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

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

Recycle some cans to make after-dinner music!

Specialized cells have a common origin. What sets them on separate paths?

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

Make a scale model of the Solar System and learn the REAL definition of "space."

It's easy to fold a sheet of paper in half. But can you fold a sheet of paper in half ten times?

Tour the Breads of the World

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

Technological developments have changed how we view Earth. See LandSat images and learn more about our home planet.

Explore the unknown world inside your brain with these fun activities.

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

Find out why balls bounce--or fail to bounce.

Explore the surprising side of sound

Tinker with electricity using common objects: batteries, lights, buzzers, motors, switches, etc.

Learn how living things get energy from dead ones in this interactive exhibit.

Make a scale model of the Solar System and learn the REAL definition of "space."

Art/science teams explore the underlying systems that give the San Francisco Bay Area its unique character.

Tour a hydroponic greenhouse in frozen Antarctica.

A multifaceted exhibition that explored genetics and the Human Genome Project from a variety of perspectives from April 8 to September 4, 1995.

Remote sensing allows geologists to peek under the ice – and find a big surprise.

Read stories and see footage from the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake.

In this activity, students make bridges using an oil-based modeling clay (plasticene).

A series of talks celebrating both the historical and contemporary dimensions of the Eames design legacy.

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

Can you cover your kitchen tracks?

See if you can put these sounds back together in this sonic jigsaw puzzle.

Use this desktop widget to view current science news feeds on your computer.

Discover secret colors hidden in a black marker!

An ordinary metal spoon can make some astounding sounds!

Heat-trapping gases play a major role in polar climate change.

Rube Goldberg-inspired cause and effect contraptions using everyday materials and found objects.

Get messy with ExploraGoo and Outrageous Ooze! Get airborne with the Fabulous Foam Flyer! Get loud with the Water Gong or Straw Oboe!