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

Make a simple rocket and a rocket launcher, and watch a demonstration of how the finished rocket will fly.

Interact with the Cafe Wall Illusion.

Four times over 100-plus years, major initiatives have brought together scientists from around the globe to collaboratively study the poles.

See why these beautiful flowers have attracted generations of admirers.

Explore the ancient knowledge of the Maya, who built sophisticated monuments to the sun.

Explore the places, people, tools, and ideas behind the origins of matter, the universe, and life itself.

Think you have a lot in common with a kiwi fruit? Genetically speaking, you do.

Artist Bob Miller's Light Walk at the Exploratorium will change the way you look at light, shadow, and images.

Where is the Center of the Universe? Here, there, and everywhere.

Find a friend and try this sound localization experiement

Activities and History

Why do road bikes have thin tires, while mountain bikes have fat tires?

Close your eyes – and open your ears.

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

Explore an interactive map.

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

White-coated Arctic icons, these supreme hunters are under threat

Stories about science, art, and human perception—from 1998. 

See links relevant to the themes presented in the Traits of Life exhibition.

Explore the deadly beautiful world of carnivorous plants.

Activities and History

The more astronomy changes, the more it stays the same. This series of images juxtaposes ancient and modern study of the celestial bodies.

How many objects can you follow at once?

How are creative investigations sparked? What does a state of inspiration feel like? Can inspiration be transmitted from person to person? Join us for an audio slideshow series that explores the fascinating world of how we work creatively.

Download desktop wallpaper for your computer.

A little physics can go a long way on that shortboard.

Most people abhor the sound of their own recorded voice. So what are these recording devices doing to our voices to make them sound so awful?

Follow along with expedition leader Bob Ballard and his crew on the exploration vessel Nautilus as they search for hydrothermal vents, underwater volcanoes, and ancient shipwrecks.

Richter and beyond

Use a sheet of liquid crystal to learn about how infrared cameras work.

Listen to the sound of a rainstorm – anytime, anywhere.

Study ultraviolet radiation from the sun and other sources using UV beads.

Four downloadable workshop guides for teaching introductory genetics in a museum or other informal education setting.

Make a spinning disc called a stroboscope, which lets you create your own animated cartoon.

Your thumb and index finger can help you test a steak's degree of doneness.

Not all bubbles are made with soap!

Want to understand how to predict when the good waves are coming to your shore? It helps to start with the basics behind the formation of ocean waves.

Cuatro exposiciones lo suficientemente pequeñas para caber en tarjetas postales.

The 18,000-foot Mt. Parinacota presents some fitness challenges for climbers.

Can you take a sip of water from a cup with your eyes closed?

Meet the competitors and their humongous pumpkins at Half Moon Bay's Great Pumpkin Festival.

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

Can making up stories improve your memory? Try it!

This is an easy grafting project for beginners.

The three most densely populated cities on the planet where seismologists expect major earthquakes are San Francisco, Tokyo, and Istanbul. Find out why the effects in each city will be very different.

Looking at the night sky can help you see how your eyes and brain make sense out of moonlight.

Journey into Chaco Canyon, where ancient people built monuments to the cosmos. Journey to Chichén Itzá, where the Maya built monuments to the sun.