Through a series of fun, interactive exhibits, "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. In addition to hands-on exhibits, "Strange Matter" features fascinating micrographs (photographs taken through a microscope) of various materials and displays that reveal where we encounter some of these materials in our everyday lives.

Visitors to "Strange Matter" can also participate in free hands-on science experiments at the nearby Exploration Bar, a new science demonstration station. "Strange Matter" exhibits include:

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.

Foam
Watch a dramatic column of fluffy white foam climb toward the ceiling. Feel the form and learn the functions of a variety of foam samples, including the lightest material ever made -aerogel – at the Fleet's Exploration Bar.

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
Play with a sheet of ball bearings and discover how this simple model can be used to investigate the secret structures, strengths and weaknesses of 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 display, visitors meet the materials scientists who bring it all together.

Strange Matter will be open daily at the Reuben H. Fleet Science Center from February 9 through September 2, 2008, and is included with Fleet admission. Presented by the Materials Research Society and developed by the Ontario Science Centre, this exhibition and its tour are made possible by the generous support of the National Science Foundation, Alcan, Dow, Ford Motor Company Fund, Intel® Innovation in Education and the 3M Foundation.