Constructing Knowledge

"This is where we are going to build the planetarium", says Nicolas Didier as he measures out part of the room with a sweeping gesture of his hand. The director of the Science Center in Differdange knows how to make the future feel close. He stands next to a long row of room dividers; the wall that was here a short time ago has been torn down in preparation for the expansion. Didier shifts to the right: "And back there we are planning to set up a atelier focused on cutting different materials with waterjets. Plasma cutters are passé, way too imprecise. Nowadays, you can get it right on the first try." He whirls around, "And here, right behind you, we have left a piece of the old wall. There we will place a large mirror, which will be filmed by a thermal imaging camera. This is how we want to demonstrate the thermal conductivity of different metals to show people how insulation works." Somewhere between the stations, he reckons, is still some room left for a maths studio, which is supposed to soothe people's fear of numbers.