Power of Ideas Exhibition: Canada's interactive traveling exhibition showcasing the wonders of science

The traveling exhibition is supported by Cowan Foundation and is a joint effort of the Perimeter Institute – a leading research facility devoted to Physics -- and the Ontario Science Centre (OSC).

Cowan Foundation was started in 1995 in honour of Frank Cowan, the founder of Frank Cowan Company.

In 2017, as Canada celebrates its 150th anniversary of Confederation, 'Innovatio150' -- of which PIE is a part -- was selected as a national project and one of several Canada 150 Signature initiatives by the Department of Canadian Heritage, for creating an experience that brings the wonder of science to Canadians.

The PIE exhibition is travelling to schools and science centres across the country, with a goal to inspire students (mainly students in grades 7 to 12), teachers and the public with the wonders of science and technology.

Nick Butt from the Perimeter Institute said that this Traveling Exhibition for junior and high school students, started from B.C., Canada and covered approximately 60 different communities in Canada so far.

He said the exhibition explores changing ideas about our universe and invites visitors to take a hands-on approach to learning the scientific method to better understand how scientists investigate the natural world.

The exhibition includes: Wall of Ideas, What’s your Model, Large Hardon Collider, Peer into the Past, Eyes to the Skies, Spin to Infin’, and Keep the Memories.

Wall of Ideas explains the collaborative nature of Science and includes photos, experiments, and information, spanning from the very first radio waves transmission in 1887 to Einstein's theory of relativity and gravitational forces .

What’s your Model encourages students to participate in a giant exploration tube and to invent their own model to share with others in the event.

High school students, John and Michael, pulled on the ropes hanging out of a large rope and observed what happened and tried to model how the ropes were arranged and connected inside.

Large Hardon Collider was a replica of  the 27-km long underground tunnel located outside of Genewa, Switzerland and built by thousands of scientists in two decades, and believed to be the largest and most complex machine in the entire planet.

At the exhibition, high school student Peggy, with a passion for physics, experimented with the power of the Large Hadron Collider to smash protons and discussed with her classmates how the phenomenon worked.

Peer into the Past, shows the “delay” effect by using a special mirror that that shows the person’s reflection delayed by a few seconds.

Another student, 10-year old Sebastien was thrilled with the delayed effect of his reflection as he stood in front of the mirror.

Eyes to the Skies explores the black holes, the most mysterious objects in the universe with a stong gravity that does not allow even light to penetrate through it. Currently the scientists have launched Event Horizon Telescope to explore more sites about this strange phenomenon

Spin to Infin’ enables participants to enjoy an amazing journey from the farthest reaches of the cosmos all the way down to the ultramicroscopic world of substance particles.

Keep the Memories shares with people of all ages the wonders of science and how it works, and the crucial role of invention.

PEI also includes an interactive presentation for youth that draws on stories of Canada’s past and inspires the innovator in all of us.

Twelve-year old Raman, visiting the travelling exhibition with his parents, was fascinated when he stood at the edge of a black hole and watched their legs turn to spaghetti, which travelled from the vastness of the universe all the way down to the subatomic scale.

(Reporting by Asha Bajaj)