Learn with us online while the Exploratorium is temporarily closed. You can help us reopen—donate today.
Laser Jello
Gelatin can be used for much more than a sweet treat. It can also act as a smoked lens—which allows you to view total internal reflection—or as a color filter.
Laser Speckle
A laser pointer and a frosted light bulb are all you need to investigate laser speckle, grainy patterns in laser light that seem to move differently depending on your visual acuity.
Lateral Inhibition
Do receptors in our eyes act independently, or do they influence each other? Look through some simple paper tubes and explore how your eyes work.
Leaf Filter
Photosynthesis requires light, but plants don’t use all the colors that make up white light. Use a spectroscope to explore the absorption and transmission of white light through leaf material.
Life Size
Explore the size and scale of microscopic biology.
Light Conversation
Explore the behavior of a common night-light controlled by a photocell sensor, and the interaction of two or more night-lights with one another.
Light Wind
Use wind to power a motor and generate enough electricity to light an LED.
Look into Infinity
If you've ever been between two mirrors that face each other, such as in a barbershop or a beauty salon, you're be familiar with the seemingly endless line of images fading into the distance. This Snack recreates this effect.
Looking a Little Spotty
By digitally manipulating an image, you can test how well your brain can see something where—at first glance—there appears to be nothing but spots.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Attribution: Exploratorium Teacher Institute
