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In this activity, learners control the (apparent) size of a hole with their brain.

In this activity, learners explore how and why rainbows form by creating rainbows in a variety of ways using simple materials. Learners create rainbows indoors and outdoors.

Make a big canvas of iridescent color with pvc pipe! In this Exploratorium Science Snack, you'll need to cut and assemble some PVC pipe, but the pay-off, the soap-bubble canvas, is big.

Learners measure a bottle full of air, and then use a vacuum pump to remove the air. When they re-weigh the bottle, learners find the mass is about 0.8g less.

In this optics activity, learners explore interference by adding wax blocks to a ripple tank.

Learners experiment with a commercially available liquid-crystal coaster. They warm the material with their hands for varying lengths of time and observe the changing colors that result.

This is an online game about stopping distance. Learners choose one of three vehicles and one of three speeds.

In this activity, learners create a colorful bookmark using a super thin layer of nail polish on water. Learners discover that a thin film creates iridescent, rainbow colors.

In this activity (12th on the page), learners investigate their ability to discriminate (see) different colors.

In this optics activity, learners explore diffraction by adding wax blocks to a ripple tank. The wedge-shaped blocks act as obstacles that the wave must bend around.

In this activity, learners discover that it's difficult to distinguish between two different shades of gray when they aren't separated by a boundary.

In this activity, learners use clear nail polish to create a beautiful iridescent pattern on black paper. Learners discover that a thin film creates iridescent, rainbow colors.

In this activity, learners use simple materials to simulate the effect of X-rays in a safe way. Learners place a piece of window screen over a box and a cardboard pattern on top of the screen.

In this activity (page 2 of PDF), learners play with a lens and a piece of paper to focus an image on the paper. Learners look at different things, and see how the lenses affect the image.

“Exploring Earth: Investigating Clouds” is a hands-on activity in which visitors create a cloud in a bottle and explore it with laser light.

Learners investigate one factor affecting reaction rates: temperature. In a darkened room, two identical lightsticks are placed in water -- one in hot water and one in cold water.

This is a highly visual demonstration that illustrates both the effects of density and chemical reactions.

Learners mix a solution containing luminol and copper with a fake blood solution. A chemical reaction between the luminol solution and fake blood (hydrogen peroxide) show learners a blue glow.

In this activity, learners discover that nanoparticles of gold can appear red, orange or even blue. They learn that a material can act differently when it’s nanometer-sized.

This activity models the way Landsat satellites use a thermal infrared sensor to measure land surface temperatures.