This is an event you will NAUT want to miss!

Think you have what it takes to survive on the seven seas? What will you eat? What will you wear? And, perhaps most importantly, how will you get there? Test your skills in a nautical navigation choose-your-own-adventure game!

Traveling merchants and explorers throughout time have developed several ways to navigate, from the sun and stars to globes and sextants to Google Maps! Join our museum educators as they shine some light on the ancient navigation tools used in the past.

Innovation happens across time and across cultures. Check out our library’s new acquisitions focused on indigenous scientists and the importance of oral traditions.

Othmer Library Tours

We are now giving public tours of our research library every First Friday! Come by before the event at 4pm to get a behind-the-scenes look upstairs at the resources and archives available to all scientifically curious minds. Registration is not required, but space is limitedLearn more here.

About First Fridays

Spark your curiosity while exploring the exhibits after hours! First Fridays bring together a myriad of activities covering everyday science, historical oddities, and everything in between. Grab your friends, and kick off an evening of discovery, surprise, and a little nerdy fun.

First Fridays at the Institute are always free and open to the public. Attendees will receive a 10% discount to National Mechanics restaurant.


Featured image: Figure 57: Torpedo Boat Attacking a Large War Vessel, part of Chemistry, Developed by Facts and Principles Drawn Chiefly from the Non-Metals, 1884.

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BGL chemistry set
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jacket design for Tofu: A Culinary History, with a plate showing 3 blocks of tofu and a pair of chopsticks
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Tofu: A Culinary History

Food historian Russell Thomas traces the remarkable journey of tofu from its ancient origins in East Asia to its global rise as a staple of modern plant-based cuisine.

group of women standing around a lab table with periodic table in background
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Drop-In Tours

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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