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Exploratorium
Exploratorium
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  • Tinkering at Home

    Try this collection of prompts for tinkering at home.

  • Learning Toolbox: Engage in activities about the science of coronavirus and explore our online resources for learning at home.

  • Explore water's crucial role in food and cooking.

    Science of Water: Food   Explore water's crucial role in food and cooking.

  • Shadow Box exhibit

    Browse our growing online collection of interactive exhibits.

  • Global Climate Change Explorer • Discover how researchers study climate change and examine the latest scientific data.

  • Science Snacks

    Low-cost, teacher-tested activities for the classroom and the curious.

  • Wired Pier Environmental Field Station • Explore weather, air quality, and water conditions from San Francisco Bay

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

Dive into websites, activities, apps, and more.

Zebrafish

A model for heart development

Balloon Blow-Up
Balloon Blow-Up

Not all bubbles are made with soap!

Countdown 3 (at the museum)

by Eileen Campbell • March 7, 2016

The home team prepares for hosting the solar eclipse broadcast and event.

Sport! Science Q&A
Sport! Science Q&A

Find the answers to common Sport! Science questions.

Soap Film on a Can: Materials and assembly

Prepare to experiment with soap film by getting the necessary materials.

Paul Doherty at Disagreeing About Color

Can you believe your eyes?

Thomas Dolby: She Blinded Me WIth Science

Groove to Thomas Dolby with "She Blinded Me With Science."

Dot Mixer
Dot Mixer

Produce some pretty mixed-up music with this online interactive.

Artist-in-Residence Zarouhie Abdalian on "The Art Assignment"

by Exploratorium Staff • June 11, 2015

PBS Digitial Studios' latest episode of The Art Assignment profiles Zarouhie Abdalian, an Exploratorium Artist-in-Residence.

Stem Cells
Stem Cells

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

Science of Coffee
Science of Coffee

What's in that cup of coffee anyway? Find out about the history and chemistry of coffee.

Iron Science Teacher
Iron Science Teacher

Each webcast, the Exploratorium staff and teachers demonstrate their science projects and compete for the title of IRON SCIENCE TEACHER!

The Gong Show: Exploring Metal
Explore the science, history, and art of gongs.
Arctic Seals
Arctic Seals

These unique – and uniquely beautiful – seal species spend their lives amid the sea ice

CANdemonium
CANdemonium

Recycle some cans to make after-dinner music!

Geiger Counter
Geiger Counter

What does it take to block gamma radiation?

Balloon Blow-Up
Balloon Blow-Up

Not all bubbles are made with soap!

Colored Shadows Demo

An additive mixture of light makes for some colorful fun.

Knowing North

Stand outside on a sunny day with a watch in your hand, and you can tell which way is north.

Exploratorium visits the NASA Jet Propulsion Lab in Pasadena, CA

See the JPL "sandbox" where robotic rovers are tested.

How Many Saturdays? App
How Many Saturdays? App

Explore our app and measure the time of your life.

Census of Marine Life
Census of Marine Life

Exploring the diversity, distribution, and abundance of life in the oceans

"No One Here Gets Out Alive”

Consider the ethics and legal ramifications of physician aid in dying.

Behind the Screen: Making Motion Pictures and Television
Behind the Screen: Making Motion Pictures and Television
Video: “Eclipse Chasers”
Video: “Eclipse Chasers”
Higgs: The Theory, the Discovery, and the Fate of the Universe

What's the Higgs discovery, and what does it mean for us?

Orange slices
Juicy Questions (PDF)

Printer friendly version.

Curious Contraptions

Explore small, surreal worlds through Curious Contraptions automata.

Robo-Car Derby
Robo-Car Derby

Demonstrations of electric Robo-Cars made by 22 Science Summer students.

Drives & Gears
Drives & Gears

What is a gear ratio? And how do gears help make the bicycle so efficient?

Cheryl E. Leonard Performance

Discover music where you never expected to find it.

Penguins, Part I
Join us in conversation with David Ainley and other ...
2008 Clouds Timelapse

Enjoy the cloudscape of China's Weizi Gorge.

Recorded Voice
Recorded Voice

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?

Out of Sight, Top of Mind

by Exploratorium Staff • June 4, 2015

MIT cognitive scientist and Exploratorium Osher Fellow Aude Oliva researches what makes a photo memorable.

A Joint Effort

See how we cut the Exploratorium in two for seismic safety.

Finger Test for Doneness
Finger Test for Doneness

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

Outdoor Exploratorium at Fort Mason
Outdoor Exploratorium at Fort Mason

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

Getting There: 63 Hours to Woleai

by • March 8, 2016

The 63-hour journey from San Francisco to Woleai covered 7,153 miles­.

What Causes San Francisco Fog?

Why are San Francisco summers so foggy?

Inflatable: Jimmy Kuehnle

Jimmy Kuehnle’s inflated artworks engage his audiences with the unexpected.

Saving Seeds, Saving Culture
Saving Seeds, Saving Culture

Saving seeds helps preserve the culture of Native American farmers in the American Southwest and northern Mexico.

Light and Landscape: The Science and Art of Perception
Light and Landscape: The Science and Art of Perception

Explore the mysterious interactions between light and geography through the eyes and works of artists Charles Ross and James Turrell.

Listening Guides
Listening Guides

Skilled listeners share their secrets.

Exploratorium visits the NASA Jet Propulsion Lab in Pasadena, CA

See the JPL "sandbox" where robotic rovers are tested.

Never Lost: Polynesian Navigation
Never Lost: Polynesian Navigation

Imagine yourself in the middle of the vast Pacific Ocean. You've been sailing for weeks, and there's no land in sight. Do you know where you are? Do you know which way to go?

Iron Science Teacher
Iron Science Teacher

Each webcast, the Exploratorium staff and teachers demonstrate their science projects and compete for the title of IRON SCIENCE TEACHER!

Zebrafish

A model for heart development

Complexity / Turbulent Landscapes
Complexity / Turbulent Landscapes

An introduction to the concepts and theories that contribute to contemporary complexity research.

Duendes Performance
Take a peek at Duendes performing at our annual Spring Gala.
Making a Sun Clock
Making a Sun Clock

Before there were clocks, people used shadows to tell time!

The Best Things in Museums Are the Windows

Tag along on The Windows, a trek to Mount Diablo.

Earth's atmosphere
Global Climate Change Explorer

Discover how researchers study climate change and examine the latest scientific data.

Middle Ground
Middle Ground

Explore new social science exhibits at San Francisco’s Civic Center.

Crystal Creations
Crystal Creations

Grow spikes of crystals in the sun.

Smell the Maillard Reaction
Smell the Maillard Reaction

Amino acids and corn syrup combine to create new aromas.

Bird Call Quiz
Bird Call Quiz

Listen to bird songs and try to figure out which are songs, which are companion calls, and which are alarms.

Step Re-Mix
Step Re-Mix

Experiment with rhythm through stepping, a musical dance form that uses the body as a percussion instrument.

Cheese FAQ
Cheese FAQ

Have you ever wondered what makes blue cheese blue, or why some cheeses are hard and others soft?

Science of Cocktails 2012
Shake things up at Science of Cocktails.

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