The Exploratorium and the Brush Robot

Anyway, my birthday itself was on Tuesday and – thanks to Mumsie’s superb planning skills and the awesomeness of T J Maxx – I woke up to a BIG bag of pressies and about a million cards on my birthday!  The Big Bag of Pressies was filled with lots of goodies, including a bright orange DKNY bag, some kick-ass kitchen knives, an adorably cute miniature Swarovski forget-me-not flower pot as well as various smelly treats for the bath, all manner of tea-related paraphenalia and a Laugh box.  I even had a birthday card with money in it – just like the good old days when I was ten and didn’t have to go out and earn it for myself!

Beautiful birthday flowers, candle and my favorite pic from my 40th last year

Flowery cakey layers.

All topped off with a big fat pink rose.

So I had originally planned to go to the Exploratorium on my actual birthday but, after my training session with Sue, somehow an afternoon of sloth seemed irresistible.  I found myself trotting along today instead – a day where I Had No Other Plans and Nothing Booked in The Diary.  A rare event, indeed.  The Exploratorium has been open for about 4 months now, moved from its previous location in San Francisco out by the Palace of Fine Arts (I think in the Presidio).  I’ve only been once before (a quick – but fun- visit with Jessica and Ruby) but its already become one of my favorite places in the city, so i’ve been hankering to go back for quite some time and explore further.

Its just too cool for words.  Its simply a brilliant, brilliant place and one that – if you are ever in San Francisco – you simply must visit.  Here is the link to their website:

http://www.exploratorium.edu

Last time I went, it was first thing on a Saturday morning and we got there right as it was opening at 10am.  Of course, being among the first folk there, it was pretty empty and the Exploratorium itself is vast, so there was plenty of space to run around in and play with the exhibits.  This time, it was a Thursday and, as I walked up to the Entrance at just before 11am, I noticed the hoards of tiny people that had been absent the time before.  Now that’s a pretty damn cool school trip, if you ask me.  After waiting on line for about 10 minutes in the non-members queue, I decided to join (there was no line for members) and its actually a good deal – $60 for a year’s membership which gets you unlimited entry, access to members-only events, discounts in the gift shop (yey!) vs $20 for just a single visit.  Plus no waiting on line.  So double yey for that.

Now – are you quite sure you got my best side in this picture?

There’s certainly enough to see and do to warrant multiple visits plus the restaurant is actually really good, with incredible views from the outside back deck out across the bay.  The entire place is an absolute feast for the mind, the senses, built for the excitement of discovery as well as the quietness of contemplation.  I’d been a little concerned, given it was later in the day, that it would be packed out and that there would be hundreds of badly-behaved screaming children running around, annoying the hell out of me.  Well, there were hundreds of kids about (as you’d expect) and quite of few of them were screaming and running around but – you know what?  It actually didn’t matter in the least.  What I LOVE so much about the Exploratorium are those moments that you find yourself in, when you are in a little bubble of discovery, learning something amazing about the world or yourself or nature or whatever.  When that intellectual penny drops and you find yourself going “Oh!“- thats when the world outside seems to recede and fade from notice and its just you, and your brain saying “Wow. That is cool”.   A little private moment, played out in public.  The very personal act of learning that rekindles your child-like curiosity about the world.  I think its when we stop learning – or lose the zest and drive to ask “why?” – that’s when we truly become old.

He’s here????

At least that’s what I’m telling myself as I just turn 41…

Well, that’s all profound and good but – as Mumsie will tell you, for some reason, I don’t remember all that much about my childhood so – needless to say – I learnt a lot. ( (I think I must have been locked in a dark cupboard for 10 years or something – unlike my sister who remembers everything – isn’t memory weird like that?).   There are literally hundreds of exhibits and things to play with – I think its probably the most hands-on museum I’ve ever been too – and there is plenty to keep the adult mind occupied too.  Actually, on a few of more physics-ey ones, I had nooooo idea what they were talking about.  So I wandered off and had a look at a big tree chopped in half instead, and everything was right with the world again.

I think one of the most fascinating – and weirdly repelling – exhibit had to be of the live chicken egg fetuses developing.  A series of 4 petri dishes, each with a fertilized chicken egg yolk inside at different stages of development – one at 1 day, 2-3 days, 4-5 days and 7 days.   All, apparently, live – though it was the one at 4-5 days that was the most freaky – in this splodgey egg, you could see this tiny rudimentary heart beating.  It was incredible.  I couldn’t see it beating in the 7 day egg, so wasn’t sure if that one was still alive or not (and apparently, that would then be ready to hatch in another 10 days!) but I found the exhibit disturbing for another reason.  What then happens to that 7 day egg tomorrow?   I guess if you are Petri Dish Number 1 at 1 day old, you’re laughing for the next 6 days, but where is there next in the *ahem* pecking order for Petri Dish Number 4?   Your 7 days are up, chicky-dee – time to beat it.   No yolk about it.   I wondered if the siting of that exhibit so close to the cafeteria was solely a co-incidence….

Didn’t stop me ordering the chicken for lunch, though.  Delicious.

Might have thought twice about the omelette, however….

Anyway, here are some more pics from my favorite exhibits…

Either that kid is very wise or she’s got a great speechwriter on retainer.

Good question. I think Cheez Whiz is abnormal. Does that count?

If this were a Doctor Who episode, you’d certainly be bang on….

Wait!…  WHAT??

This was a really cool effect, made up of lots of wiggly lines.   Love this picture.

This was one of my favorite exhibits. See.  I just knew my kitchen appliances were alive.

I can’t even figure out what this is – but it looks like it needs a hug.  Hope its nothing electrical….

No – don’t cry!  Turn off those waterworks…

Its true!!  All scales ARE evil!!!

That’s one crazy-assed looking duck plane.

See.  Handbags ARE a girls best friend.  (apparently) (or evil leather money-munchers….)

Hmm….my washing machine always looks like this when I wash my hiking socks

Jamaican mailbox

Now this one was very interesting.  It took a photo of your face, split it in half and then showed your face as two left sides or as two right sides. So, from now on I’ll be asking: “Does the left side of my face make my face look fat in this?”

Also at the Exploratorium was a temporary miniaturizing ray to shrink myself down to size with (I was just aiming for the left side of my face). Alas, the effects didn’t last..

Add yellow light to everything and…

….kaboom!!  All the color disappears!!  That’s a pretty powerful effect, to make that rainbow go away  – is that even legal in SF?

It works with white light too!

POW!  Lights, camera, color!!

Perfect day, perfect view.

Me in a tree.

Yeah right.  Only amusing until we get hit with The Next Big One. Any.  Day.  Now.

Anyway, after a very happy 3hrs wandering around, I was Exploratorium-ed out, so all that was left was to wander home along the Embarcadero, and reflect on just how damned lucky I am to have such a fabulous place right on my doorstep.

OH!!  I almost forgot.  Well, it wouldn’t be a trip to the Exploratorium without finishing the day off with a little Brush Robot action, now, would it? (museum gift shops are just too enticing to resist).

My Roomba need be lonely no more…

Yes.  Its a robot.  Made out of a shoe brush.  It’s a very practical addition to my stable of household robots.

The Before.

The After.  All I need now is a name… any ideas?