More than 1,500 people died when an iceberg floating in the north Atlantic Ocean pierced a series of narrow dashes along the hulking steel mass of the R.M.S. Titanic. No leak was more than an inch wide.

The slight perforations became a modern awakening, however, at 11:40 p.m. on April 14, 1912, after only 10 seconds of impact. One of man's most luxurious and arrogant mechanical accomplishments was slapped to the bottom of the sea by a few slightly separated steel plates.

An exhibit at the Carnegie Science Center, titled "Titanic Science: The Real Artifacts, The True Stories," examines everything involved with the Titanic legend -- from the rusticles that are now chewing the wreck apart to the people who perished.

The story is told with real artifacts collected during expeditions to the wreckage, along with a series of kid-friendly, hands-on exhibits that show how and why the great ship sank.

Two large tanks of water demonstrate buoyancy; a touchable man-made iceberg shows how cold sea water is in the north Atlantic; an interactive computer console allows visitors to steer the Titanic around an iceberg; and a life-size model of the Nautile, a three-man submersible, is a cramped example of oceanic exploration.

Among the exhibits are eerie remnants of life aboard the Titanic, including a ceramic toothpaste jar, a leather satchel, a gold pen, a half-full corked champagne bottle and a glass vase with the White Star Line logo.

A third-class dining cup and a first-class "special service" cup show the emblematic class system aboard the Titanic.

Never before had an international news story brought to light the callous inequities of the western class structure. Starting with a lack of lifeboats, the Titanic showed everyone just how deep reverence for luxury and money had sunk into the modern psyche.

But the sinking of the Titanic is also a story of heroes and villains. First Officer William McMaster Murdoch was one of many lauded for his efforts to fill the lifeboats as the Titanic succumbed to cold sea water.

Murdoch reportedly tossed deck chairs overboard for passengers to cling to after the lifeboats were gone. He was one of 688 crewmen to die in the icy water.

"Nothing but the most heroic conduct; perfectly orderly," a survivor identified only as Gracie said of the crew during a U.S. Congress inquiry in 1912.

"They showed very good judgment ... they were very cool," said a survivor known only as Stengel.

The villain in the story became J. Bruce Ismay, managing director of the White Star Line and the creator of the Titanic. Ismay never questioned the lack of lifeboats and pressured Capt. Edward J. Smith to travel faster in order to arrive in New York early for publicity.

The papers labeled Ismay a brute for considering profit before safety, and many accounts said he pushed women and children aside to board a lifeboat. When he arrived in New York aboard the savior ship Carpathia, Ismay was ostracized from society and labeled a coward.

Coinciding with the Titanic exhibit is James Cameron's nautical IMAX film "Ghosts of the Abyss," his documentary follow-up to the 1997 blockbuster "Titanic."

During the film, narrator Bill Paxton talks about why the Titanic disaster has captivated people ever since the first headlines were printed.

The story makes people contemplate their own character, he said. Above the romantic lore, more than any other legend, the Titanic makes us ask, "What would I do in that situation? Am I a hero or a coward?"

If you go: The exhibit is on display through April, with "Ghosts of the Abyss" showing through June. The film is not part of the admission price. Visit www.carnegiesciencecenter.org for more information.

Michael Cope Daily Courier Staff Writer