exploratorium

Exhibits

SUBJECTS

Genetics

Are Your Cells You?

Examine living HeLa cells—the first “immortal” cell line—and explore ethical and philosophical questions about these historic and controversial cells.

Where:   Gallery 4: Living Systems
Is It Genetic?

Answer questions about certain of your physical features, such as what color your eyes are, and how attached the bottoms of your ears are to your head. Then find out what roles genes and your environment play in these traits. 

Where:   Gallery 4: Living Systems
Leaves that Sprout Plants

Looking closely at the leaves of kalanchoe plants, you can see tiny sprouts growing from the leaf edges. Each of these plantlets can grow into a clone—a genetic copy of the parent plant.

Where:   Gallery 4: Living Systems
Probably Chelsea

Twenty different sculptural portraits, all based on the same person's DNA information. 

Where:   Gallery 4: Living Systems
Weird Wings

See how the combination of DNA mutations and temperature can change the shape of a fly's wings.

Where:   Gallery 4: Living Systems
Within 15 Minutes

Alma Haser photographed sets of identical twins and made them into identical jigsaw puzzles. She then swapped every other piece of their puzzles, completely mixing them half and half. Not always knowing where their eyes mouth, and lips would end up, the result is a pair of eerie, unrecognizable portraits. 

Where:   Gallery 4: Living Systems