HYDE PARK — Magnets ... how do they work?
A new exhibit that opened Thursday at the Museum of Science and Industry explains how common materials are made and impact our daily lives.
“Materials Science” traces how the development of materials like terra cotta roofing tiles eventually led to the ceramic plates that protect the space shuttle from the intense heats of re-entry into the atmosphere.
“It sounds a little dry on the surface, I get that, but beneath the surface you realize every single thing that you touch is a material that humans created,” said Patricia Ward, director of science exhibitions at the museum.
The museum teamed up with materials researchers at Northwestern University to explain how scientists are finding novel ways to fuse common elements to create new types of magnets that never existed before.
The centerpiece of the exhibit is a shining steel atom-probe ion field microscope. The massive machine was donated to the museum by Northwestern and shows how scientists in the 1950s discovered the basic structure of many common materials before sophisticated computer analysis.
The exhibit coincides with the premiere of a new Omnimax film about space travel.
“Journey to Space” premiered at the museum, 5700 S. Lake Shore Drive, on Thursday and features leading space experts on the struggle to put a man on mars alongside stunning imagery from NASA’s recent explorations into deep space.
The film shows daily at 10 a.m., noon and 2 p.m. An extra timed ticket is required for the movie.
“Materials Science” is included with general admission and runs through January.
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