September 13, 2008 - January 11, 2009

Strange Matter introduces visitors to the amazing world of materials science, or the study of "stuff." Materials scientists investigate the structure of exotic as well as ordinary materials to discover what gives them their remarkable properties. Materials science also looks at how things can be improved or changed to create entirely new materials. From the space-age composites used in jet fighters and golf clubs to "memory metals" used in shock absorbers and bendable eyeglasses to sticky Post-it notes and non-sticky Teflon - materials scientists create the stuff we use on a daily basis.

Strange Matter encourages visitors to dig into the science behind these materials, while presenting an intriguing glimpse into where materials research might take us in the future. Come and experience "Strange Matter," at Sci-Quest, September 13, 2008 through January 11, 2009.

Some of the exhibits in Strange Matter include the following:

• Amazing Magnetic Liquids: Ferrofluid is an unusual liquid that responds to magnets - an effect achieved by suspending incredibly small magnetic particles in the fluid. In this exhibit, visitors use magnets to manipulate a pool of ferrofluid, making it take on unusual shapes and even defy gravity. Visitors explore the surprising properties of these materials and discover how their unusual micro-structure makes them useful in all kinds of places - from the laundry room to the operating room.
• Touch Tables: Younger children can discover strange materials through hands-on experimentation at the Touch Tables. Place different materials under the lens of "Scope on a Rope," a handheld microscope camera, and see how they look when magnified larger than life. Play tunes on a wooden xylophone and one made of mixed materials - do similar materials sound the same?
• ZOOM: Some things appear smooth to the naked eye, but what if you could get a much closer look? Zoom from the macro to the nano scale and find out how scientists "feel atoms" using Atomic Force Microscopes.
• Amorphous Metals: Meet the future of metals. The unusual structure of amorphous metals makes them incredibly hard. Drop one ball bearing on a platform made of amorphous metal and another on a platform made of metal with a normal crystalline atomic structure. The result is astounding: while one ball behaves in an expected fashion, the other bounces for an impossibly long time.
• Structures and Defects: Are defects always bad? It depends on the properties the materials scientist is trying to create. Play with a sheet of ball bearings and discover how this simple model can be used to investigate the role "grain boundaries" play in creating stronger metals.
• Material Science – Overview Video: How does materials science use atoms and molecules to design the "stuff" of our everyday lives? How has it changed human history and how does the performance of materials grow from their structure, properties and processing? In this video, visitors meet materials scientists who bring it all together.