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SPECIAL COLLECTIONS

Exploring Light Snacks

ROYGBIV isn't just alphabet soup and shadows aren't necessarily black—learn about perception, history, and the intriguing intersections of light, pigment, and color. Join our online course Exploring Light. 

Science activity demonstrating color afterimage phenomenon
Bird in a Cage

Stare at one color—but see another.

Science activity that demonstrates perception of additive color mixtures
Colored Shadows

Not all shadows are black.

Science activity that investigates peripheral vision
Peripheral Vision

Discover the outer limits of your eyes.

Science activity that demonstrates the index of refraction
Disappearing Glass Rods

You can make glass objects disappear.

Science activity that demonstrates the brightness of two light sources
Oil Spot Photometer

Compare the brightness of two light sources with an oil spot on a white card.

Science activity that demonstrates magnification by a pinhole
Pinhole Magnifier

Who needs expensive optical equipment to see better?

Science activity that demonstrates human visual perception of images on a smartphone
Pixels, Pictures, Phones

Take a (super) close look at your smartphone. You may be surprised by what you see.

Science activity that uses gelatin to demonstrate behavior of filters and lenses
Laser Jello

Gelatin can do much more than just wiggle and jiggle.

Science activity that demonstrates an image formed by a lens
Giant Lens

A lens creates an image that hangs in midair.

Science activity that demonstrates color mixing with printer ink
Truly Primary Pigments

Make your own mix-n-match markers to produce a rainbow of colors.

Science activity that demonstrates the primary and secondary colors of light
The Three Little Pigments

Know your C, M, Y, and K.

Science activity that demonstrates how light travels through a pinhole viewer
Poking Fun at Light Rays

Discover a straight path to enlightenment.

Science activity that demonstrates light and mathematical relationships through a pinhole viewer
Poking Fun at Math

Make pinhole predictions.

Science activity that demonstrates light and color mixing through a pinhole viewer
Poking Fun at Color Mixing

Enlarge your perspective on color.

Science activity that demonstrates a creative exploration of light through a pinhole viewer
Poking Fun at Art

Explore light and color from a hole new angle.

Science activity that demonstrates light interference in soap
Soap Film on a Can

Why do we see colors in soap bubbles?

Science activity investigating spectroscopy
CD Spectroscope

Turn an old CD into a spectroscope to analyze light.

Science activity that models light wave interference
Soap Film Interference Model

Model the behavior of light reflecting off soap film surfaces.

Science activity that demonstrates Einstein's photoelectric effect
Photoelectricity

Get electricity from light.