Exploratorium: The Museum of Science, Art & Human Perception
WEBWonder Funday. Join us on Sunday, October 6, for Wonder Funday, our epic playdate and vital fundraiser all rolled into one! Spend an inspiring afternoon with your family and friends while helping to support the Exploratorium’s community access programs.
Anatomy of an Egg - Exploratorium
WEBBumpy and grainy in texture, an eggshell is covered with as many as 17,000 tiny pores. Eggshell is made almost entirely of calcium carbonate (CaCO 3 ) crystals. It is a semipermeable membrane, which means that air and moisture can pass through its pores. The shell also has a thin outermost coating called the bloom or cuticle that helps keep out ...
A Brief History of Pi (π) - Exploratorium
WEBHere’s a brief history of finding π. The ancient Babylonians calculated the area of a circle by taking 3 times the square of its radius, which gave a value of pi = 3. One Babylonian tablet (ca. 1900–1680 BC) indicates a value of 3.125 for π, which is a closer approximation. The Rhind Papyrus (ca.1650 BC) gives us insight into the ...
Visit the Exploratorium at Pier 15
WEBThe Exploratorium is more than a museum—it’s a gateway to exploring science, art, and human perception with every visit. Let your curiosity roam through more than 700 interactive exhibits in six spacious indoor and outdoor galleries.
What Causes a Solar Eclipse? | Exploratorium
WEBA solar eclipse occurs when the moon passes between the Sun and Earth, casting the moon's shadow on Earth. This only happens occasionally, because the moon doesn't orbit in the exact same plane as the Sun and Earth do. Two things need to occur at once for you to see a solar eclipse: the Sun, moon, and Earth need to be in a straight line, with ...
Origins: CERN: Ideas: The Big Bang - Exploratorium
WEBThe universe began, scientists believe, with every speck of its energy jammed into a very tiny point. This extremely dense point exploded with unimaginable force, creating matter and propelling it outward to make the billions of galaxies of our vast universe. Astrophysicists dubbed this titanic explosion the Big Bang.
Your Weight on Other Worlds - Exploratorium
WEBScales measure the force of attraction between you and the Earth. This force of attraction between you and the Earth (or any other planet) is called your weight. If you are in a spaceship far between the stars and you put a scale underneath you, the scale would read zero. Your weight is zero. You are weightless.
Your Age on Other Worlds | Exploratorium
WEBTo Do and Notice. Fill in your birthdate below in the space indicated. (Note you must enter the year as a 4-digit number!) Click on the "Calculate" button. Notice that your age on other worlds will automatically fill in. Notice that Your age is different on the different worlds. Notice that your age in "days" varies wildly.
Build a Solar System Model | Exploratorium
WEBIf you build your solar system on a roll of toilet paper, you can make the Sun about .4 inches (10 mm) across and still fit the entire solar system on the roll. A standard roll of toilet paper has about 450 sheets that are about 4.375 inches long, hence the roll is about 164 feet long. You should check your toilet paper for length.
Cow's Eye Dissection - Exploratorium
WEBThis works because the lens in your magnifying glass is carefully shaped to bend light in a particular, predictable way. The lens is shaped to bend light rays so that they come together and then spread apart to make an image.The lens of your magnifying glass is probably fat in the middle and thin at the edges.