How a wild idea, a ton of edits, and stubborn determination turned into our biggest set piece yet.
If you’ve followed The Physics Dimension for any length of time, you already know we love an ambitious project. But the Carousel of Science table? This one pushed us – and our partners!
It started as an idea and a sketch on a legal pad: a 6-foot diameter tabletop around a central cutout where the performer stands; a track circumnavigating the performer; dedicated trays on the track for hands-on science stations. It had to be stable, safe, smooth-spinning, portable (ha!), and able to fit into our minivan with the seats removed.
We weren’t sure that was physically possible. But like most good physics problems, the fun is in figuring it out.
Over the last several months, we’ve…
- built cardboard prototypes
- discussed and tested various rotation mechanisms
- talked to several vendors – one who didn’t work on projects at this small scale, one fully booked out, one who ghosted us, one that inflated their initial quote 500% when they saw the challenges of the project, and finally, Tyler at Chicago Fabrications, whom we happily hired,
- completely redesigned the concept to a more accessible build,
- learned more about lazy Susans than any two people reasonably should,
- tested height, sightlines, and reach for both kids and adults,
- emailed endlessly with the Chicago Fabrications team
- debated whether it “counts” as portable if two adults can technically lift it (jury’s still out), and
- celebrated the magical moment when we finalized the details and brought it home.
Every challenge taught us something. Every redesign made it better. And every late-night test spin reminded us why we’re doing this in the first place: to capture wonder.
👉 We have our table.
A fully functional, beautiful, immersive Carousel table with rotating elements, ready for its first real audience.
We can’t wait to let guests step up and explore stations they are drawn to, or stay to see more of the wonders of physics we’re showcasing.
👉 We have our first partner.
Our first big “yes” from a professional partner came from Glenstar, who has invited The Physics Dimension to bring our Carousel of Science to their upcoming community event.
Working with Glenstar has been a reminder of why we love doing this: science is for everyone, not just classrooms or auditoriums. It belongs in workplaces, lobbies, community hubs, and anywhere people gather with curiosity.
Their support gives us the perfect platform for our debut — space to set up, an excited audience, and a chance to share hands-on science with families and employees in a meaningful way.
We’re grateful for their enthusiasm and thrilled to launch the Carousel of Science, and we can’t wait to bring even more moments of discovery to their spaces in the future.
👉 We have our first event.
You can catch the Carousel of Science at the Schaumburg Corporate Center on Wednesday, November 19 as part of a local sampling event featuring restaurant tastings, live music, giveaways, and – of course – us! We’ll be debuting our Grand Carousel, the best of our rotating science offerings, including:
- our magnetic levitation set,
- a custom potato piano,
- vacuum demonstrations, and
- liquid nitrogen ice cream.
We’ll also be offering:
🎟️ an exclusive giveaway for a custom science event (up to a $400 value)
💸 plus 15% off any 2026 event booked by anyone who enters the drawing.
This project has been a labor of love, problem-solving, and more than a few late nights — and we’re thrilled to finally share it with you.
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