Take to the skies on board the zeppelin Eureka with pilot Andrea Deyling of Airship Ventures and get a crash-free course in lighter-than-air flight: What’s the difference between an airship, a blimp, and a zeppelin? How do they stay aloft? How high and how fast can they fly?
Airship Ventures operates the only commercial passenger airship operation in the United States. To find out more go to www.airshipventures.com.
Beneath the 100-year-old piers that will soon house the new Exploratorium, highly specialized divers are working around the clock to repair and restore a part of the museum that most people will never see: the 1,200 concrete piles—sunk into the bay mud—that support the piers.
"Rat Creek is a broken tale, that trickles under the plastic welcome mats of a mobile home community..." In this special "b-side" edition of Driven, we continue our exploration of the work of Adam Ansell and the Gray Area Theater Ensemble. As the debut performance of "Rat Creek" nears, the actors are abuzz with joy and anxiety. When the actors finally enter the stage, Adam's work is done, and the play takes on a life of its own.
Theater director Adam Ansell has developed a unique way of working during the 20 years that he's been running the Gray Area Ensemble in San Francisco. The doors are open to anyone who wants to participate, from experienced performers to those who have no experience in the arts. This uncommon group of ever-changing collaborators creates spellbinding, gorgeously dystopic theatrical spectacles which are both fantastical and very real. In this show, we enjoy a peek into the joyful and chaotic creation process of the "Rat Creek", The Gray Area Ensemble's latest work, which will be presented to the public at the Exit Theatre in San Francisco January 11-15th 2012.
Exploratorium at the Piers: The Fries Bridge is Installed(Clip)
Running Time: 00:01:53
The waters of San Francisco Bay are making a dramatic comeback as workers slowly remove a 1950s-era paved deck from between Piers 15 and 17 on the historic Embarcadero, at the site of the Exploratorium’s new home. In early November 2011, the east bridge, dedicated to the Fries family by San Francisco philanthropist Bill Fries, was put in place, connecting the terrace of the new Pier 15 Bay Observatory building to the adjacent side of Pier 17. When the museum opens in the spring of 2013, this bridge will offer prime views of the City and the Bay.
Exploratorium Science at America's Cup: Green Sea Turtles(Clip)
Running Time: 04:55
There are green sea turtles in San Diego Bay? Where did they come from? Do they really live over 100 years? Why is it important for scientists to keep track of these giant creatures, and how on earth do they do it? In this interview with ecologist Tomoharu Eguchi (NOAA Marine Fisheries Service) and ecology graduate student Sheila Madrak, we meet the sea turtles and explore these 'big' questions.
Exploratorium Science at America's Cup: Wind Modeling(Clip)
Running Time: 02:50
The Southern California Coastal Ocean Observing System (http://sccoos.org/) gathers live data about winds, waves, surface currents, temperature, and water quality, and makes it available to everyone. In this piece, Oceanographer Art Miller tells us about this system, and about how America's Cup sailors can use this kind of data and modeling to improve their race performances.
To access wind modeling data, visit:
http://www.sccoos.org/data/observations/
Exploratorium at the Piers: A New Perspective on Construction (Clip)
Running Time: 00:01:44
Take a look at the construction at Piers 15 and 17 from a different vantage point. This past August we recorded video of the Exploratorium's new home from a boat about 100 yards off the back of the piers.
Webcasts made possible through
the generosity of the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, The Jim Clark
Endowment for Internet Education, the McBean Family Foundation,.and the Corporation for Educational Networks Initiatives in California (CENIC).