The Math Midway exhibition generates excitement among a diverse group of visitors, ranging from children through adults. While young children enjoy the tactile aspects of the brightly colored and engaging exhibits, older children and adults also come away with a newfound sense of appreciation for the creative nature of mathematics.
There is a range of unique exhibits, from square-wheeled tricycles that ride smoothly on a circular track of catenary arcs, to a plane of laser light that you can pass plastic polyhedra through to find their surprising cross sections. You can create unique pen and ink drawings to take home using the Mysterious Harmonograph. Or play with the Organ Function Grinder in which you input a number, set a function, and turn the hand crank to generate both a numerical output and a unique calliope tune which is transformed according to your function.And if you visited the Math Midway, don't forget to get answers to our puzzles! Click here to learn more about these puzzles!
The National Museum of Mathematics is the owner of U.S. Patent Nos. 8,602,790; 9,165,479; and 9,472,120 covering one or more exhibits at the Museum.