Experience the Exploratorium at Pier 15
Climate Science. Sign up for our e-newsletters. The Exploratorium is a 501 (c) (3) nonprofit organization. Our tax ID #: 94-1696494. Experience the Exploratorium. Let your curiosity roam free through hundreds of exhibits in our six spacious indoor and outdoor galleries at …
Secret Language: Cryptography & Secret Codes | Exploratorium
The algorithm or method used to encipher the original message (known as the plaintext). The key used with the algorithm to allow the plaintext to be both enciphered and deciphered. The period or time during which the key is valid. By way of analogy, to get into your home you would put a key in a lock to open the door.
Anatomy of an Egg - Exploratorium
Bumpy 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
Here’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 ...
Origins: CERN: Ideas: The Big Bang - Exploratorium
The 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
Scales 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.
Visit the Exploratorium at Pier 15
The 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.
Photosynthetic Floatation | Exploratorium
Try to avoid making suds. Draw about 6–8 mL of bicarbonate solution into the syringe. The leaf disks should float in the solution (see photos below). Hold the syringe with the tip up, and expel the air by gently pushing on the plunger. Plug the tip of the syringe tightly with your finger, and gently pull on the plunger, creating a slight vacuum.
Science of Eggs: Egg Science | Exploratorium
Egg proteins change when you heat them, beat them, or mix them with other ingredients. Understanding these changes can help you understand the roles that eggs play in cooking. Proteins are made of long chains of amino acids. The proteins in an egg white are globular proteins, which means that the long protein molecule is twisted and folded and curled up into a more or less spherical shape.
What Causes a Solar Eclipse? - Exploratorium
A 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 ...