Where Science Happens

Where does science happen? It happens in field sites, factories, workshops, kitchens, and classrooms—not just in laboratories. And in all these places, science gets done by people using complex laboratory instruments, hand-made apparatuses, and sometimes, just their senses.

C.C. Dennis using mortar and pestle at Dearborn laboratory

EXHIBITIONS

Mechanochemistry: The Science of Crush

Crushing, an ancient technique for transforming materials, remains central to our lives today.

DIGITAL COLLECTIONS

Instruments & Innovation

View instruments, apparatus, and analytical tools, as well as photos, engravings, and illustrations of equipment and machinery.

Black and white photograph of a young Gordon Gould looking down at a machine. He is wearing glasses and a white button down shirt.

DISTILLATIONS PODCAST

The Man, the Myth, the Laser

The disputed origin story of one of the 20th century’s most important inventions.

ORAL HISTORY PROJECT

Nanotechnology

This series documents the lives of key scientists and engineers who shaped and contributed to the nanotechnology field.

Finnigan Instrument Corporation Model 1015 GC/MS/DS

DISTILLATIONS MAGAZINE

A Measure of Success

When the EPA needed a way to identify and measure pollutants, Robert Finnigan, an ex–Cold War engineer, offered his computerized mass spectrometer for the job.