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Fast Forward … Inventing the Future Provided by Museum of Science and Industry  |
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 In celebration of its 75th Anniversary, the Museum is looking to the future with the opening of its newest permanent exhibit Fast Forward … Inventing the Future. This permanent, rotating exhibit, open to the public now, showcases cutting-edge technology and innovations developed by groundbreaking inventors and scientists from around the world. Within the exhibit, guests learn how ingenuity and creativity are being used to shape our future and advance our society in the areas of agriculture, transportation, entertainment, energy and much more.
Fast Forward challenges all of us to ask “What if?” What if you could repair your body at the cellular level to live forever? What if you could really replicate food like on Star Trek? What if robots were so lifelike you couldn’t distinguish them from real humans? What if a farmer could grow his crops in a crowded city? Seemingly impossible challenges can be overcome by beginning with this simple “What if?”question.
The Fast Forward interactive gallery features 12 innovators, selected by Museum exhibit staff, who are asking this question—and pushing the current boundaries of science and technology. Guests will discover what motivates these visionaries, understand their challenges, and experience and interact with their successes. As innovation speeds forward, so will the exhibit. The exhibit content and featured innovators will rotate to keep pace with the latest in scientific discovery and technological advancement.
The exhibit also features “young innovators”—young people beyond their years who show great promise, vision and motivation to change the world. The first young innovator profiled is a self-taught 20-year-old, William Kamkwamba, who as a teenager built a windmill out of scrap materials to provide electricity for his family. He now dreams of powering every village in his African nation of Malawi.
Guests can examine the work of all of these groundbreakers through video presentations, models and prototypes of actual new inventions. In the first iteration of the exhibit, they will: discover the advances in robotics that are creating robots that can think, reason and even learn from experience; witness clothing that is engineered to communicate emotions over long distances and respond to the environment; try their hand at planting virtual crops in a vertical farm created for urban landscapes; reflect on the possibility of living for 1,000 years; and learn to “play” an amazing new instrument in a matter of minutes.
Fast Forward demonstrates with a spark of inspiration, and hard work, the future of our world can be changed, and the seemingly impossible can become possible. The inspiring stories of these innovators will encourage Museum guests to dream big— because anyone of us can produce extraordinary ideas and because we, as a collective society, are inventing the future.
The Museum extends a special thanks to our 75th Anniversary sponsors American Family Insurance; American Honda Motor Co., Inc.; Baxter International Inc.; ComEd; Dominick’s; Motorola Foundation; Peoples Gas; and PepsiCo; and media partner NBC5.
The Museum of Science and Industry’s mission is to inspire the inventive genius in everyone. The Museum first opened its doors on June 19, 1933. In 2008—more than 175 million guests later—the Museum commemorates its 75th Anniversary with a year-long celebration. Located at 57th Street and Lake Shore Drive, the Museum is open every day of the year except December 25. Regular Museum hours are 9:30 a.m. until 4:00 p.m., Monday through Saturday, and 11:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. on Sunday. The general admission pricing is $13 for adults, $12 for seniors and $9 for children ages 3 to 11. City of Chicago residents receive a discount on general admission. Free general admission will be offered every weekday from September 2-30, as well as Saturday Sept. 20. The Museum offers indoor parking and is accessible by CTA and Metra. The Museum is supported in part through the generosity of the people of Chicago through the Chicago Park District. For more information, visit the Museum’s Web site at www.msichicago.org or call (773) 684-1414 or (800) GO-TO-MSI outside of the Chicago.
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