Explore, Play, Discover: Websites, Activities, and More

Get a behind-the-scenes look at activities and ideas we’re exploring.

How many objects can you follow at once?

Explore the scientific, historical, and cultural context behind a new opera about the first atomic bomb test.

Listen to the story of Ladle Rat Rotten Hut.

Just how much fat is in ground beef? You may be surprised.

Stepping is rhythmic movement that uses the body as an instrument.

A collection of auditory illusions found in indigenous folk practices, popular music, and scientific research.

You can mix just three colors of light to make over 16 million different colors!

What's really going on when you bake? Find out.

This new version of an old game will bend your brain.

Use the Science Journal mobile app to investigate the sound around you.

The earth moves in mysterious ways

Why do teens take risks, and what do our notions of risk tell us about the dangers of growing up?

Learn how to find the histories and origins of words.

Seasoned gardeners depend on a community of bacteria, worms, and insects to get the most out of their plantings. Find out why.

Grow spikes of crystals in the sun.

Amino acids and corn syrup combine to create new aromas.

A naked egg is an egg without a shell. Using vinegar, you can dissolve the eggshell without breaking the membrane that contains the egg.

See why these beautiful flowers have attracted generations of admirers.

Interact with the Cafe Wall Illusion.

Download desktop wallpaper for your computer.

How many objects can you follow at once?

Learn how to bridge the digital generation gap

View the full eclipse visible from China in 2008.

Meet the robotic explorers that landed on Mars in 2004, and check out their tools and instruments.

The Maya were expert sky-watchers, careful observers of the motions of the celestial bodies...

Peter Whitehead is an instrument builder, performer, and composer.

Hear vocal tract models transform the squawk of a duck call into vowel sounds.

Listen to internationally recognized authorities on human thought and behavior, including Temple Grandin and Paul Ekman.

How do you stop and steer a bicycle? What forces keep the bicycle from falling over?

Discover the uncommon stories behind the most common fruits and vegetables.

The earth moves in mysterious ways

Find out why biodiversity benefits plants and people alike.

Find out about bicycle brakes and balance, and calculate your stopping distance on a bicycle.

See the tiny disk of Mercury slowly travel across the face of the sun in this rare event.

Use the Science Journal mobile app to investigate the light around you.

See living stem cells and find out why they are the "stem" from which all other cells develop.

Visit the Outdoor Exploratorium at Fort Mason to explore the science behind wind, waves, and more.

Take a virtual journey to the frog capital of the world, Rayne, Louisiana.

An introduction to spectra and to the space-based telescopes. The site includes a number of hands-on activities.