Leave your calculator at home and discover the amazing mathematical patterns that surround us every day—from the skin on the back of your hand, to the trees in your yard, and perhaps the home you live in.
You’ll never look at the world the same way again! A Mirror Maze: Numbers in Nature special exhibition, on view now in the Hsiao Family Special Exhibition Gallery, exposes and explains the mathematical patterns that abound in the natural world.
From the nested spirals of a sunflower’s seeds, to the ridges of a majestic mountain range, to the layout of the Universe, each provides a unique perspective of our daily surroundings. Various interactive elements allow for hands-on learning to understand that math is all around us in everyday life, revealing the beauty of our world through numbers.
The centerpiece of A Mirror Maze: Numbers in Nature is an elaborate mirror maze where guests can lose themselves in a seemingly infinite repeating pattern of mirrors.
This arrangement of symmetry and tessellation provides an introduction to patterns and how math surrounds us every day. Dead ends are scattered throughout the maze, and hidden within the experience is a small secret room, rewarding guests with bonus puzzles and artifacts. Can you find the secrets within?
Highlights of the exhibition include:
- Step in front of a large two-way mirror and strike various poses while a projection superimposes patterns and proportions on your body in real-time.
- Observe just how much symmetry—or lack thereof—is present in the human face.
- Draw patterns on a digital screen—like connecting dots to draw spirals and creating Fibonacci rectangles— and see real-world objects that show that same pattern.
- Compose a piece of music using symmetry: vary a single musical motif and hear your creation.
A Mirror Maze: Numbers in Nature will be on view now through Sunday, April 12, 2020 inside the Hsiao Family Special Exhibition Gallery on the first floor of the museum. Admission to Mirror Maze: Numbers in Nature is included with all museum admission tickets.
Mirror Maze: Numbers in Nature was created by the Museum of Science and Industry, Chicago (MSI).
Phillip and Patricia Frost Museum of Science
1101 Biscayne Blvd.|Miami, FL 33132 | (305)434-9600
