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Thursday, February 1, 2018 • 6:00–10:00 p.m.
Free for After Dark Members
Adults Only (18+)
Note: Some programs have limited capacity and are available to visitors on a first-come, first-served basis.
Lose yourself in over 650 interactive exhibits exploring perception, art, and science at our adults-only After Dark. Grab your friends and a drink and get immersed in mind-bending experiences and unique, thought-provoking programs.
6:00–10:00 p.m.
Throughout museum
Sex involves the transfer of genetic information that has resulted in evolution and specialization—and one of the hottest evenings in town, scientifically speaking. Discover some surprising ways that sperm and eggs come together.
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?
6:00–9:45 unless noted
Various locations throughout the museum
Drawing Board
Ticketing at 6:00 p.m., first come, first served
Bernard and Barbro Osher West Gallery
Draw hypnotically flowing patterns with a swinging table, and watch friction cause the patterns to slowly shrink along a spiral path. Pick up a ticket to reserve your spot in line for this popular activity.
Speaker Dissection
Bechtel Central Gallery
Tune in to surrounding sounds by experimenting with strings and vibrations, and use electromagnets to build a basic speaker. Learn how to listen with your bones, and explore the workings of the inner ear.
Cow Eye or Flower Dissection (alternating)
East Gallery
Do cows see color? How does a lens work? Examine the intricate structure of a cow eye to learn about similar structures in our own eyes, as well as some key differences.
Stigma, stamen, pistil, anther, style: Uncover the beautiful architecture of flower anatomy, and gather some surprising strategies that plants use to reproduce.
Magic Demonstration
Bernard and Barbro Osher West Gallery
Everything is not as it seems—at first. Pick a card, any card, and watch the Explainers reveal some surprising aspects of human perception.