Masks and vaccinations are recommended. Plan your visit
Seeing
The Science & Mystery of How We See the World
During the summer of 2002, after more than three years of research and experimentation, the Exploratorium’s revitalized collection of exhibits on visual perception officially opened to the public. Seeing showcased classic exhibits as well as new visual experiences created especially for this exhibition.
- 2002
Adapting to Color
Change your perception of color by flooding your eyes with colored light.
Ames Chairs
What we see can depend on what we expect to see.
Where: This exhibit is not currently on view.
Aurora
A reflector stretches light from colored tiles into long bright ribbons.
Benham's Disk
When the disk is spun, the colors you see are illusions. This effect was popularized in 1894 by toymaker C. E. Benham, who called his spinning disk an “artificial spectrum top."
Where: Crossroads: Getting Started
Bird in a Cage
Stare at a bird’s eye for 30 seconds, then look into the empty cage. You’ll see a ghostly bird—of a very different color—inside the cage
Blood Cells in Your Eye
Gaze into the eyepiece at the blue light, looking for bright specks moving in short bursts against the background, and feeling your pulse as you watch them.
Where: Gallery 4: Living Systems
Bright Black
At this exhibit, find out how subjective brightness can be as you struggle—and fail—to correctly decide whether the squares you see are black or white.
Change Blindness
Something changes each time this picture blinks . . . but you probably won't see it.
Color Conflicts
When can reading get in the way of speaking?
Countless Colors
How many colors can you make by mixing red, green, and blue light?
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