SU and MOST collaborate on “Cosmic Connections” modern science exhibit; opens April 28

SU and MOST collaborate on “Cosmic Connections”modern science exhibit; opens April 28April 28, 2005Edward Byrnesedbyrnes@syr.edu

An interdisciplinary team of physicists and student designers from Syracuse University, working collaboratively with staff from the Milton J. Rubenstein Museum of Science & Technology (MOST), have created a permanent interactive and multifaceted cosmology exhibit focusing on the universe, what scientists know about it and how they know what they know. The first phase of the exhibit, called “Cosmic Connections,” will officially open to the public at the MOST at 11 a.m. Thursday, April 28.

“Cosmology is one of the most exciting and fast-growing fields in physics today,” says Carl Rosenzweig, SU physics professor and principal investigator for the project. “New technologies have enabled us to develop experiments to test our theories about the universe, which have yielded fascinating results. Our goal is to share this information with the public in ways that are interesting and easily understood.”

In addition to its scientific aspects, the project has provided students from the School of Art and Design in SU’s College of Visual and Performing Arts with the challenge of translating the scientific information into an attractive, interactive multimedia exhibit. SU students will also gain valuable hands-on experience in teaching Central New York children who participate in the educational outreach programs at the MOST.

The exhibit, designed to increase public understanding of modern science through the wonders of the cosmos, is the culmination of a collaborative three-year project involving SU physicists Rosenzweig, Mark Trodden, Eric Schiff and Peter Saulson, who are experts in the areas of cosmology, particle physics and general relativity; MOST staff; and Assistant Professor Iris Magidson in the School of Art and Design and a group of undergraduate students majoring in communications design.

“We hope to bring to the general public a broader awareness of science, its methods and its most exciting results. Simultaneously, we will provide undergraduate and graduate students with activities that will lead to a solid basis for understanding the process of science and the experience of communicating it to the public,” says Rosenzweig.

Phase II of the exhibit is expected to open later this year. For more information, call Ann Nagle, MOST director of marketing and public relations, at (315) 425-9068.