Pop-Up Exhibit On Einstein's Attraction To Magnetism In Princeton

PRINCETON, NJ — A pop-up exhibition recently opened in Princeton, which showcases albert Einstein's attraction to magnetism.

When Einstein was five years old, his father gave him a compass, igniting his interest in “invisible forces.”

This story is the basis for the family-friendly exhibit located in Dohm Alley next to 102 Nassau Street. The show, which is on until Sept. 15, was funded by the Richard Lounsbery Foundation and organized by the Princeton Einstein Museum of Science.

Created as a summer pop-up show by the nascent Princeton Einstein Museum, "Einstein’s Attraction to Magnetism" features a welcoming arch, an Einstein selfie station, a hands-on magnetism activity called the Ferrofluid Playground, and four banners highlighting different aspects of magnetism. There is also an image of the actual compass Einstein owned, which today is in the collection of the Historical Society of Princeton.

The show was created by Dr. Frances Kraus, Staff Research Physicist at Princeton Plasma Physics Lab; Dr. Deborah Berebichez, a quantum physicist; exhibit designer Dr. Jonn McCollum; and museum founder Elizabeth Romanaux.

The museum’s 2023 exhibit, Albert Einstein: Champion of Racial Justice, has been touring the state for the past year. It will be at the Mercer County Library on Route 1 in Lawrence in July.

“We look forward to opening this new museum in a few years,” says founder Elizabeth Romanaux. “By tapping into people’s apparently unquenchable interest in Dr. Einstein, we can intrigue visitors with his contributions to science as well as lesser known aspects of his life.”

The Princeton Einstein Museum of Science is now under development. Aimed at visitors ages eight and up, PEMS will inspire guests with the wonder of Dr. Einstein’s creative methods and remarkable insights.