National Museum of Mathematics Celebrates First Anniversary, Attracts Over 170,000 Visitors In One Year And Shatters Attendance Goal

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MoMath Pythagorize the Flatiron

We wanted to create an experience that changes public perceptions of mathematics by revealing the fun, cool and beautiful aspects of the subject that can keep children interested in math for life.

New York, NY (PRWEB) December 12, 2013

In just one year since opening on December 15, 2012, the wildly popular National Museum of Mathematics (MoMath), located beside Madison Square Park in Manhattan in New York City, has attracted over 170,000 visitors, nearly tripling its attendance goal. This weekend (December 13-15), MoMath will continue its first anniversary celebration with a series of exciting events that engage children and adults of all ages in the fun and engaging world of mathematics.

“When we set out to create the only math museum in North America, we saw an incredible demand for hands-on math programming,” said Glen Whitney, MoMath co-founder and co-executive director. “We wanted to create an experience that changes public perceptions of mathematics by revealing the fun, cool and beautiful aspects of the subject that can keep children interested in math for life. With over 170,000 visitors in our first year, we feel confident that we’re on the right track.”    

Innovative math programming has played a significant role in MoMath’s success. On Thursday, December 5, MoMath kicked off its first anniversary celebration by gathering nearly 2,000 math enthusiasts to “Pythagorize” the historic Flatiron building on 23rd Street and Fifth Avenue. Participants of all ages surrounded the landmark Flatiron Building with glow sticks to create a stunning illuminated proof of the Pythagorean Theorem, which states that every right triangle has side lengths satisfying the formula a2 + b2 = c2. The largest math demonstration in New York history, this tribute was the first in an ongoing series of MathHappenings that MoMath is planning to celebrate New York City through math and art.

“At MoMath, we have a wide range of exhibits that appeal to all age groups - from the Square-Wheeled Trike, which demonstrates the mathematical principle ‘for every wheel there is a road’, to Math Square, a Jumbotron-like floor that creates full-body engagement through a variety of math puzzles and games,” said Cindy Lawrence, who joined Whitney in founding the Museum and is now co-executive director. “Our special math programs build upon what we have onsite and play a key role in bringing math to life in an engaging way.”

In celebration of its first anniversary, MoMath will host a series of interactive events for all ages, including:

Family Friday: An Enigmatic Evening: Friday, December 13, 6:30 – 8 p.m.
Momath's Enigmaster, Pradeep Mutalik, founder of the New York Times “Numberplay” weekly math puzzle blog, will share his experience in puzzles and resolutions. The Enigmaster will explore several of his favorite puzzles and present easy to understand solutions that can be key to instilling a lifelong love of mathematics and general problem solving. Learn more at familyfriday.momath.org.

Dimensions: the MoMath Puzzle Hunt, Saturday, December 14, 3 – 7:30 p.m.
This thrilling, competitive and addictive puzzle hunt is meant for intrepid experts and bold novices alike. Dimensions will be solved at the Museum over the course of a few hours and features word puzzles, logic puzzles, secret codes and prizes. The 2012 puzzle hunt was a huge success, as more than 20 teams, featuring a wide cross-section of players from high school students to hedge fund analysts, battled it out to find a missing number among MoMath's many exhibits. This year's Dimensions Hunt, constructed by a team of puzzle writers from all over the U.S., is a multilayered tribute to the brilliant mathematician and war hero Alan Turing, who was instrumental in breaking enemy codes during World War II. Learn more at dimensions.momath.org.

One-Hunt: A Family Scavenger Hunt, Sunday, December 15, 10 – 5:30 p.m.
Using a list of cryptic clues, participants will be challenged to hunt down the number ones that are carefully hidden throughout both floors of the Museum. These cheeky tokens of MoMath’s momentous first year may be anywhere: up above, underfoot, behind a window, inside an exhibit. No registration is required. The One-Hunt is open to all visitors to MoMath on Sunday, December 15.

MoMath’s First Birthday Party, Sunday, December 15, 7 – 11 p.m.
MoMath will celebrate its first birthday with the grand opening of a new exhibit, followed by a group construction event. Dynamic Wall, a kinetic mathematical showcase that forms the centerpiece of the lobby, will make its debut at 7 p.m. This moving, computer-controlled wall will create a unique canvas on which to display a wide variety of wave phenomena, cellular automata, combinatorial algorithms and more. All attendees will also work together to build Parabolic Falls, a life-sized, glowing mathematical sculpture using four six-foot tetrahedra, arranged as in the first approximation to a Sierpinski Tetrahedron. Participants will cap off the evening with a champagne toast in honor of 365 days of hands-on, dynamic, mathematical fun. Learn more at one.momath.org.

For a complete list of upcoming events, visit momath.org/about/upcoming-events/.

About the National Museum of Mathematics
The National Museum of Mathematics (MoMath) strives to enhance public understanding and perception of mathematics in daily life. The only math museum in North America, MoMath fulfills an incredible demand for hands-on math programming, creating a space where those who are math-challenged – as well as math enthusiasts of all backgrounds and levels of understanding – can revel in their own personal realm of the infinite world of mathematics through more than 30 state-of-the-art interactive exhibits. MoMath has also been awarded the bronze 2013 MUSE Award for Education and Outreach by the American Alliance of Museums. MoMath is located at 11 E 26th St on the north side of popular Madison Square Park in Manhattan. The Museum is open seven days a week from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. For more information, visit momath.org.

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