The Physics Dimension

05/29/2026

Some of our fun from Wednesday at the Des Plaines Public Library!

Thanks again to everyone who came out!

What happens when you touch a static electricity generator?

04/22/2026

Registration opens today for our popular DPPL monthly program. Get your spot early, as previous events have filled fast!

This month’s show is LOUD, with vacuum cannon and a gong target, and our decibel meter will keep track of just how loud we’ll get! We can’t wait to share the library edition Target Practice with you.

The Physics Dimension is here for another fun science show! Disclaimer: This week's show will include some loud noises. Registration required beginning April 22nd. Best for K+ . Event starts at April 29, 2026 7:00 PM CDT

04/15/2026

I didn’t expect to get emotional watching the Artemis launch. But I did. More than once.

Something about seeing humans prepare to return to the Moon, and knowing my kids are growing up in a world where that’s happening again, hit me harder than I expected. I tried to explain to my son why this moment matters, and realized how hard it is to put that kind of scale into words.

That feeling of awe and curiosity is exactly what we’re trying to capture and share in what we build.

I wrote a little more about that (and how it connects to what we’re doing locally) here:

Explore how NASA’s Artemis mission inspires hands-on STEM learning. See how libraries bring science to life through interactive demonstrations and programs.

03/14/2026

We had an incredible evening bringing the Carousel of Science to the Kohl Gala, supporting our local children’s museum.

We donated the Carousel as the cocktail-hour entertainment, expecting a relaxed hour of demos and conversations. Instead, the curiosity of the guests turned the evening into a full-on science playground -- with people gathering around liquid nitrogen experiments, quantum levitation, infrared imaging, vacuum demonstrations, and even our potato piano.

It was one of those moments where the room reminds you why science belongs everywhere -- not just classrooms and labs, but community celebrations and spaces where people come together.

A huge thank you to the whole KCM team - especially Dave Judy - for coordinating our involvement and making sure we could be part of such a meaningful fundraiser.

We’ve shared the full behind-the-scenes recap of the evening at the accompanying link.

And once we receive photos from the event photographer, we’re excited to share those too!

The Physics Dimension brought the Carousel of Science to the Kohl Gala, supporting Kohl Children's Museum with interactive STEM demos at the fundraiser.

02/26/2026

Tonight’s Sweet Science library debut exceeded every expectation!

We were told to expect about a dozen attendees. More than 50 came.
We pre-portioned samples for 24 kids. Every single one was claimed.

Rock candy crystals, hard crack toffee, supersaturated solutions, and a ton of real exploration and inquiry.

Of course, a debut event like this isn’t complete without a small hiccup - our printer bricked while we were making the recipe book handouts! If you’d like the take-home recipe booklet, you can download it here:

🔗 www.thephysicsdimension.com/sweet-recipes/

We’re so grateful for an engaged audience and an incredible first library show. Thank you to DPPL staff, especially Youth Services, and to everyone who came out to welcome us!

More soon!

Sweet Science HandoutDownload

02/19/2026

Sweet Science is heading to the Des Plaines library!

We’ve been busy growing rock candy crystals, testing caramelization temperatures, and refining hands-on experiments that show how the same ingredient — sugar — can dissolve, organize, and transform in surprising ways.

This upcoming program blends real chemistry with visible, edible science and inquiry-based exploration for all ages.

If you’re joining us at the library, get ready to experiment. We'll see you at 7pm on Wednesday, February 25!



https://thephysicsdimension.com/2026/02/19/sweet-science-is-coming-to-dppl/

01/15/2026

We are so excited for our first public program through the Des Plaines Public Library! We’re starting with a 4-month story show series the last Wednesday of each month, with our first show on February 25 at 7pm.

01/14/2026

We love seeing play spaces that quietly sneak STEM into the fun — and (www.kidsplayhive.com) absolutely delivers.

Airflow, motion, swings, balls, gravity, ramps… all the ingredients for curiosity-driven learning, wrapped up in joyful free play.

Congratulations to the Kids Play Hive team on opening a beautiful new space for families! 🐝✨

https://thephysicsdimension.com/2026/01/13/celebrating-stem-rich-play-in-our-community/

11/16/2025

🌟 Partner Spotlight: Glenstar 🌟
As we get ready to debut our brand-new Carousel of Science, we want to give a huge thank-you to the team at Glenstar.
They were the first to say “yes” to this wild new project, offering us space, support, and a community-ready platform to introduce our rotating, hands-on science experience to the world.
Their commitment to bringing community-centered programming into their buildings is exactly the kind of partnership that helps small businesses like ours grow in meaningful ways.
We’re excited to share science with employees at the Schaumburg Corporate Center this Wednesday, November 19 — and honored to kick off our Carousel’s very first spin in one of their spaces.

🔗 Read the full behind-the-scenes story through this link.
🧪 And if you’re attending the event, come say hi!

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Discover how our ambitious Carousel of Science project evolved through creativity and determination into an exciting, immersive table experience!

11/15/2025