Cutting-edge materials science hits the Ontario Science
Centre
March 19, 2003
Enter the fascinating world of materials and uncover the surprising
science behind everyday stuff. High-tech fields like the space
program are known for their use of advanced materials, but these
materials have also found their way into the stuff of everyday
life -- from car shock absorbers and eyeglass frames to DVD players
and golf clubs.
Opening at the Ontario Science Centre on June 28, 2003 and running
until January 4, 2004, Strange Matter uses science to explore
the bizarre world of modern materials and provide a glimpse of
where the future of materials research might take us. In this
exhibition, developed at the Science Centre, visitors will get
a chance to test some of the newest materials in use today. Engaging
and interactive experiences will encourage visitors to investigate
different types of materials to discover what gives these materials
their intriguing and often surprising properties. Some of the
materials under investigation will include foam, ferrofluids
and amorphous metals. In addition to exploring materials, visitors
will also be able to enjoy daily demonstrations with cutting-edge
materials in the exhibition theatre.
Some of the exhibit experiences include:
Crank up a bowling ball and let it fly -- visitors will find
out if heat-tempered glass has the strength to withstand the
shock or if the pane of glass will shatter. A counter will allow
visitors to keep track of how many times the glass has been hit …will
the glass shatter in 10 minutes, 10 hours, 10 days or 10 months?
What do nail polish, movie film and billiard balls have in common?
How does an anti-bacterial toilet seat work? An area called Materials
Evolution will allow visitors to trace the fascinating and often
unexpected development of materials throughout history – from “The
Iceman” (3500 BCE) to the present world of the “Material Girl”.
Visitors can discover what materials played a key role in innovative
advances in the development of human civilization.
Play with fluids containing magnetized nanoparticles, known
as ferrofluids, and discover how liquids can be morphed into
three-dimensional shapes. Investigate how this property can actually
be put to use from items in an operating room to a household
laundry room.
Bend and twist a Nitinol metal ribbon, a startling example of
a metal with a memory, and see it return to its original shape
with a little bit of hot air. Why is this metal different from
many others, and what can it be used for?
Strange Matter is presented by the Materials Research Society.
It features 5000 sq ft (470 m2) of interactive experiences developed,
designed and fabricated onsite by the Ontario Science Centre
under contract to the Materials Research Society. After its debut
in Toronto, the Materials Research Society will tour Strange Matter to other science centres and museums in North America
starting in 2004.
Local presentation of this exhibition has been financially
assisted by the Ontario Cultural Attractions Fund of the Government
of
Ontario
through
the Ministry
of Culture, administered by the Ontario Cultural Attractions
Fund Corporation.
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About the Materials Research Society: The Materials Research
Society is a not-for-profit scientific association founded in
1973 to promote interdisciplinary goal-oriented research on materials
of technological importance. Membership in the Society
consists of more than 12,500 scientists from industry, government,
academia and research laboratories in the United States and nearly
50
other countries.
The Materials Research Society has received funding from the
National Science Foundation, Alcan, Dow, Ford Motor Company and
the 3M Foundation in conjunction with this exhibition and its
international
tour of Strange Matter.
StrangeMatterExhibit.com to launch in June
Online visitors can experience the strangeness and wonder of
materials science through a new web site: www.StrangeMatterExhibit.com.
The site, set to launch as the Strange Matter exhibition opens
to the pubic, offers visitors the power to zoom down to the atomic
level inside a pop can, pit different materials against each
other in virtual challenges, transform simple substances into
sophisticated products and explore how leading edge materials
can change the world. This site also features guides to the exhibition
for teachers and families, experiments to do at home or in the
class room, resources for further exploration and video interviews
with materials science researchers.
Also at the Ontario Science Centre: MacGillivray Freeman’s
TOP SPEED Opening May 30 at the Shoppers Drug Mart® OMNIMAX® Theatre
Under the IMAX Dome, feel what it is like to be the fastest
in the world! The science of speed comes alive through inspiring
performances and personal stories of world-class athletes and
racing professionals whose lives revolve around the never-ending
pursuit of speed. Sit in the driver’s seat of a Porsche GT race
car with Lucas Luhr and feel what’s it’s like to “thread the
needle” through heavy traffic at speeds of 320 kilometres per
hour. Or fly over the top of a hill on a mountain bike with Marla
Streb, one of the top downhill mountain bike racers in the world.
Stand in the shoes of Olympic gold medalist Marion Jones, the
fastest woman in the world, in the starting blocks of the 100
metre dash. On-screen host Tim Allen takes viewers through the
essence of speed.
You can also download visuals from the OSC's website at www.OntarioScienceCentre.ca Look in About Us > Media Kit for images and video
For more information, please contact:
Kristy Stratton, Media Relations Officer
Phone: (416) 696-3191
Fax: (416) 696-3161
Email: kristy.stratton@osc.on.ca
Matt Akler, Media Relations Officer
Phone: (416) 696-3154
Fax: (416) 696-3161
Email: matt.akler@osc.on.ca
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