Understanding Matter: Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation Inaugurates Nobel Museum 2017

Lieutenant-General Dhahi Khalfan Tamim, Deputy-Chairman of Dubai Police and Public Security, launched the third annual Nobel Museum at Childrens City in Dubai Creek Park on Tuesday, February 7.

The 2017 edition of the Museum organised by the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum
Foundation (MBRF) bears the theme The Nobel Prize in Physics: Understanding Matter, and will go on until March 5.

The Nobel Museum 2017 thrusts the field of physics into the limelight, introducing the public to the discoveries and scientific achievements of the Nobel laureates in physics, which have played a significant role in improving peoples lives. The Foundation held a press conference this morning (Tuesday, February 7, 2017) at the venue hosting the Museum, attended by His Excellency Jamal bin Huwaireb, Managing Director of MBRF, and Dr Olov Amelin, Director of the Nobel Museum in Sweden, in addition to a number of representatives from local and international media outlets.

Speaking at the press conference, H.E. Jamal bin Huwaireb announced that MBRF is launching the third edition of the Nobel Museum under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Foundations Chairman, which underlines, once again, Dubais status as an ideal destination for hosting international events, especially those that promote knowledge and innovation among the youth and in society as a whole.

The Museum sheds light on prominent and successful scientists who have set an example to be followed if we are serious about building a knowledge-based economy, H.E. added. The Nobel Museum 2017 reaffirms the pivotal role that the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation plays in spreading and localising knowledge. The Foundation launches creative initiatives and projects that foster an exchange of knowledge across borders.

H.E. bin Huwaireb went on to speak in more detail about the Museums eight sections,
promising that visitors to the Nobel Museum 2017 will be given the opportunity to discover the most important scientific breakthroughs, and be introduced to the most prominent Nobel Prize laureates in physics.

Audiences will also be treated to a journey among the stars and planets of our solar system, in addition to being introduced to new fields such as quantum physics, H.E. said, revealing that Several workshops are scheduled to take place on the sidelines of the Museum to shed light on the research being conducted in centres across the UAE. The workshops will be conducted by high-profile scientists, academics, and innovators from the UAE and abroad.

In his speech, meanwhile, Dr Olov Amelin lauded the partnership between the international Nobel Foundation and the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation, which has, once again, produced a highly anticipated event this time, focusing on physics. The Nobel Museum 2017 will introduce audiences to the field of physics and its role in explaining natural phenomena. Dr Amelin hoped the Nobel Museum would inspire young Arabs to contribute to future discoveries in physics.

The Nobel Museum 2017 is made up of eight different sections: The Rays and Waves section allows visitors to discover the interior of objects and bodies using X-ray imagery, while the Matter section presents an interactive table with three touchscreens, allowing visitors to build atoms and learn about their constituent parts and the properties of elements. Stars and Universe offers visitors a completely immersive experience with a video projected on a large screen, taking them on a journey through our universe. The Electronics section, meanwhile, allows visitors to build their own electronic inventions.

In the Quantum Physics section A Quantum World a projection allows the visitor to
explore different effects in quantum physics. The audience will have a chance to witness a real-life Cloud Chamber, where cosmic particles leave tracks that can be seen by the audience. Last but not least, visitors will be introduced to the different Nobel laureates in the Laureate Arena.

The Museum also offers a VR Experience, where visitors can go on a journey through the
cosmos using virtual reality equipment.

The Nobel Museum 2017 opens its doors to visitors from Sunday to Thursday, 9:00 am to 8:00 pm, and from 3:00 pm till 8:00 pm on Friday and Saturday. Targeting school and university students, as well as researchers, academics, experts, and scientists, the Museum will host five workshops at its headquarters on February 12, 19, 21, 26, and 28, at 11:00 am.