Recent programs from the Exploratorium

Passionately Curious (Clip)

Fri, 03 Sep 2010 07:00:00 +0100

For John Edmark, geometry is a foundation for creating beauty. Here he explains his interest in unexpected natural phenemona, and how visitors to his kaleidoscopic piece, The Geometron, can turn simple shapes into surprisingly intricate patterns of reflection.

It Feels Wonderful (Clip)

Fri, 03 Sep 2010 07:00:00 +0100

Master weaver Stacy Speyer explains how her relationship to math morphed from casual curiosity into an intensive study of the multifaceted shapes known as polyhedra. After re-creating these fundamental geometric forms in different materials, she developed her own variations and juxtapositions.

Beauty Is A Way In (Clip)

Fri, 03 Sep 2010 07:00:00 +0100

Tauba Auerbach talks about randomness, the unity of art and science, and the way her Geometry Playground piece uses the beauty of geometry to draw visitors into a zone of comfort with math and their own artistic capabilities.

Flowers on the Freeway (Slideshow)

Fri, 27 Aug 2010 07:00:00 +0100

Hayes Valley Farm is a community-run farm on a former freeway in the middle of San Francisco. The land was slated for condo development but the plan was put off when the economy slumped. Out of the ashes of that dream arose a utopia of a different sort; a suspended reality where fruit trees are grown on what was once a freeway on-ramp choked with cars. Now there are flowers growing out of the double yellow lines, and constant opportunities for children and adults to learn how to grow food and to get dirty doing it. Although the farm has only an "interim use" permit, meaning that it can't last forever, farmers Zoey Kroll and Jay Rosenberg know that the enduring harvest of this project--the truth that even the most outlandish-sounding things are possible if we make them so--will far outlive the farm itself.

Meredith Monk Part 1 (Podcast)

Fri, 20 Aug 2010 07:00:00 +0100

Meredith Monk has been on the vanguard of interdisciplinary performance for 45 years. In this conversation from 1984, she discusses her works of that era, reflects on her process and aspirations for her work, takes questions, and performs excerpts from Education of the Girlchild.

Meredith Monk Part 2 (Podcast)

Fri, 20 Aug 2010 07:00:00 +0100

Geometric Threads (Clip)

Tue, 10 Aug 2010 07:00:00 +0100

Amy Williams, chair of Fashion at San Francisco's California College of Arts encourages the creative spirit of her students through creation of opulent gowns, made in a day with just pattern makers tissue and tape. The result is not only an education for students, but also a playful and performative experience in the process of fashion creation.

Story of a Plate (Slideshow)

Tue, 10 Aug 2010 07:00:00 +0100

Chef Mourad Lahlou of Aziza restaurant is known for elegance and sophistication in his modern Moroccan dishes but often finds inspiration in simple things and unlikely places. In this journey behind the kitchen door, we shadow his entire process as he follows his heart from farm to table. The process is a solid team effort, from Lahlou's special relationships with the people who grow the food to the collaborative kitchen environment that he cultivates. We witness Chef Lahlou blend art and science, and precision and innovation, in his quest to create a plate that is elegant, surprising, and true to its ingredients.

Nomadic Communites (Clip)

Sun, 08 Aug 2010 07:00:00 +0100

This week's After Dark event explored the connection between the diverse nomadic communities that thrive in the bay area.

Deep Sea Discoveries (Webcast)

Thu, 05 Aug 2010 07:00:00 +0100

Look over the shoulders of ocean explorers as they map and send their ROV into the little-known and unknown regions of the deep sea. "Voyages of Discovery" connects the Exploratorium with NOAA's newest ship, the Okeanos Explorer, currently in the Pacific Ocean near Indonesia, as it carries out its first exploration voyage. In this program, we connect live with marine scientists at the Okeanos' Exploration Command Center in Seattle, learn about the mission's latest discoveries and see new video of some of the amazing animals they've encountered on their mission.