After Dark: Sexplorations

Tonight’s Schedule

PRESENTATIONS

Why Don't We Do It in the Lab?
With Mary Roach in Conversation with Jennifer Frazier
7:00 p.m.  |  Kanbar Forum

Join Bonk author Mary Roach and Exploratorium biologist Jennifer Frazier for a free-wheeling conversation about the delightfully awkward, occasionally risky, and endlessly fascinating proposition of bringing human beings into the laboratory to study sexual physiology. Book signing to follow.

Live Sex Show: Sea Urchin Egg Fertilization
With Alex Pinigis and Veronica Johnson
7:00, 8:00, and 9:00 p.m.  |  Phyllis C. Wattis Webcast Studio

Sea urchin sperm and eggs are the same size and shape as human sperm and eggs. Which will be the lucky sperm? It only takes an instant for an egg to become fertilized.

Gonad A-Go-Go
With the Explainers
7:00, 8:00, and 9:00 p.m.  |  East Gallery

Take an inside look at bull testicles, pig ovaries, and other impressively sized organs to track the paths of sperm and egg from genesis to union.

The Power of Pleasure
With Nicole Prause
9:00 p.m.  |  Kanbar Forum

Most people consider orgasm and sexual arousal as important for romantic relationships, but we already use them in many ways to improve our general health. Find out how scientists study people’s complex sexual interactions in the laboratory as well as the barriers to conducting this important research.

Researching Techniques for Women’s Pleasure
With OMGYes
6:30–9:30 p.m.  |  Bernard and Barbro Osher West Gallery, Black Box

Explore groundbreaking scientific research into women's sexual pleasure with honest, practical online resources. OMGYes invites you to name, discuss, and see what really feels good and why, with no blushing, no shame.

Va Va Va Voom: Vintage Vibrators
With Carol Queen
6:30–9:30 p.m.  |  South Gallery

Eye an array of vintage vibrators and massagers from Good Vibrations' Antique Vibrator Museum. Bring your sex questions, too, and “Ask the Sexologist,” Dr. Carol Queen. 

Good Vibes
With Good Vibrations
6:30–9:30 p.m.  |  South Gallery​

Compare spanking new sex toys to their antique antecedents in this vibrant display by Good Vibrations. 

Endangered Species Condoms
With the Center for Biological Diversity
6:30–9:30 p.m.  |  East Gallery Corridor

“For the sake of the horned lizard . . . slow down, love wizard.” Wrapped in colorful, wildlife-themed packages, Endangered Species Condoms offer a fun, unique way to discuss the link between human population growth and the species extinction crisis. 

The Sex Lives of Zebrafish
With Sonia Castillo
6:30–7:30 and 8:00–9:30 p.m.  |  East Gallery Corridor

Delve into the sex lives of zebrafish, which sometimes need more than two to tango. Explore zebrafish mating behaviors and what it takes for the diminutive fish to spawn here at the Exploratorium.

ACTIVITIES

Book Signing
With Mary Roach
8:00 p.m.  |  Bernard and Barbro Osher West Gallery

The Bouquet Between Your Legs: Flower Dissections
With Hilleary Osheroff and Samuel Reisman
7:30 and 8:30 p.m.  |  Fisher Bay Observatory Gallery

Strip flowers to their naughty bits and discover striking similarities to our own.

A (SFW) Female Orgasm Workshop
With Lioness
6:30–9:30 p.m.  |  South Gallery

See and feel what different female orgasms are like through digital artworks and a "test your strength"­-style game with the team behind Lioness, inventors of the first biofeedback vibrator. 

Sexplorations of the Mechanical Kind: Take Apart Sex Toys
7:00–9:00 p.m.  |  South Gallery, Tinkering Studio

Dissect electronic toys to see what makes them quiver, and then reuse the parts in creative ways. Space is limited; first come, first served. Please allow up to one hour for this activity.

Special thanks to Good Vibrations for their generous donation of electronic toys.  

Love Nest
6:00–10:00 p.m.  |  East Gallery

Milkweed bugs can get it on for hours on end—literally: they mate by sticking their back ends together. Scientists think their stamina stems from competition; a male doesn’t want another bug’s sperm to outdo its own.

Sense Appeal
With Amy Snyder
6:00–10:00 p.m.  |  Bernard and Barbro Osher West Gallery

Just because you like how someone looks doesn't mean you'll like how they smell. Find out if your eyes and nose agree on who's attractive.

Which Sperm Is Human?
6:00–10:00 p.m.  |  East Gallery Corridor

Organisms use sperm as DNA-delivery machines. Bulls do it, mice do it, even opossums. So why do their sperm and human sperm look so much alike while the animals are so different?