Events

The Science History Institute produces a wide range of in-person and virtual events that are free and open to the public. From exhibition openings and talks, to museum tours and late-night activities, our programming is aimed at science history lovers, students, industry professionals, scholars, educators, and the scientifically curious.
Featured

Shopping All the Way to the Woods: Rachel Gross

Wednesday, October 23, 2024 | 6pm-8pm EDT
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  • Beckman Center
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chart of fingerprints

Stories of Science: Mystery Science

Join us in our museum EVERY SATURDAY for a family-friendly program that highlights strange and surprising stories from the history of science!

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Ad for L’Insectoline

Science & Activism Tour

From Rachel Carson to ACT UP, explore how scientists and activists have shaped discovery and created change.

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color illustration of medicinal plants

Stories of Science: Mystery Science

Join us in our museum EVERY SATURDAY for a family-friendly program that highlights strange and surprising stories from the history of science!

More

Stories of Science: Mystery Science

Join us in our museum EVERY SATURDAY for a family-friendly program that highlights strange and surprising stories from the history of science!

More
cover of comic book

School Lunch Tour

This interactive drop-in tour reveals how food scientists, the government, and the public have shaped in-school nutrition.

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Photograph of Edgar Allan Poe from an 1848 daguerrotype, with inscription "Copyright 1904, C.T. Tatman"

Stories of Science: Mystery Science

Join us in our museum EVERY SATURDAY for a family-friendly program that highlights strange and surprising stories from the history of science!

More
Scientist discussing her poster with visitors

First Friday: Start Talking Science

Meet scientists doing cutting-edge research in physics, medicine, biochemistry, and more.

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chemistry set from the 1960s

Stories of Science: Playful Chemistry

Join us in our museum EVERY SATURDAY for a family-friendly program that highlights strange and surprising stories from the history of science!

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group of women standing around a lab table with periodic table in background

Women in Chemistry Tour

Drop in for a tour highlighting the central role of women in shaping chemistry and the material sciences throughout history.

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Fairy Picture of Water

Stories of Science: Playful Chemistry

Join us in our museum EVERY SATURDAY for a family-friendly program that highlights strange and surprising stories from the history of science!

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Omar Yaghi, smiling, hands clasped, seated by shelf with colorful molecular models and globes

Ullyot Lecture and Award: Omar Yaghi

The pioneering Berkeley professor will present this year’s lecture, followed by a Q&A session and award presentation.

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illustration of an alchemist in his lab

Stories of Science: Playful Chemistry

Join us in our museum EVERY SATURDAY for a family-friendly program that highlights strange and surprising stories from the history of science!

More
photo of prepackaged pizza with silverware

School Lunch Tour

This interactive drop-in tour reveals how food scientists, the government, and the public have shaped in-school nutrition.

More
Smog: The Air Pollution Game

Stories of Science: Playful Chemistry

Join us in our museum EVERY SATURDAY for a family-friendly program that highlights strange and surprising stories from the history of science!

More
colorful illustration people around a fireplace eating and drinking

First Friday: Cozy Chemistry

Indulge in some hot chocolate while you learn about the science behind keeping warm.

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Science & Activism Tour

From Rachel Carson to ACT UP, explore how scientists and activists have shaped discovery and created change.

More
artistic rendering of a view of snowy day from inside a home

Stories of Science: Cozy Chemistry

Join us in our museum EVERY SATURDAY for a family-friendly program that highlights strange and surprising stories from the history of science!

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book cover

Steeped: The Chemistry of Tea

Chemist and author Michelle Francl explores the science behind the world’s most popular beverage: tea!

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page of magazine with illustration of children skiing

Stories of Science: Cozy Chemistry

Join us in our museum EVERY SATURDAY for a family-friendly program that highlights strange and surprising stories from the history of science!

More

Stories of Science: Cozy Chemistry

Join us in our museum EVERY SATURDAY for a family-friendly program that highlights strange and surprising stories from the history of science!

More
magazine ad featuring a baby in high chair pouring milk over a tray

School Lunch Tour

This interactive drop-in tour reveals how food scientists, the government, and the public have shaped in-school nutrition.

More
Illustration of sheep in a meadow

Stories of Science: Cozy Chemistry

Join us in our museum EVERY SATURDAY for a family-friendly program that highlights strange and surprising stories from the history of science!

More
Oral history bound copies, recorder, microphone
Jan
06
Mon
Jan
09
Thu
10am-1pm

Oral History Training Institute

This virtual training workshop introduces researchers to oral history and research interview methodologies.

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Black ink illustration of one engineer advising another

Transitioning to a Sustainable Chemical Industry: Lessons from History

At the T. T. Chao Symposium on Innovation experts in the history of the chemical industry will convene to identify a path to netzero, biodiversity protection, and the alleviation of chemical pollution.

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aerial view of California coast

The Spirit of Asilomar and the Future of Biotechnology

50 years after the Asilomar Conference on Recombinant DNA, experts will gather at the 2025 Cain Conference to reflect on the last half century of biotechnology and matters arising in the field today.

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May
19
Mon
May
22
Thu
10am-1pm

Oral History Training Institute

This virtual training workshop introduces researchers to oral history and research interview methodologies.

More
Oral history bound copies, recorder, microphone
Aug
11
Mon
Aug
14
Thu
10am-1pm

Oral History Training Institute

This virtual training workshop introduces researchers to oral history and research interview methodologies.

More
Chinese world map, drawn by the Jesuits (early 17th century).

The Global History of Modern Science, 1400–1914

August 6, 2026
The 2026 Cain Conference will address the major issues involved in understanding how modern science has been created through a process of global cultural exchange.

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