Photo by Stanley Blanchard, More Molecularium photos.

Rensselaer premiered the Molecularium™ show, Riding Snowflakes, a state-of-the-art computer generated animation for digital dome theaters designed to spark the interest of young children in the atoms and molecules that constitute our world. Supported by a grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF), the show's creators have integrated advanced scientific simulations into an immersive educational animation to produce a magical, musical adventure to excite children about science

"Today we are breaking new ground in science education," said Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute President Shirley Ann Jackson, at the Feb. 4, 2005 premier. "Blending the arts, science, computation, and engineering, Rensselaer researchers working with professional artists and area educators have created a magical science experience. We want to excite children about the world of science, and the Molecularium™ program is a tremendous tool to ignite their curiosity."

The Molecularium™ is part of the educational and outreach program of Rensselaer's NSF-funded Nanoscale Science and Engineering Center (NSEC) for Directed Assembly of Nanostructures, directed by Richard Siegel, the Robert W. Hunt Professor of Materials Science and Engineering at Rensselaer.

The Rensselaer-led team has produced a 20-minute show intended to captivate students in grades K-3 while exploring the states of matter — solid, liquid, and gas. The Molecularium™ show is designed to be projected in a planetarium theater setting, but instead of taking people from earth to space, the show takes viewers on an audio-visual journey through the molecular-scale world.

"Rensselaer's NSEC has made significant contributions towards the development of new tools for discovery and innovative educational opportunities," said David L. Nelson, program director, Division of Materials Research, National Science Foundation, who participated in the premiere. "The Molecularium is a novel example of Rensselaer's success in integrating science and research with educational outreach."

The Molecularium™ project was conceived and led by Linda Schadler, professor of materials science and engineering at Rensselaer, and education and outreach coordinator for Rensselaer's NSEC. She, Shekhar Garde, associate professor of chemical and biological engineering at Rensselaer, and Siegel are the executive producers of the Molecularium™ show.

Garde led the simulation team that brought scientific accuracy to the show. Rensselaer faculty and students developed the scientific content and created software enabling the simulation and computer rendering of millions of atoms in motion. Then the accurate simulations were imported into high-end computer animation programs to be woven around computer generated characters and incorporated into a storyline by professional animators.

The show premiered at the Children's Museum of Science and Technology, located in the Rensselaer Technology Park in North Greenbush. The show is accompanied by hands-on activities at the museum developed by Rensselaer faculty, museum staff, and area educators to enhance and further develop the concepts emphasized in the Molecularium™.
For additional information on Molecularium™ visit www.molecularium.rpi.edu.

Press Release

Molecularium photos

Published February 7, 2005