Funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF), Amazon Adventure was an Innovations in Development project directed by Pacific Science Center in partnership with: SK Films; Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey; Embodied Games; and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Tangled Bank Studios. 

The centerpiece of the project, the Amazon Adventure film, is a 45-minute giant screen film shown in both 2D and 3D flat screen and 2D dome formats. The film is based on the true story of Henry Bates’ 11-year journey through the Amazon in the 1850s, focusing on his quest as a young man to find evidence of species change. 

Some of the key findings of this evaluation include:

•  Viewers of Amazon adventure modified their understanding of personality characteristics of scientists with 4/5 viewers stating they felt a connection with Henry Bates 
•  Viewers increased science knowledge 
•  Viewers engaged in activities related to the content in Amazon Adventure for weeks after viewing the film.