The Flower of Wisdom, one of three miniature paintings believed to be from the alchemical treatise Das Buch der heiligen Dreifaltigkeit (The Book of the Holy Trinity), ca. 1450–1475. 📷 Science History Institute | |
All events are free and take place online or at the Science History Institute at 315 Chestnut Street in Philadelphia unless otherwise noted. | |
Illustration of European buckthorn from Medicinal Plants, 1892. 📷 Science History Institute | |
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Friday, March 22, 2024
6pm–8pm EDT
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This hybrid Science and Society talk features history of science and medicine scholar Shireen Hamza, who will examine the incorporation of elements of non-Western medicine by biomedical institutions in the United States. The lecture will begin at 6pm for both online and in-person attendees. A reception follows at 7pm. | |
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Saturdays
March 23, 30, 2024
April 6, 13, 20, 27, 2024
10am–5pm EDT
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Join us in our museum EVERY SATURDAY for Stories of Science, a family-friendly program that highlights the many strange and surprising stories from the history of science! Our fun, interactive activities are designed for science lovers of all ages. Admission is free and reservations are not required. | |
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Saturday, March 23, 2024
2pm EDT
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Join our museum’s Gallery Guides for a Dyes & Textiles “drop-in” tour highlighting the remarkable scientific properties of natural dyes and textiles, the technology behind synthetic clothing, and the impact of fashion on human health and the environment. Admission is free and reservations are not required. | |
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Tuesday, March 26, 2024
6pm–7pm EDT
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The Science History Institute has teamed up with online learning platform Roundtable by the 92nd Street Y, New York to offer you compelling courses from the history of science. Join our Distillations podcast team for the second session of this five-part course, where you’ll learn about the 1793 yellow fever epidemic in Philadelphia from the perspective of the free Black community tasked with saving the city. This programming is part of Innate, an ongoing project that explores the roots of racism in American science and medicine. The course is free, but registration is required. | |
Illustration of a sunflower from Medicinal Plants, 1892. 📷 Science History Institute | |
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Friday, April 5, 2024
5pm–7pm EDT
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Embark on a cosmic journey with us at our April First Friday as we delve into the mesmerizing realms of astronomy and space. Engage your creative side as you craft personalized star charts and discover the instruments that paved the way for celestial revelations. You can also take home your very own solar eclipse glasses to view the total eclipse taking place on Monday, April 8! First Fridays are free and open to the public. Attendees will receive a 10% discount to National Mechanics restaurant. | |
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Saturday, April 6, 2024
2pm EDT
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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. | |
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Wednesday, April 10, 2024
6pm–8pm EDT
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In honor of National Library Week, you’re invited to our annual Othmer Library After Hours. Celebrate spring in our library by exploring the role herbs, plants, and flowers have played in the history of science and medicine. See rare treasures, get a temporary tattoo, make book-themed crafts, and enjoy a taste of the season with a special botanical-themed cake and other light refreshments. Admission is free but registration is required. | |
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Thursday, April 18, 2024
6pm–8pm EDT
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Join us in person or online for our next Science and Society talk featuring experts from Philadelphia’s leading fashion sustainability initiatives, who will discuss what the future looks like for sustainable fashion and how circular design can help combat “fast fashion” pollution and transform the relationships between us, our clothes, and our environment. The lecture will begin at 6pm for both online and in-person attendees. A reception follows at 7pm. | |
Plate 55, hand-colored engraving of a pepper plant from Maria Sibylla Merian’s Metamorphosis insectorum surinamensium, 1705. 📷 Smithsonian Libraries/Biodiversity Heritage Library | |
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Distillations Magazine
Heat Therapy
Humans have a masochistic love of capsaicin, a molecule responsible for the burn in hot peppers. That connection could be a key to pain relief.
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Collections Blog
Life on ‘The Mesa’
The Manhattan Project forged a city in the desert at Los Alamos.
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The Science History Institute Digital Collections house more than 13,310 curated items, including rare and modern books, scientific instruments, letters, photographs, advertisements, videos, oral histories, and more:
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Color Schemes from Flowers, booklet corresponding to a radio broadcast program created by the National Paint, Varnish, and Lacquer Association, 1940s
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Postcard from Russian-born chemist Paul Walden to German Jewish chemist Georg Bredig featuring an illustration of a crocus surfacing from the snowy ground, 1928
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Oral History: George Rosenkranz, interview with the organic chemist and Syntex CEO who synthesized native Mexican plant sources into the first effective oral contraceptive, 1997
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Conversations on Botany, illustrated volume composed as a series of conversations between a mother and son about the principles of botany, 1817
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Plate 8, No. 64: Calaber Bean, illustration of the seed containing physostigmine, an alkaloid synthesized by Percy Julian and used to treat glaucoma, from A Manual of Vegetable Materia Medica, 1886. 📷 Science History Institute | |
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Percy Lavon Julian
Steroid chemist Percy Julian (1899–1975) was a pioneer in the synthesis of medicinal drugs from plants and an entrepreneur who developed an innovative method for mass producing them. In the early 1930s, he and his colleague, Josef Pikl, were the first to synthesize physostigmine, an alkaloid found in the Calabar bean and used to treat glaucoma. His work laid the foundation for the steroid drug industry’s production of cortisone, hydrocortisone, and birth control pills. The grandson of enslaved people, Julian founded his own company in 1954 and was the first African American chemist inducted into the National Academy of Sciences.
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View of the Nature’s Rainbow section of our BOLD: Color from Test Tube to Textile exhibition featuring saffron, an organic dye made from flowers. 📷 Science History Institute/Meredith Edlow | |
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The Science History Institute Museum is open Wednesday through Saturday, 10am to 5pm. Admission is free.
HACH GALLERY
HORIBA EXHIBIT HALL
BUILDING FAÇADE
MUSEUM MEZZANINE
DU PONT GALLERY
DU PONT LOBBY
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