Science History Institute

🎙️The Science History Institute's critically acclaimed podcast Distillations is back with a brand new season! ⁠
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The Distillations team is excited to launch "American Vice" which takes listeners from ci******es and alcohol, to fireworks and L*D with weekly episodes dropping every Tuesday. ⁠
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This eight-episode season will dive deep into our appetite for risk, how science plays a role in it, and how it has shaped the American experience. American Vice also features three video episodes—new for this season!—with author Susannah Cahalan, medical anthropologist Emily Mendenhall, and environmental writer and historian Jayson Porter.⁠
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Check out the first episode of American Vice now on our website or wherever you stream your podcasts.⁠
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In this two-part episode, we're diving into the rise of a quintessential American product, ci******es. You'll hear about the science that proved it was dangerous, and the eventual reckoning that came from a mysterious box of documents—one delivered with the return address of an iconic cartoon character. Along the way, we’ll uncover what has driven so many Americans to risk their lives to light up despite what the science has told us.⁠

➡ ⁠https://www.sciencehistory.org/stories/distillations-pod/ci******es-in-america-the-rise-and-the-reckoning/

Travel back to the time of Uranium Mania...⁠
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When beauty queens won piles of ore and prospectors combed the West for a Mesa miracle.⁠
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☢️ Tap the link below to dig into the latest Distillations story written by Philadelphia-based freelance journalist, Ben Seal. ⁠

Uranium Mania The post-World War II mining rush that transformed a region.

Next Wednesday, September 16, join The Academy of Natural Sciences and the Science History Institute as we host the second Gender Minorities in the Sciences Panel.⁠
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This panel brings scientists together to share their experiences and strategies for advancing equity and inclusion in STEM across gender-diverse communities. ⁠
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It will also serve as an opportunity for networking, community building, and fostering meaningful dialogue about creating an inclusive workplace that emphasizes diversity, equity, access, and leadership for all.⁠
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Meet our panelists:⁠
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Akilah Chatman (they/them) — Community Science Specialist, Academy of Natural Sciences⁠
Tanya Dapkey (she/her) — Freshwater Ecologist & Entomologist⁠
Tia Lyles-Williams (she/her) — Biotechnology Entrepreneur & CEO, LucasPye BIO⁠
Melanie R. Nilsson (they/them or she/her) — Associate Professor of Chemistry, McDaniel College⁠
Alexis J. Pedrick (she/her) — Chief Storyteller & Podcast Host, Science History Institute⁠
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📅 Wednesday, September 16 | 6–8 pm⁠
📍 Science History Institute or online⁠
🎟️ Free admission but registration is requested⁠
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Learn more here ➡️ https://www.sciencehistory.org/visit/events/gender-minorities-in-the-sciences-panel/

This fall, the Science History Institute invites you to explore our new permanent exhibition, Fire and Gold: The Art of Alchemy (1450–1850). ⁠
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Centuries ago, alchemists sought to uncover nature’s “secrets” and unlock the hidden potential of matter. They pursued healing elixirs, searched for the legendary philosophers’ stone, and tested the possibility that one substance could be transformed into another—pursuing, most famously, the elusive transformation of lead into gold.⁠
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This exhibition draws on the museum and library’s extensive collection of European paintings and rare books to transport visitors back to a time when chemistry was chymistry, when alchemists explored the transformation of matter through experimentation, secrecy, and coded language. ⁠
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On October 7, join us for An Alchemical Affair: A ‘Fire and Gold’ Opening Celebration from 5pm to 8pm at 315 Chestnut Street in Old City Philadelphia. Registration is required for this free event, which features a curator’s talk, exhibition tours, alchemy-themed activities, light refreshments, and more. Space is limited.⁠
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Visit sciencehistory.org/fireandgold or tap the link below to register.⁠
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Fire and Gold: The Art of Alchemy (1450–1850) has been made possible by the generous support of Barry Arkles and Janine Black.

Fire and Gold: The Art of Alchemy (1450-1850) A new permanent exhibition featuring paintings and rare books exploring the quest to uncover nature’s secrets and unlock the potential of matter.

🎉 Exciting News! Group tours are now FREE at the Science History Institute! 🔬⁠
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Ready to make your next field trip an experience to remember? Bring your class, club, organization, or group to our museum in Old City and explore the stories behind the science that shaped our world.⁠
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Choose from guided experiences exploring:⁠
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🧨 Flash! Bang! Boom! A History of Fireworks⁠
👩🏾‍🔬 Women in Chemistry⁠
🧵 From Nature to Nylons: Highlighting the History of Textiles⁠
🌎 Science & Activism⁠
💧 Unwell Waters: Highlighting Health & the Environment⁠
🔎 Plus scavenger hunts and self-guided activities!⁠
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🚍 The Institute is also excited to announce the launch of a new Transportation Fund for the 2026–2027 school year! Teachers in the School District of Philadelphia can request funds to cover the cost of transportation when booking a guided tour. Funds are limited, so book your trip soon.⁠
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We also offer virtual programs and classroom visits! Currently, we're offering the following topics for interactive virtual programs or virtual classroom visits:⁠
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🏆️ What’s Behind a Nobel Prize?⁠
♀️Women in Chemistry⁠
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Whether you're planning a school field trip, an outing with your club, or a group adventure with friends, there's never been a better time to visit ! Advance registration is required.⁠
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📍Science History Institute⁠
315 Chestnut Street⁠
Philadelphia, PA 19106⁠
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🚌 Plan your visit at sciencehistory.org/tours.

Group & School Tours The Science History Museum offers free in-person tours and virtual programs for a wide range of age groups and interests.

For decades, a child's ability to recognize itself in a mirror is a developmental milestone. It's also an attribute that for a long time set humans apart from other animals. But then an increasing variety of animals started passing the same mirror tests, to some scientists' growing unease.⁠
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Great apes made the list. So did dolphins, elephants, and certain birds.⁠
Then came a tiny cleaner wrasse.⁠
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After biologist Masanori Kohda placed a mark on its throat in a mirror, the fish repeatedly scraped at the marked scale. Thus sparking a debate that continues to challenge our assumptions about self-awareness and where, exactly, humans fit in the animal kingdom.⁠
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Read the latest Distillations story by Andrea Teagle, a freelance science writer and adventure seeker based in Cape Town, South Africa.⁠
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Read "Extended Family" here: https://www.sciencehistory.org/stories/magazine/extended-family/

✨️Happy National Wellness Month! 🧼🫧🧴⁠🪞⁠
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This object is the DuPont Pyralin travel vanity set, 1910 – 1940⁠
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Included is an irregularly shaped wooden box with blue and off-white synthetic coatings. The box is secured with two steel snap fasteners, and the top opens upward and is held upright with a cloth ribbon on the left side.⁠
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The top and bottom of the box are lined with peach ruffled fabric. The top also has strings to keep a rectangular glass mirror in place. The bottom has positions for the following Pyralin products: comb, hand-held mirror, brush, two blue rectangular pieces, and three glass jars, two with screw tops and one with a top that sits on top of the jar.⁠
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☝️Make sure you're prioritizing your self-care!⁠
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🔗 Tap the link below to take a closer look.

☀️ What better way to kick off the last full month of summer than with a visit to the Science History Institute! Join us tomorrow, August 1, for three engaging museum programs that invite you to explore fascinating stories, get hands-on with our activities table, and experience the history of science in new ways.⁠
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1️⃣ Stories of Science: Color and Light⁠
As the summer winds down, daylight slowly retreats, and the colors around us vary. To appreciate this change, we will be taking a peek at science topics related to color and light all August long.⁠
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2️⃣ From Nature to Nylons Highlights Tour⁠
From Nature to Nylons takes visitors on a journey from natural fibers to the development of plastics, and on to synthetic materials like nylon and Gore-Tex. Guests will leave with a better understanding of how these fibers changed our world, and how the changing world influenced our desire for advanced high-tech textiles.⁠
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3️⃣ Women in Chemistry Tour⁠
The Women in Chemistry Tour profiles women chemists from antiquity to the present, sharing stories of innovation, resistance, and change. On this tour, you’ll learn about the legendary founding women of alchemy, explore the connections between domesticity and distillation, and understand how wartime changed the field.⁠
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🏛️ Free Admission!⁠
📍 315 Chestnut St⁠
Philadelphia, PA⁠
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Visit https://www.sciencehistory.org/visit/events/ to learn more!

On March 1, 1954, the Castle Bravo thermonuclear detonation in the Bikini Atoll announced a new stage in the Cold War and nuclear testing. ⁠
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But for the crew of a Japanese fishing vessel, the consequences were immediate and deeply personal. Their plight triggered international outrage and taught the world a new word—fallout.⁠
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Their story helped reshape global conversations about nuclear weapons, environmental contamination, and the human cost of the atomic age. ⁠
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Journalist and author Melissa Rossi shares the history behind this voyage in the latest from Distillations magazine.

Atomic Tuna An ill-fated fishing voyage pulls back the curtain on U.S. nuclear testing in the Pacific.