LEGO Seaweed, one of the nearly five million ocean-themed Lego pieces that spilled into the sea off the coast of Cornwall, England, in 1997. Part of the Lego Lost at Sea Project, 1990s. 📷 Science History Institute

This virtual Lunchtime Lecture features historian Rebecca Jackson, who will discuss an unlikely best practice for managing birth in today’s hospitals: measuring cervical dilation by hand. If you’re wondering how it’s possible to accurately “feel” centimeters—and why we haven’t replaced this with some technology to do it more precisely—brace yourself for a surprising backstory.

Our final virtual JPS talk of the season features Hepion Pharmaceuticals’ Robert T. Foster and Patrick R. Mayo, and Lantern Pharma’s Panna Sharma, who will discuss the impact of artificial intelligence on drug discovery. Our March JPS talk is coproduced by the American Chemical Society as part of its ACS Webinars series.

Watersports at Lake St. Wolfgang, photograph of Lake St. Wolfgang in Gilgen, Austria, from the Papers of Georg and Max Bredig, 1967. 📷 Science History Institute

Join Jocelyn McDaniel, Bredig Project research curator at the Science History Institute, as she presents the German Society of Pennsylvania’s Günther Finke Memorial Lecture. McDaniel will discuss her work translating the Papers of Georg and Max Bredig and her curation of the Institute’s outdoor exhibition Science and Survival. This event is free and open to the public. Registration is required.

Join our museum’s Gallery Guides for a “drop-in” Women in Chemistry Tour highlighting the central role of women in shaping chemistry and the material sciences throughout history. Admission is free and no reservations are necessary.

The Lazaretto operated as a maritime quarantine station for the Port of Philadelphia in the 1800s. 📷 Courtesy of lazaretto.site

At this special Innate program, you’ll join historians David Barnes and Rana Hogarth for an exploration of yellow fever’s legacy and an exclusive guided tour of the historic Lazaretto, America’s first quarantine station. This free event is supported by the National Endowment for the Humanities as part of the Institute’s Innate: How Science Invented the Myth of Race project.

Join us for April’s First Friday as we explore natural and synthetic fibers and dyes and look at the fascinating histories behind the clothes we wear. First Fridays are free and open to the public. Attendees will receive a 10% discount to National Mechanics restaurant.

From Rachel Carson to ACT UP, our “drop-in” Science & Activism Tour explores how scientists and activists have shaped discovery and created change with stories of environmental justice, patients’ rights, and community science. Admission is free and no reservations are necessary.

Join us in person at National Mechanics restaurant for our next Science on Tap featuring marine geologist Laura Guertin. Learn how she combines her quilting- and science-storytelling skills and how her field experiences are being shared with quilts. This event is free and no reservations are required. Seating is on a first-come, first-served basis.

Fairy Picture of Water, illustration from Fairy Land of Chemistry: Explorations in the World of Atoms, 1887. 📷 Science History Institute

Learn about the gods and powerful beings that were believed to protect flowing waters and how chemistry and water knowledge intersect at our “drop-in” Water Tour. Admission is free and no reservations are necessary.

This Distillations podcast and magazine project explores the historical roots and persistent legacies of racism in American science and medicine.

Uncovering the oldest and largest African cemetery in the country was done with dignity, respect, and scientific excellence. But it wasn’t easy.

Detail of a Washington, D.C., sewer map, 1895. 📷 New York Public Library

Read the Distillations article >>

Listen to the Distillations podcast >>

Read the Distillations article >>

Clean Water: The Water Pollution Game, educational anti-pollution board game created by Urban Systems, Inc., 1972. 📷 Science History Institute

Our digital collections house more than 13,000 curated items, including a wide range of water-related materials:

Hach Classroom Drinking Water Testing Kit, 2006. 📷 Science History Institute

Kathryn C. “Kitty” Hach-Darrow (1922–2020) cofounded the Hach Chemical Company in 1947, turning a small water-analysis operation into a multimillion-dollar corporation that set the standard for water-purification technology. An award-winning entrepreneur, science education champion, and philanthropist, she was the first woman director of the American Water Works Association. Befittingly, our Downstream exhibition is currently on display in our museum’s Hach Gallery, which bears her name.

View of the Johnny Horizon Environmental Test Kit on display in our Downstream exhibition. 📷 Science History Institute/Emma Getholf

Our museum is open Wednesday–Saturday, 10am–5pm. Admission is free.

You can also explore our digital exhibitions, book a group tour, or check out our museum programs and activities.

Our museum is free to visitors because of donors like you. 📷 Science History Institute

Satisfy the world’s scientific curiosity by making a gift to the Science History Institute. Your support helps us continue telling the stories behind the science.