A few days ago, on Feb. 22, 2010, Epcot quietly opened a new exhibit at Innoventions oddly titled “Take a Nanooze Break.”

Based upon the National Science Foundation (NSF)-supported children’s magazine and Web site Nanooze,the exhibit features a series of interactive, continually updated displays that allow visitors to manipulate models of molecules, study everyday items at the nanoscale, and interact with scientists and engineers who conduct the latest nano research.

Frequent visitors to Epcot’s Innoventions might be thinking, “Didn’t they already have something like this?” Well, yes. The former “Too Small to See” Innoventions exhibit was a precursor traveling exhibition that helped pave the way for Take a Nanooze Break.

“The experience is immersive and gives guests a number of ways to view a world that is too small to see,” says Carl Batt of Cornell University, the lead researcher for the project. “It also gives guests a view of nanotechnology from real scientists”

“Nanotechnology will bring multiple, fundamental changes to the way we work to create goods, develop sustainable approaches, advance medicine and improve quality of life.,” says Mike Roco, senior advisor for nanotechnology at NSF. “About $80 billion worth of products incorporated nanoscale components in the United States in 2010, and one can envision mass use of nanotechnology by 2020. The Nanooze exhibition informs and inspires the public about this fast-arriving future society.”

In addition to teaching about nanotechnology, the exhibit offers plenty of available seating - hence the “take a break” aspect of it. If there’s anything that’s a welcome addition to a Disney theme park, it’s more air-conditioned areas to sit and relax.

This is the final video from yesterday’s Captain EO Tribute opening at Disneyland. Interviewed here are original “Captain EO” cast members Debbie Lee Carrington (played Idy), Renee Colette (dancer), and Gregg Sargent (dancer). They each weigh in on their experiences working with Michael Jackson, Francis Ford Coppola, and George Lucas.

(Video/interviews by Jeremiah Daws for Inside the Magic)

At the official opening of the Captain EO Tribute at Disneyland on Feb. 23, 2010 was Walt Disney Imagineer Rick Rothschild who discussed how the attraction originally came to exist and offers insight on what was changed for its current “tribute” version:

(Video/interview by Jeremiah Daws for Inside the Magic.)

At yesterday’s official reopening of “Captain EO” at Disneyland, Walt Disney Imagineer Tony Baxter was on hand to discuss the 3D film. With the return of this classic Disneyland attraction, he also discussed the feasibility of bringing back the original Journey Into Imagination at Epcot:

Video/interview by Jeremiah Daws for Inside the Magic.

I’ll be posting a few more interviews from yesterday’s event later today.

Here’s yet another Captain EO-related post. This time it’s a video from inside the theater just before the first official showing of the 3D film began, followed by reactions outside the theater.

I’ll be posting a bit more video from the Disneyland reopening in the coming days including an exclusive interview with Walt Disney Imagineer Tony Baxter.

Thanks again to Jeremiah Daws for covering this event for us.