Museum of Science and Industry, Chicago

05/17/2020

Museum moment of zen. ⚡

05/16/2020

Today's (tasty) science project inspo: Fermenting peppers for hot sauce! Click for full step-by-step instructions on how to make the house hot sauce from The Promontory in Hyde Park. msichicago.org/periodictable

🍴Science Snack: Fermentation is a process where an organism breaks down a carbohydrate, like sugar or starch, into an alcohol or acid. In this recipe sugars are being converted into lactic acid. This will kick up the acidity and spiciness in the sauce.

05/15/2020

Periodic Table Hot Sauce

Science on your kitchen counter! We've teamed up again with The Promontory for an at-home edition of our popular Periodic Table. This hot sauce recipe from Executive Chef Carlos Cruz can be used on tacos, as dip and on anything else you’re craving a little added spice. Full instructions at msichicago.org/periodictable.

Science Snack: The Scoville Heat Scale measures the hotness of a pepper. The Fresno chili is around 2,500-10,000 Scoville heat units. You can use other peppers for this recipe too! Try a jalapeno for a little less heat (2,500-8,000 units) or a Serrano pepper for a little more heat (10,000-23,000 units).

Try this hot sauce recipe for your Memorial Day weekend. Chef Carlos Cruz from the Promontory restaurant in Hyde Park brings the heat, and we bring a little science on the side.

05/15/2020

On May 15, 1954 the U-505 began its voyage by tugboat from Portsmouth, New Hampshire to MSI. This journey through four of the five Great Lakes covered a distance of 3,000 miles. Celebrate and learn more about the journey of U-505's to MSI here. ➡️ https://www.msichicago.org/explore/whats-here/exhibits/u-505-submarine/story/the-first-exhibition/the-trip-to-chicago/

05/14/2020

Tangled filament️ and jumbled 3D prints, ugh. But the end result is worth it! Each bag pictured shows 300 face shield frames ready for pickup and distribution to Chicago hospitals.

Trial and error have been large parts of the 3D-printed PPE process for MSI staff. Troubleshooting with each other via Zoom has been super helpful, but also reaching out to other makers within the Illinois PPE Network. Failure is all a part of the maker process, and it’s the right step toward something great.

Check out www.illinoisppe.org to learn about the Illinois PPE Network, as well as thingiverse.com to find more 3D-printing possibilities.

05/13/2020

Get outside and explore the physics of flight! With this DIY stomp rocket, you’ll harness the power of compression to launch a rocket through the sky. Watch this how-to video to get started today! Click to get the full activity guide. 🚀 bit.ly/2WOH3DU

05/11/2020

Ellen DeGeneres

Museum from home with this throwback from Ellen DeGeneres!

This trip I took to a science museum with a bunch of kids in 2010 was one of my favorites. They taught me so much... and I made $60 babysitting.

05/10/2020

Museum moment of zen. ⛰️

05/09/2020

Here's some inspiration for all makers looking for an activity this weekend. Trade ya for some recipes?

05/08/2020

You've likely caught your reflection in a mirror or while looking out the window today, but have you ever thought about how that happens? Reflections are visible when light bounces off a smooth, shiny surface and back into your eyes. But what happens when you look at the reflection of a mirror… in another mirror? Let’s build a kaleidoscope to find out! msichicago.org/science-at-home/summer-brain-games/activities/kaleidoscope/

05/08/2020

Go on a hunt outdoors and use our Numbers in Nature lesson plan to learn that patterns can happen in the natural world! Discover symmetry in butterfly wings, fractals in tree branches and spirals in growing ferns. Get our free lesson plans and more here: bit.ly/3bekqxG.

05/06/2020

At home, but hard at work! MSI staff are getting used to their new functional decor. These 3D printers continue to print PPE for hospital personnel and essential workers, and we're inching closer to a milestone! Almost 5,000 face shield frames have been printed and distributed.

Check out https://sites.google.com/margalus.com/illinoisppe/home to learn about the Illinois PPE Network, as well as thingiverse.com to find more 3D-printing possibilities.

At home, but hard at work! MSI staff are getting used to their new functional decor. These 3D printers continue to print PPE for hospital personnel and essential workers, and we're inching closer to a milestone! Almost 5,000 face shield frames have been printed and distributed.

Check out https://sites.google.com/margalus.com/illinoisppe/home to learn about the Illinois PPE Network, as well as thingiverse.com to find more 3D-printing possibilities.

05/06/2020

We’ve opened our STEM Network to make it easier for parents and educators to access science resources during school closures. Find free resources from our community partners and organizations like LEGO Education, National Geographic and more! Click to get access to free worksheets, interactive games and curriculum now. stem.msichicago.org

05/05/2020

Happy Teacher Appreciation Day! Watch along as Dr. Olivia Castellini, senior exhibit developer at MSI, conducts a straw bridge experiment inspired by one of her favorite teachers. Who is your favorite teacher? Check out more experiments online at msichicago.org/scienceathome.

05/04/2020

The “E” in eLearning doesn’t stand for easy, but what you do is essential. Thank you to all teachers who are working tirelessly to continue educating their students from home!

05/04/2020

Museum moment of zen. 🌸

05/03/2020

Museum moment of zen. 🌸

05/02/2020

Need some book recommendations for your May reading list? How about these "tails."

05/01/2020

We love May 1 because it is the anniversary of the opening of the 1893 World's Fair, the origin of our historic building! Time travel to the 19th century with this Curious City video of what it was like to be a visitor at the fair. ➡️ https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=158&v=8HSsZNV1Iqg&feature=emb_logo

04/30/2020

Percy Hale Lund was head draftsman at the Museum of Science and Industry in the Museum's early years. His conceptual rendering for the first exhibits are now part of the Museum’s archive. This particular rendering conveyed MSI's plans—before it opened in 1933—to one day acquire a submarine. Lund portrays what is thought to be U-151, a German sub surrendered after World War I. (Charcoal drawing, 1932)

04/30/2020

Fab Labs around the world have changed what they typically use 3D printers for and are now making face shields, masks and more to support essential workers including frontline medical workers. This image from one of our current offsite “printing farms” in Chicago shows an ongoing live feed of Fab Labs in Brazil, Seoul, Shanghai, Spain, and Taipei—all working under the International Fab Lab Network umbrella. This virtual room serves as a meeting place for makers to check in on each other’s efforts, and to just make human connections with a friendly “hello” and “how can we help?"

So far, MSI has printed more than 2,000 face shields with many now being used by healthcare workers. We’ll continue to keep you updated, and in the meantime check out https://sites.google.com/margalus.com/illinoisppe/home to learn about the Illinois PPE Network, as well as thingiverse.com to find more 3D-printing possibilities.

04/29/2020

Build your own boat that uses kinetic energy stored in rubber bands to move. Try your boat indoors using a sink, tub or large container, or head outside and use rain puddles. You can also decorate your boat and see if you can give a toy figure a ride! Watch the video below to get started, or click to get the full activity guide. 🛥️ bit.ly/2KMKTHW

04/29/2020

Mayor Lightfoot Will Bring Chicago's Cultural Gems to Students with WTTW

We're looking forward to joining the Chicago Mayor's Office and Citadel Careers for this series! Stay tuned for more details on our episode-release date, and what MSI favorites you'll get to revisit from home. Hit Play Chicago

Families and students may not be able to visit Chicago's cultural institutions in person right now, but in a new weekly series they can go behind the scences of places like the Shedd Aquarium and National Museum of Mexican Art with Mayor Lori Lightfoot.

04/28/2020

We are honored to be a finalist in Fast Company's 2020 World Changing Ideas Awards in the Education category for our program, MedLab. MedLab is the world’s first whole-classroom virtual medical lab, which removes barriers, including cost, transportation, location, to provide a platform for students to experience dynamic science programming. Learn more about body systems at home by playing Code Fred: Survival Mode. bit.ly/2VM4yOQ

04/28/2020

This isn't an illusion, it's science! Learn how your eyes work to perceive color with this disappearing color experiment. Curious about other science topics? Leave a comment with other experiments you'd like to see!

04/27/2020

This scene from the Great Train Story exhibit shows the Chicago and State Red Line "L" stop. The subway station is recreated brick for brick, and is populated to reflect the individuals who were waiting for the train at 1:56 p.m. on April 3, 2002. What is your favorite Great Train Story scene?

04/26/2020

Museum moment of zen.🌪

04/25/2020

For this year’s National Volunteer Week, everyone at the Museum of Science and Industry wants to say thank you to all of the MSI volunteers who have spent their time helping others both inside and out of the Museum. Thank you for all that you do!

04/24/2020

For National Volunteer Recognition Week, we're celebrating MSI volunteers like Stephanie who are helping their communities during the Museum closure. Stephanie teamed up with others to create a page to educate youth on the science behind COVID-19. She is also crafting posters with info on how to sign-up to receive grocery delivery from the West Side Mutual Aid. Thank you, Stephanie!

04/23/2020

With the extension of Illinois' stay-at-home order, we will remain closed until further notice. We are closely following the science, and are working earnestly on a plan to welcome you all back as safely as possible.

In the meantime, we're excited to continue to connect with you online through virtual events, live science experiments, artifact histories and 360 video of our exhibits. If there is a topic or exhibit you're curious about, feel free to leave a comment or email us at [email protected]. We’d love to share more. msichicago.org/scienceathome

04/23/2020

The fairies have granted our wish! We can now be inside of Colleen Moore's Fairy Castle. Enjoy these 360 photos of the Castle while imagining you’re six inches tall.

The fairies have granted our wish! We can now be inside of Colleen Moore's Fairy Castle. Enjoy these 360 photos of the Castle while imagining you’re six inches tall.

04/23/2020

For National Volunteer Recognition Week we want to celebrate MSI Volunteers who donated a combined 43,000 hours to the helping the Museum last year. Even though the Museum is closed many of our volunteers are still supporting and serving their communities like Ken.

Ken, also known as Captain Ken, is currently volunteering by driving and loading trucks for his local food pantry.

04/23/2020

This is an inside look at the process of 3D printing PPE. Dan Meyer, senior manager of MSI's Wanger Family Fab Lab, recorded his current setup inside a room in his apartment complex where he's continuously tuning machines to send out to more MSI staff. He also created a face shield design that allows the frames to be printed in stacks, enabling 15 frames to be printed at once instead of one at a time.

We'll continue to update you on the progress, stay tuned for more! https://sites.google.com/margalus.com/illinoisppe/home

04/21/2020

MSI Asks: Extreme Ice Photographer James Balog

Extreme Ice photographer James Balog has seen glaciers completely vanish as a result of climate change. He'll be answering questions live tomorrow, Earth Day, after a virtual viewing of his film "The Human Element." This is a free event. ➡️ msichicago.org/earthday

04/21/2020

The 50th anniversary of Earth Day is tomorrow! Try this themed experiment that demonstrates how air pressure causes water to rise. For more at-home science, check out msichicago.org/scienceathome!