When visitors enter “Powering the Future,” a permanent exhibit that opened in May at the Griffin Museum of Science and Industry, they’re invited to place their hands on a solid wall of ice, then wave to an infrared camera that highlights their chilled palms and fingers in blue. One of many hands-on opportunities in the energy-themed exhibit, this activity helps illustrate how energy, in the form of heat, is transferred from the human body to the ice.
Developed with support from Exelon Foundation and ComEd, among other donors from the public and private sectors, “Powering the Future” provides an accessible introduction to the science underlying energy sources such as wind power, solar power, hydropower, bioenergy, geothermal power, nuclear power, coal and natural gas. The exhibit also explores the real-world effects of using these sources, looks ahead to future energy needs and features individuals and companies who are working toward innovative solutions.
“(Energy) is central to all life on Earth, it’s central to the existence of our universe, and it’s also central to how we live in our daily lives,” said Patricia Ward, the museum’s head scientist. “Science in our daily lives is one of our strategic pillars, and that’s really my North Star (regarding) how we think about content and experience development.”
One section of the exhibit features items that educate visitors about the mechanics required to harness different forms of energy, including a cross-section of a real wind turbine and a simulated nuclear uranium fuel bundle. Quartzite, metallurgical-grade silicon and polysilicon are displayed both in raw form and as part of the solar wafers and solar cells that are sandwiched together to form solar panels. A 1930s-era alcohol distillery illustrates the process of separating liquids into different components through heating, evaporation and condensation — a similar method to the distillation of crude oil into gasoline, diesel and jet fuel.
Also on display is a geothermal panel, which captures underground waste heat from buildings and garages to generate heat that can warm entire office buildings in winter. Invented by Northwestern University faculty member Alessandro Rotta Loria, the panel was donated to the museum by Enerdrape, a clean tech start-up that he cofounded in 2019.
Captions in English and Spanish acknowledge both the advantages and the downsides to specific energy sources — noting, for example, that natural gas burns relatively cleanly but its extraction and processing can cause serious environmental damage and carbon emissions that harm the climate. According to Ward, this balanced approach is intended to encourage a realistic outlook.“We thought it was really important that even in the context of looking to the future and thinking about our energy mix and trying to be more sustainable and cleaner, we also recognize that there’s no single solution,” she said. “We are going to have a mix of energy sources for quite a long time, so we need to understand them and understand the pros and cons of each.”
The exhibit’s central space offers digital and analog activities geared toward a range of age groups. Visitors can design their own power grid by moving 3D-printed tokens across a digital tabletop display, creating pathways for power to travel from generators (hydroelectric dams, nuclear plants, wind farms, etc.) through transmitters and finally to consumers. Another station invites people to experiment with different appliances and energy sources in a model home, in order to learn about optimizing energy savings.
One eye-catching display, nicknamed the plasma trees, features five glass tubes containing argon gas and neon gas. By turning a crank, visitors can generate an electric signal that excites these gases to form a brightly lit plasma, which is a state of matter that naturally occurs in lighting and the Aurora Borealis. Other activities demonstrate the efficiency levels of gasoline-powered internal combustion engines versus electric vehicle motors and of gas burners versus induction stoves.
Attendees ages 5 through 12 can put their own abundant energy into motion by playing in a climbing area designed to evoke an electrical substation. Kids and adults alike can ride on the ComEd Coil, which encompasses two spiral slides, with single-story and multi-story options. The slides’ shape and name are inspired by the fact that a coil is “an element that you’ll find throughout different electrical scenarios,” Ward explained.
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Beyond enjoying these kid-friendly features, Ward hopes that young people will learn about the diverse range of careers that are available in the energy sector. Placards throughout the exhibit highlight occupations such as meteorologist; data analyst; chemical or nuclear engineer; computer or materials scientist; power line, solar power or wind turbine technician, and plant safety manager.
“One of the things that we really are focused on is to help kids imagine the possibilities, see themselves, be inspired, see what they resonate with,” she said.
Ward also hopes that visitors of all ages will come away with a greater appreciation for the relationship between our energy systems and the natural world, which is the ultimate source of all energy harnessed by humans.
“I would love to see that people have made the connection: you look at a body of water, you look at a wind or solar farm, or whatever kind of power plant, and you realize that without the natural workings of the Earth’s interconnected systems, it’s not possible.”
Emily McClanathan is a freelance critic.
If you go
“Powering the Future” is included with general admission to the Griffin Museum of Science and Industry, 5700 S. DuSable Lake Shore Drive; $14.95-$25.95, griffinmsi.org/exhibits/powering-the-future