Mirror Maze

Math is fun, did you know that? I didn’t know that either. I mean math was never my strongest skill in school so I have to admit that did hinder my love for it, once out of school though that completely changed. I wasn’t seeing math in an applied to life kind of way, I was seeing it as equations and stress. Math is way more magical than that and the new Mirror Maze at Science World shows you just that: how beautiful math truly is.

Featuring an 1,800-square-foot elaborate mirror maze and hands-on interactive elements, this engaging and immersive exhibition highlights the mathematical patterns that abound in the natural world—from the delicate nested spirals of a sunflower’s seeds to the layout of the universe—providing a unique perspective of our daily surroundings. It is one of the coolest math exhibits I have ever seen and the kids have no idea this is even related to math they are having way too much fun.

Little do they know though, math is also science.

A Mirror Maze: Numbers in Nature invites visitors to explore the mathematical patterns that exist in our world through engaging experiences, including:

  • Introduction to Patterns in Our World—Visitors will learn to identify numerical patterns that surround them every day through imagery, an immersive theatre presentation and an interactive area.
  • The Mirror Maze—Guests will experience a pattern of triangles that repeat in a dizzying array of mirrors. This fascinating, yet challenging, space will envelop guests within what appears to be an endless pattern—1,800 square feet of maze. Dead ends are scattered throughout and hidden within this self-guided experience is a small secret room. Finding it rewards guests with bonus puzzles, imagery and artifacts that expand the connection to mathematics.
  • Hands-on Discovery—This section of the exhibition engages visitors in hands-on activities where they can explore patterns in nature, in themselves and in music, art and architecture.

Patterns in Nature:

  • Draw patterns on a digital screen—like connecting dots to draw spirals and create Fibonacci rectangles—and see real-world objects that show that same pattern.
  • Learn how fractal patterns are used to make computer-generated landscapes, such as intricate mountain ranges, in movies.

Patterns in Yourself:

  • Step in front of a large mirror and strike various poses while a projection superimposes patterns and proportions on your body in real time.
  • Look through an eyepiece to observe how blood vessels branch within your eyes.
  • Compare similar patterns that appear in the human body and in nature.
  • Observe just how much symmetry—or lack thereof—is present in the human face.

Patterns in Music, Art and Architecture:

  • Compose a piece of music using symmetry: vary a single musical motive and hear your creations played back.
  • Create a musical scale with mathematical proportions using a playable harp.
  • 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.

So if you are looking for a great day out with the family then you are definitely going to want to head to Science World while this exhibit is in – especially if you have some math reluctant kids.

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