By Perimeter Institute
Science exhibits, an interactive light show, and a joyful celebration of physics drew people from all walks of life to Perimeter Institute over the weekend.

September 23, 2025

Perimeter Institute opened its doors to nearly 2,000 community members over the weekend in celebration of 25 years of discovery. On Saturday and Sunday, September 20 and 21, 2025, members of the public attended PI/25: A Peek Inside the Perimeter, put on with support from the Stavros Niarchos Foundation, the presenting sponsor, and educational outreach champions Cowan and Toyota Motor Manufacturing Canada.

 

Guests had an opportunity to engage with hands-on science activities for all ages, put on by Perimeter Institute’s award-winning educational outreach team. Perimeter scientists were on hand too, to bring their research and a love of science to everyone who visited.

 

Many of the exhibits were put on in partnerships with Perimeter Institute’s partners in the Canadian science and technology space, including the University of Waterloo’s Science Outreach and Let’s Talk Science, who set up a junior scientist area for the youngest explorers. 

 

The Institute for Quantum Computing hosted an exhibit on quantum matter, and taught the basics of superconductivity with a levitating train. Exhibits highlighting ferrofluids, particle physics and black holes were on loan from the Ontario Science Centre.  

 

Hundreds of guests also gathered in Perimeter’s theatre for the debut of an original play, A Quantum of Hope, authored by Perimeter Institute alumni.

 

On Saturday evening, Perimeter’s iconic building lit up the night sky as a proud partner of Waterloo’s Lumen Festival, an annual event that brings light, art, and technology together. The art installation, ‘Say What You Will,’ transformed spoken word into light through voice activation from the audience. Each voice input was analyzed for its emotional tone and sonic qualities, and then transformed into a unique abstract animation projected onto the Institute’s façade.  

 


Perimeter would like to thank all of the sponsors and partners that made this weekend possible, including Chartwells Campus Clean, the City of Waterloo, Doors Open, the Region of Waterloo, Scotiabank and the University of Waterloo.

The celebrations continue throughout the week as part of Perimeter Institute’s 25th anniversary. 

About PI

Perimeter Institute is the world’s largest research hub devoted to theoretical physics. The independent Institute was founded in 1999 to foster breakthroughs in the fundamental understanding of our universe, from the smallest particles to the entire cosmos. Research at Perimeter is motivated by the understanding that fundamental science advances human knowledge and catalyzes innovation, and that today’s theoretical physics is tomorrow’s technology. Located in the Region of Waterloo, the not-for-profit Institute is a unique public-private endeavour, including the Governments of Ontario and Canada, that enables cutting-edge research, trains the next generation of scientific pioneers, and shares the power of physics through award-winning educational outreach and public engagement. 

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