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Project Descriptions

The Language of Patterns: An Interactive Exhibit of Modern Mathematics

April 15, 1992 - September 30, 1995 | Exhibitions
Mathematics can be exciting. It can be fun. The modern world surrounds us with examples of its beauty. Too often, however, these examples go unnoticed or unexplored. This is one reason so few young Americans think of mathematics as a potential career path: they do not realize how much mathematics is a part of their lives, or how much they use it -- often without knowing it| The Maryland Science Center and the mathematics faculty of the George Washington University have teamed up to create The Language of Patterns, a mathematics exhibit that examines mathematics in modern life. Through engaging interactive exhibit stations, The Language of Patterns invites visitors of all ages to discover the intricacy and wonder of modern mathematics. Eschewing highly technical terminology, the exhibit focuses instead on fun and exploration. Mounted by the Maryland Science Center in its Baltimore facility and in a traveling version that will be available to science and technology museums across the county, this exhibit represents a unique collaboration between academic and museum exhibition design experts. More important, The Language of Patterns is an opportunity for visitors to rethink their relationship with modern mathematics, one of man's most significant -- and misunderstood -- achievements.

Funders

NSF
Funding Program: ISE/AISL
Award Number: 9155431
Funding Amount: 843641

TEAM MEMBERS

  • D.D. Hilke
    Principal Investigator
    Maryland Science Center
  • Raylene Decatur
    Former Principal Investigator
    Maryland Academy of Sciences
  • Rodica Simion
    Co-Principal Investigator
    George Washington University
  • Peter Yancone
    Co-Principal Investigator
    Maryland Science Center
  • Discipline: Mathematics
    Audience: General Public | Museum/ISE Professionals
    Environment Type: Exhibitions | Museum and Science Center Exhibits

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