Masks and vaccinations are recommended. Plan your visit
Balancing Ball
Levitating on an invisible stream of air, a beach ball seems to defy gravity. If you try to pull the ball out, you can feel a force pulling it back in—the same force that keeps an airplane in flight.
Fluttering
A constant stream of air forces a lightweight piece of free-flowing fabric up into the air. The normally invisible air current is suddenly transformed into a colorful visualization of the complexity of the air stream.
Icy Bodies
Like comets, these chunks of dry ice slowly disintegrate as they move, leaving a visible trail of condensed water vapor.
Magnetic Clouds
"Clouds" of iron particles dart and dance in a magnetic field.
Where: Gallery 2: Tinkering
Soap Film Painting
Soap film hits the big time at this exhibit, featuring a giant square soap bubble the size of a picture window. The cascading colors you see here arise from overlapping light waves that reflect from the front and back surfaces of the soap film—a phenomenon called interference.
Tidal Flow
Floating orange arrows turn a series of leftover pilings into a visual representation of water movement into and out of the Bay. As tides rise and fall, the arrows travel up and down the pilings, swiveling to point the direction of the water flow.
Where: This exhibit is not currently on view.
Turbulent Orb
The fluid in the sphere shows swirls and waves of internal fluid motions produced by the actions of the visitors. The turbulence of the fluid in the sphere is reminiscent of the turbulent flows that occur in planetary atmospheres.
Where: Gallery 4: Living Systems
Vortex
A twist of a knob sets water jets in motion, causing water in this giant cylindrical tank to spin. Soon, a tiny vortex appears at the surface, gradually swelling in size as it snakes downward.
Where: Crossroads: Getting Started
