The MIT Museum invites everyone to skip the mall on the day after Thanksgiving and take part in the museum's annual F.A.T. (Friday After Thanksgiving) Science Chain Reaction.
Participants can create their own chain reaction out of materials lying around the house. It can be as simple as books falling against one another or as complicated as a Rube Goldberg invention. For example, imagine a ball rolling down a track that lands on a board that tips a book that falls onto a string that pulls six precariously balanced blocks.
Bring your own chain reaction, or just come and watch, or perhaps help the creators link their chain reactions. Student teams and MIT artist-in-residence Arthur Ganson, renowned chain reaction creator, will be on hand to help with connections. Participants range from Girl Scout troups to artists and scientists, from MIT clubs and living groups to family teams.
For more information on how to participate, see the web site at http://web.mit.edu/museum/programs/fatinfo.html. Contact F.A.T. Coordinator Marcia Conroy at 617-452-2827 or MITFatChain00@aol.com so she can make provisions for the number of links. Bring your creation to the museum at 1pm on November 24 and connect your device to others to make one grand chain reaction.
A version of this article appeared in MIT Tech Talk on November 15, 2000.
