What Is MoMath?
MoMath is North America's finest and only dedicated Museum of Mathematics. Based in the heart of Manhattan, between 5th Avenue and Madison Avenue, it has been wowing guests with mathematical wonders since its inauguration, in 2012, and now boasts over 40 exhibits.
The Exhibits Of MoMath
A Museum of Mathematics might sound niche and not for everyone, but the exhibits available at MoMath are designed with these reservations in mind. Their primary purpose isn't to explain complex formulas, but to offer a sensory demonstration of the mindblowing things that can be achieved through math.
From morphing shapes and laser-slicing objects to making fractal trees in your own image and interacting with algorithmically determined robot swarms, MoMath offers visitors the chance to partake in activities as eye-catching and appealing as they are complex.
One of its most famous exhibits involves a tricycle with square wheels, on which visitors can, through the power of math, experience a bafflingly smooth ride. This was first featured in 'Math Midway', a travelling exhibition that predates the museum itself.
MoMath: An Experience For All Ages And Tastes
This eclectic array of attractions makes the Museum of Mathematics a place that absolutely anyone can enjoy.
For the competitive, Tracks of Galileo and Hoop Curves provide the chance for head to head races and 3-pointer contests involving a robotic firearm.
Monkey Around brings a monkey based math mystery for the playful at heart; Motionscape offers a full-body experience of acceleration and velocity; Pattern Pants combines math with design and fashion; Math Flash offers breaking insights into contemporary mathematical advances; and Twisted Thruway provides the visually stimulated with a trippy tour of a mobius strip that is sure to make the mind boggle.
The History Of MoMath
The Museum of Mathematics was first conceived of as a response to the 2006 closure of Long Island's Goudreau Museum. This was at the time the USA's only museum of mathematics and so the shutting of its doors left a cultural void waiting to be filled.
A group, led by mathematician Glen Whitney, was formed to explore the possibility of opening a new museum. In 2009, they received a charter from the New York State Department of Education. They then went on to raise over $22 mil in less than 4 years.
With this money, they leased a space in Madison Square, North District and MoMath was born.
The rest is history... and geometry, topology, algebra, combinatorics... the list goes on.
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