Adler Planetarium Pop-Up Program Dec. 29, 2017 in the Curiosity Station room from 11-3
Dark Matter is invisible but scientists know it is there because of its gravitational effects.. Dark Matter is the underlying structure that explains why galaxies are where they are, and how they formed. The gravity from Dark Matter holds together galaxies and clusters of galaxies. Without Dark Matter, the Milky Way galaxy that is our home would never have formed.
In our workshops, participants created a section of the universe by tying fabric (Dark Matter) together and adding rhinestones (galaxies). Everybody was invited to shape the larger section of universe we created together by adding their section to the growing structure.
“NeuroKitchen's Popup Program at the Adler gave guests an opportunity to work together as a community and make something big. In this case, they got to build the BIGGEST observable object known to humankind: the cosmic web. By creating a hands-on textile model of our universe, families were able to connect their own creations with much larger concepts, allowing them to truly visualize the immensity of the universe as we know it. The final product, constructed of "dark matter tulle", "galaxy rhinestones", copper twinkling string lights and "spotlight" LED's, was visually stunning. Best of all, Anita and her team did an amazing job of connecting the seemingly random patterns brought about by the crowdsourced artists to real science! This program really drove home the VERY important rule that art and science go hand-in-hand.” -Meredith Stepien, Experience Developer Adler Planetarium
Special Thanks to Kathryn Schaffer (Professor of Physics at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago) for serving as an inspiration and consultant for this project.