had really stopped learning new things from Expedition Health, I should move on to new things. Like, for example, Prehistoric Journey. More commonly known as "the dinosaur exhibit," Prehistoric Journey is a tour from the beginning of the earth until now, focusing on the creatures that once lived there. That's where I decided to transfer to.
Eventually, the group left. Thirteen (or maybe fourteen) of them had me sign their packet, to prove that they had watched the little movie. That leaves eight (or seven) people who didn't have their books signed. I wish them the best.
Anyways, after they left, things started to pick up. I met all sorts of people, but one in particular stood out: a boy with a little cowboy hat, upon which were pinned three proud Junior Ranger badges. As a man who also has a hat adorned with flashy national park symbols, I was incredibly... something at seeing the kid like that. The feeling I had was part pride that my idea had caught on, part respect for the kid's adventures, part excitement at the adventures he had yet to have, part disappointment that I could not show him my corresponding hat, and part the feeling you get when a little kid does something awesome. There should be a word for that.
After our shift ended, my dad and I ate lunch, and then we went to check out the new temporary robot exhibit. It was really cool. There were all sorts of things to try out, and even robots to pilot. One robot that particularly confused me was a tic-tac-toe playing robot who could actually lose. That shouldn't be able to happen. Tic-tac-toe is a solved game. There are literally still images which will never lose at tic-tac-toe. I was then informed by a sign that the robot was just learning to play, presumably restarting every day.
Then, something even more amazing happened. The robot cheated. It essentially did what it did in this gif, placing it's X on top of someone's O. That is both amazing and terrifying. We gave it a challenge, asked it to learn, and it decided that the best way ti succeed was to not follow our rules. This id how the world will end.
On that cheery note, I think I'll stop now. Not much interesting happened for the rest of the evening. Nothing noteworthy, anyways. Also, it's 11:33, and I need to sleep. That's right, the "late" in the title has two meanings. Yes, I am very clever. Thank you. I'll sleep now.
