Mathematica
Exhibit [Return to listing page]
Created by the famous design team of Charles and Ray Eames, this has been a favorite exhibit since it opened at the Museum of Science in 1981. The Eames wanted to provide an opportunity for everyone to enjoy the beauty and wonder of mathematics, and they have also provided us with an opportunity to enjoy the beauty of post-modern design.
Rather than focusing on one particular area of mathematics, the Eames selected the most compelling images and stories from many branches, including probability, topology, Boolean algebra, geometry, calculus, and logic. Observe the "History Wall" to see a timeline of these mathematic achievements.
In one exhibit display, soap bubbles forming on wire shapes reveal the minimal surface for that shape. Joseph Plateau experimented with closed wire loops and soap film in the mid-1800s, a century before we were able to prove mathematically what was evident in the bubbles. A curved wire dipped in the soapy solution will form a Moebius band, a larger version of which is part of the topology exhibit nearby.
On the "Image Wall," discover the great beauty in mathematics. You can find the Fibonacci series of numbers in the seeds of a sunflower. The Golden Spiral is displayed in the shell of a chambered nautilus.
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