The Exploratorium

Phantom Phlame
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In this trick, hold your hand over a burning candle without getting burned, by reflecting and transmitting the light of two candles. This activity is best suited as a demonstration.

Color Table: Color your perception
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Look at pictures through different color filters and you'll see them in a new way. People have used color filters in beautiful photography or sending secret messages.

Match Rock
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In this activity, learners try to figure out who has their matching rock type by reading a description of their rock (no talking!).

Magnetic Lines of Force
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With a magnet, iron fillings, and a bottle, you can create a cool demonstration about magnetic lines of force: the fillings will arrange themselves within the magnet's magnetic field.

Pipes of Pan
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Create an instrument that you don't play--you just listen to it through tubes of various lengths.

Think Fast!: Just How Quick Are You?
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This is an activity about reaction times. Just how quickly must an NHL goalie respond to save a shot, and how does your reaction time compare?

Clay Beams and Columns
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In this activity, learners make or use pre-made clay beams to scale and proportion. Specifically, they discover that when you scale up proportionally (i.e.

Clay Bridges
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In this activity, learners make bridges using an oil-based modeling clay (plasticene). The instructions include discussion questions for both before and after bridge building.

Proprioception: Wiggle where you're at
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We're told from a young age that we have 5 senses, but we have many more. One of which is our awareness of our own body part's orientation and position.

Magnetic Shielding: Magnetic lines stop here
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Testing magnets is always a fun pastime, but here, we're going beyond "will it attract the magnet?" In this activity, learners will investigate which materials allow magnetic fields to pass through or