Science History Institute

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Museum Hours:Wednesday–Saturday, 10AM–5PM

colorized image of students eating lunch

colorized image of students eating lunch

EXHIBITIONS

Lunchtime: The History of Science on the School Food Tray

Our new exhibition explores the surprising story behind the school lunch. On view now through January 2026.

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Roland Holub, Stanley Cohen, and Eugene Garfield

Roland Holub, Stanley Cohen, and Eugene Garfield

COLLECTIONS BLOG

Streaming Science History

One hundred historical videos and films from the Othmer Library are now available online!

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Dow ad from the 1950s

Dow ad from the 1950s

NEWS

NEH, Open Philanthropy Award Institute More Than $590K in Grants

Funds will support new research projects, including collections archiving and a conference on the history and future of biotechnology.

Learn More

Old photo of women on a factory floor surrounded by munitions shells

Old photo of women on a factory floor surrounded by munitions shells

DISTILLATIONS MAGAZINE

Picric Acid’s Volatile History

A mutable chemical and our collective choices.

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people studying in a library

Beckman Center Now Accepting Applications for 2025–2026 Fellowships

The Institute’s Beckman Center for the History of Chemistry is now accepting applications for our 2025–2026 fellowships. Scholars whose research would benefit from the use of our collections can apply for various long- and short-term programs, including a new $2,500 fellowship at the British Library. The deadline to apply is January 15, 2025.

Apply Now

Featured

Sensational Science: A Century of Microbe Hunters

President Kennedy stands in front of microphone with Frances Oldham Kelsey

THE DISAPPEARING SPOON PODCAST

The Woman Who ‘Turned Back a Plague of Old Testament Proportions’

colorful illustration people around a fireplace eating and drinking

First Friday: Cozy Chemistry

headshots of 5 scientists

Center for Oral History

Voices of Science

tampon ad 1980

Consuming Women’s Healthcare

two children pointing at museum display

Group & School Tours

Collect. Preserve. Interpret. Share.

Through research, storytelling, public programming, and educational outreach, we reveal how science is embedded in our daily lives.

plastic yellow oven mitt and flip flop

Museum

rare books

Library

illustration of man blowing out a fire

Stories

teacher at chalkboard

Education

indigo dye puck

Collections

A Beckman Center fellow conducts research in the Othmer Library.

Research

scihistoryorg

Tomorrow 11/16, join us in our museum for Stories

Tomorrow 11/16, join us in our museum for Stories of Science: Playful Chemistry! This family-friendly program highlights the many strange and surprising stories from the history of science. ⁠
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Each month we explore a different theme and in November, we’re celebrating how fun and engaging STEM can be through playful chemistry! Are you a mad scientist at heart? This week, from 10 am-5 pm, you can stop by our handling table to unmask the uses behind a selection of mysterious instruments and machines.⁠
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During your visit, you can also check out our themed “drop-in” tours at 11:30am and 2pm. Stories of Science takes place weekly on Saturdays. Admission is free and no reservation needed.⁠
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Tap the link in our bio to learn more

Today, on Operating Room Nurses Day, we recognize

Today, on Operating Room Nurses Day, we recognize the invaluable contributions of operating room nurses. Your legacy of expertise and compassionate care is vital in ensuring the safety and well-being of patients during surgical procedures. We sincerely thank you for your dedication and commitment to excellence in healthcare.⁠
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📷️: Los Angeles County General Hospital nurse Mary Finlay is monitoring the oxygen levels of a prematurely born infant in an incubator, to provide just the right oxygen mixture. Too little oxygen has obvious repercussions, but until the 1950s doctors did not realize that too much oxygen caused retrolental fibroplasia, resulting in blindness.⁠
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Developed from a Linus Pauling design during WWII, the technology behind Beckman Instruments’ oxygen analyzers ended up doing such diverse jobs as monitoring astronauts’ respiration, maintaining packaged food safety, and preventing blindness in newborn babies.⁠
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Tap the link in our bio to take a closer look.

Frances Oldham Kelsey received a medal from Presid

Frances Oldham Kelsey received a medal from President John F. Kennedy and once appeared on a list of the most admired women in the world. Virtually unknown now, she was an FDA scientist who stood up to a bullying pharmaceutical company. ⁠
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Her method? Blocking the approval of a drug called thalidomide that was so infamous it ended up in a Billy Joel song and a poem by Sylvia Plath. The move spared thousands of American babies from terrible birth defects, so why is her legacy so complicated?⁠
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Find out in the latest episode of The Disappearing Spoon Podcast with Sam Kean @historyschmistory. Tap the link in bio to listen now.

🎉 The Beckman Center for the History of Chemist

🎉 The Beckman Center for the History of Chemistry at The Science History Institute is pleased to announce its fellowship opportunities for researchers passionate about the fascinating stories that have shaped the fields of science. If this sounds like you, we invite you to apply and join a vibrant community of scholars committed to advancing their research with the help of our library and digital collections. ⁠
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The Beckman Center offers a variety of fellowships and travel grants. Applications for fellowships open each fall with a due date of January 15, 2025. Travel grant applications are accepted year-round.⁠
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Tap the link in our bio for more information or contact fellowships@sciencehistory.org.

Good morning, Instagram. It's #MarbledMonday, enjo

Good morning, Instagram. It's #MarbledMonday, enjoy the marbled papers found in our copy of History of Magick (1784).⁠
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#OthmerLibrary #Marbling #MarbledPapers #RareBooks #SpecialCollections #OldBooks #Magick

Heading into Old City this weekend? Stop by 315 Ch

Heading into Old City this weekend? Stop by 315 Chestnut St. to check out our latest outdoor exhibition, Sensational Science: A Century of Microbe Hunters.

This exhibition spans nearly 100 years of covers and dust jackets from the book Microbe Hunters that tell stories of their own. Bacteriologist and popular science writer Paul de Kruif penned Microbe Hunters in 1926. It was an immediate literary and scientific hit. The book, which is written in a vibrant and engaging tone, profiles 13 scientists, has been translated into 18 languages, and has never gone out of print.

Closely reading Microbe Hunters and its variations through time can teach us about the history of science. But it can also help us think about how we tell that history.

Tap the link in bio to learn more, or stop by the Science History Institute in person!