[January 18, 2018] |
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Explore a Captivating World with A Mirror Maze: Numbers in Nature at the Museum of Science, Boston
This February, Museum of Science visitors can experience A Mirror
Maze: Numbers in Nature, an interactive and immersive new
exhibit that exposes and explains the mathematical patterns that abound
in the natural world-from the nested spirals of a sunflower's seeds, to
the ridges of a majestic mountain range, to the layout of the
Universe-providing a unique perspective of our daily surroundings and
making math fun for the whole family.
Created by the Museum of Science and Industry, Chicago (MSI (News - Alert)), A
Mirror Maze: Numbers in Nature features a 1,700-square-foot
elaborate mirror maze where visitors can explore and navigate a
seemingly infinite repeating pattern of mirrors. Various interactive
elements allow for hands-on learning to understand that math is all
around us in everyday life, revealing the beauty of our world through
numbers. The exhibit opens February 4 for a limited engagement.
"An important part of our mission is to enable young people to learn by
doing, not just by seeing," said Ioannis Miaoulis, president and
director of the Museum of Science. "We are thrilled to host this exhibit
and give our visitors a chance to experience math in a new, immersive
way."
"The Museum of Science and Industry, Chicago designed this exhibit to
highlight how people interact with mathematical patterns every day,
provoking curiosity and wonder," said John Beckman, MSI's director of
exhibit design and development. "Everything we create at MSI is designed
to inspire the inventive genius in everyone. While concepts like fractal
branching can be intimidating to some, our hope is that this exhibit
inspires all guests to look at the world around them with a new
appreciation."
Introduction to Patterns in Our World As guests enter the
exhibit, they will be greeted by lenticular images that animate imagery
from nature - showing the many repeating patterns that are easily
identifiable-if they know where to look!
From there, an immersive presentation provides an introduction of how
math surrounds us every day, illustrated with stunning footage of
nature, the human body, and even art and architecture. Animated computer
graphics are superimposed over the images to reveal the mathematical
patterns beneath these familiar objects. Explained in-depth throughout
the exhibit are four primary patterns: spirals, the Golden Ratio (?),
Voronoi patterns and fractal branching. The film will help introduce
guests to these patterns in a familiar way, as well as why they exist
and how they show themselves in various facets of the natural and
cultural worlds.
Building upon the examples in the presentation, an interactive area
allows guests to identify patterns that surround them every day and to
create numerical patterns of their own. They will be able to manipulate
images of snowflakes, sea shells, flowers and more-triggering the
underlying geometry-as well as create a numerical sequence to understand
how a pattern is generated from repeating a simple set of rules.
The Mirror Maze When guests make their way to the
centerpiece of the exhibit-the mirror maze-they are exposed to a pattern
of triangles that repeat in a dizzying array of mirrors. This experience
allows guests to learn about the math that surrounds them while being
inside a giant pattern. This fascinatng, yet challenging, space will
envelop guests within what appears to be an endless pattern- 1,700
square feet of it! Guests will encounter intriguing questions and
activities to further immerse themselves in the repetition, symmetry and
tessellation presented in the maze. Dead ends are scattered throughout
along with a small secret room that rewards guests with bonus puzzles,
imagery and artifacts.
Hands-On Discovery Upon leaving the maze, guests will have
more opportunities for hands-on activities in a final gallery.
Patterns in Nature:
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Draw patterns on a digital screen-like connecting dots to draw spirals
and creating Fibonacci rectangles-and see real-world objects that show
that same pattern.
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Align clear spiral frames to a series of objects from nature and the
man-made world.
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Learn how fractal patterns are used to make computer-generated
landscapes in movies.
Patterns in Yourself:
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Step in front of a large two-way mirror and strike various poses while
a projection superimposes patterns and proportions on your body in
real time.
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Look through an eyepiece to observe how blood vessels branch within
your eyes.
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Compare similar patterns, like fractal branching, that appear in the
human body and in nature by viewing a 3D-printed model of human lungs
and a Lichtenberg figure, a sculpture that captures a lightning strike
in a piece of acrylic.
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Observe just how much symmetry-or lack thereof-is present in the human
face.
Patterns in Music, Art and Architecture:
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Compose a piece of music using symmetry: vary a single musical motive
and hear your creations played back.
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Create a musical scale with mathematical proportions using a playable
harp.
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Discover and compare similar patterns in architecture from varying
parts of the world-from the Taj Mahal to the Beijing National
Stadium-built millennia apart.
The exhibit also features an array of artifacts-Bighorn sheep antlers,
honeycomb and an aluminum anthill casting-that demonstrate real examples
of patterns in objects from the natural world.
A Mirror Maze: Numbers in Nature is free with Exhibit
Halls admission. Exhibit Halls admission is $25 for adults, $21 for
seniors (60+), and $20 for children (3-11). For more information, call
617/723-2500 or visit www.mos.org.
About the Museum of Science, Boston One of the world's
largest science centers and New England's most attended cultural
institution, the Museum introduces more than 1.5 million visitors a year
to STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) through the
world-class interactive exhibits, programs and K-12 curricula of its
William and Charlotte Bloomberg (News - Alert) Science Education Center. An
extraordinary variety of learning experiences span the Yawkey Gallery
on the Charles River, Hall
of Human Life, Thomson (News - Alert) Theater of Electricity, Charles
Hayden Planetarium, Mugar
Omni Theater, Gordon Current Science & Technology Center, 4-D
Theater, and Butterfly
Garden. The Science Behind Pixar, created with Pixar
Animation Studios, is touring nationally. The Museum's National Center
for Technological Literacy® K-12 curricula, including its award-winning
Engineering is Elementary®, have reached an estimated 13 million
students and 129,700 educators. Visit: http://www.mos.org.
About The Museum of Science and Industry, Chicago (MSI) One
of the largest science museums in the world, offers world-class and
uniquely interactive experiences that inspire inventive genius and
foster curiosity. From groundbreaking and award-winning exhibits that
can't be found anywhere else, to hands-on opportunities that make you
the scientist-a visit to MSI is where fun and learning mix. Through its
Welcome to Science Initiative, the Museum offers a variety of student,
teacher and family programs that make a difference in communities and
contribute to MSI's larger vision: to inspire and motivate children to
achieve their full potential in science, technology, medicine and
engineering. Come visit and find your inspiration! MSI is open 9:30-4
p.m. every day except Thanksgiving and Christmas day. Extended hours,
until 5:30 p.m., are offered during peak periods. The Museum is grateful
for the support of its donors and guests, who make its work possible.
MSI is also supported in part by the people of Chicago through the
Chicago Park District. For more information, visit msichicago.org or
call (773) 684-1414.
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