AHMEDABAD: You can extend your hand and touch history — a piece of the Berlin wall signifying the crumbling of the Cold War era shares space with a copy of "Die Weltbuhne", a German newspaper opposing Nazism . There is a calculator of Herbert Simon , one of the most influential thinkers of the 20th century. Also on display are cufflinks worn by astrophysicist Adam Riess with q0All these exhibits, connected to the Nobel Prize , are a part of the Nobel exhibition being held at the Science City from January 10 to February 12. The exhibition, spread across five sections, tracks technological evolution over decades and also gives a peek into the future.Narottam Sahoo, senior scientist, Science City, said that the unique exhibition has been attracting, on an average, 8,000 visitors daily since January 10. "Most of them are schoolchildren and science enthusiasts," he said. "A large number of visitors are also coming from other states in association with regional councils of science and technology. We have collaborated with eminent scientists to hold dialogue with visitors on the significance of Nobel Prize-winning discoveries and their impact on everyday life."Glimpse of Genius1. On display are a manuscript of a poem "You say I am a riddle" penned by Alfred Nobel; a piece of samizdat (underground literature) with "Jurij Zhivago's Poems" by Boris Pasternak, the winner of the 1958 Nobel prize for literature; and a notepad used by Mario Vargas Llosa, the winner of the 2010 Nobel prize for literature.2. Dynamite and fuse invented by Alfred Nobel are a part of the exhibition. His important invention was to transform nitroglycerin into safe and powerful explosive. The blasting cap made it possible to ignite it in a controlled way. Dynamite was made from nitroglycerin and sand-like material, kieselguhr.3. Another exhibit is a hypodermic needle and packaged insulin. The discovery of insulin by Frederick Banting and J J R Macleod in 1921 opened new possibilities in treatment of diabetes. The duo got the Nobel prize for medicine in 1923.4. An old copy of the Jungle Book is on display. Rudyard Kipling, the winner of Nobel prize for literature in 1907, was inspired by his childhood and travels in India to write the story.5. German chemist Adolf von Baeyer's studies made it possible to extract indigo from coal tar. Till then indigo could be extracted only from plants of Asia and Africa. Baeyer's work allowed indigo to be produced industrially, paving the way for iconic blue denim jeans. Baeyer was awarded the 1905 Nobel prize for chemistry.6. A copy of Alfred Nobel's will, which resulted in the institution of the prize, can be seen at the exhibition. Initially there were five prizes — for chemistry, physics, physiology or medicine, peace, and literature. The first prize was given in 1901. Nobel prize for economics was established in 1968.Citizens rank environmental issues as top priorityOn-the-spot polls relating to the future of all six 'Nobel disciplines' are held at the exhibition for young visitors. The idea is to determine what they think will be the most important issues of our time. In the area of peace, 30% visitors at Science City voted for environmental issues as the most pressing whereas 22% voted for nuclear disarmament. In literature, 40% wished to see authors bringing history to life followed by interactive novels (23%), good stories (21%) and ground-breaking poetry (16%). In medicine, 33% wanted to see a cure for cancer followed by new drugs against resistant micro-organisms (31%), cure for malaria or AIDS (22%), and slower ageing (14%).

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