Science History Institute

08/27/2026

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/

08/03/2026

✨️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.

07/31/2026

☀️ 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!

07/24/2026

What do comics, colors, and clothes all have in common? At the Roxborough Public Library Free Library Roxborough 250 Years of Innovation event on July 14th, the Science History Institute’s intern Penelope Cohen Penny Cohen helped us find out!

Thanks to the incredible team from Science History Institute and the East Coast Black Age of Comics Convention ecbacc, library patrons were able to learn about light diffraction, interesting textiles and materials, the making of superhero worlds, and more! We always enjoy getting involved with the greater Philadelphia community, and this event was a great way to bring people together through a shared fascination of rainbows and space gloves. 

Want to find more exciting and educational experiences like these? Visit our website and follow us on all platforms to stay up to date with our latest events and programs!

07/22/2026

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.

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

07/13/2026

🎆 From ancient Chinese bamboo “firecrackers” to the extravagant 250th pyrotechnic celebrations this July 4th, fireworks have always connected communities through tradition and amazement. ⁠
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These breathtaking displays are a worldwide phenomenon, shared between countless cultures and generations, uniting us all through light, color, and sound. ⁠
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🎥 On Friday, July 17, join us for a screening of Passfire, an original documentary by Veverka Bros. Productions LLC, that explores the world’s most spectacular pyrotechnics, the artisans who create them, and the rich cultural traditions they represent.⁠
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The event will run from 5:15-8:00pm and includes an introduction by film director Jesse Veverka, as well as a Q&A session after the film. ⁠
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Arrive early to explore the Institute's special exhibition, Flash! Bang! Boom! A History of Fireworks! This event is free of charge, but registration is highly encouraged.⁠ See you there!
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This original documentary by Veverka Bros. explores the world's most spectacular pyrotechnics, the artisans who create them, and the rich cultural traditions they represent.

07/08/2026

In July 1976, Philadelphia was in the midst of its bicentennial celebrations when a mysterious pneumonia befell visitors to the city. Within days, several people had died. ⁠
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By the end of the outbreak, more than 220 people were gravely ill, and 34 had lost their lives. Authorities were baffled by this unidentified illness, which was later dubbed the “Philly Killer” by the press. They knew only that it centered around Philadelphia's premier hotel, the Bellevue-Stratford. But whatever happened to Legionnaire's disease?⁠
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Now, with a recent Legionnaires’ disease outbreak in New York City underscoring that this once-mysterious illness is still with us, it’s worth revisiting the event that first thrust it into the global spotlight.⁠
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In the latest Distillations story, Sarah Everts, a previous Science History Institute fellow, award-winning science journalist, and associate professor at Carleton University’s School of Journalism and Communication, explores the 1976 Philadelphia outbreak, the race to identify its cause, and why Legionnaires’ disease is more prevalent than ever.⁠

⬇️ Tap the link below to read the full story.

Legionnaires’ disease is more prevalent than ever. So how did we forget it?

07/02/2026

🎇 Step inside the world of dazzling fireworks and awe-inspiring pyrotechnical displays, at Science History Institute’s Flash! Bang! Boom! A History of Fireworks exhibition!

In collaboration with the American Chemical Society, we caught up with Jesse Smith, the co-curator of Flash! Bang! Boom! to get answers your top 5 questions about the chemistry of fireworks.

Come see this sparkling exhibition for yourself! Or tap the link in bio to learn more.

📍Science History Institute | FREE Admission
315 Chestnut Street
Philadelphia, PA, 19106

Wednesdays-Saturdays
10am-5pm

04/23/2026

🎉 NEW at the Science History Institute!⁠
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💐 Our new exterior exhibition First-Class Flora: A Stamp Collection of Medicinal Plants, can now be seen on our building's façade!⁠
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🌸 The botanical stamps featured in First-Class Flora are part of a larger collection known as The World of Chemistry in Stamps. They were compiled over a 40-year period by Richard Marston Lawrence (1906–1991), a market researcher for the chemical industry. Lawrence collected hundreds of stamps from more than 90 countries related to the history of chemistry. ⁠
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🪻 Most of the collection consists of stamps commemorating famous scientists and chemical discoveries, but a portion is devoted to stamps of plants with medicinal uses.⁠
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📅 On view through April 2027⁠
Come see it for yourself!⁠
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To learn more about First-Class Flora, tap the link below!

➡️ https://www.sciencehistory.org/visit/exhibitions/first-class-flora/

04/10/2026