The Vilnius University Museum, in collaboration with the Faculty of Physics, has unveiled an exhibition titled “The Invisible Becomes Visible”, showcasing the rich history of physics as a science. At the opening event, Laurynas – representative of Physics Day (FiDi) – led us through a series of captivating experiments. Several exhibits from the Physics Museum in Saulėtekis have been temporarily relocated to the Vilnius University’s Observatory of Ideas. We invite you to visit the exhibition until 29 October.
Student Laurynas demonstrated the FiDi experiments
The exhibition showcases devices, instruments, and other museum artefacts that have long been preserved at the Physics Museum in Saulėtekis. These items bear witness to the history of scientific ideas, reflecting fields such as mechanics, electricity, magnetism, optics, atomic and nuclear physics. At first glance, the diverse exhibits collectively reveal just how varied and complex physics is – and the intricate path leading to its greatest discoveries.
For example, the cylindrical slide rule is a mathematical calculation tool that was widely used before before electronic calculators were introduced. Unlike conventional linear slide rules, its cylindrical shape allowed for a longer logarithmic scale to be fitted into a compact space, enabling greater calculation accuracy. This early 20th-century instrument stands out for having been used by one of Lithuania’s most renowned scientists physicist and mathematician Prof. Adolfas Jucys (1904–1974) in his calculations of atomic parameters. It highlights the instrument’s significant practical value in scientific research and its importance in the development of theoretical physics in Lithuania.
An authentic graphite fragment was donated to the Physics Museum by Prof. Algirdas Šileika (1932–2018), one of Lithuania’s pioneering specialists in semiconductor physics. It was received from the University of Chicago to mark the 25th anniversary of the reactor’s operation. This small piece of the world’s first nuclear reactor holds great significance in the history of global energy.
The exhibition’s title suggests an invitation and a desire to make the world of physics accessible to the public. We warmly invite you to visit “The Invisible Becomes Visible” and explore these and other exhibits up close. This event is part of the celebrations marking the 60th anniversary of the Faculty of Physics.
The exhibition is open until 29 October. Location: Vilnius University’s Observatory of Ideas, M. K. Čiurlionis Street 29, Vilnius. Opening hours: Monday to Saturday, 9:00–18:00.
