The Science History Institute Museum is closed for renovations.
The Othmer Library remains open by appointment.
About Magazine Podcasts Events
Museum Hours:Closed until March 8, 2025

Instruments of Change

Discover the stories behind five of the most groundbreaking scientific instruments from the 20th century.

Explore the social, environmental, and scientific histories of instruments while engaging in exciting game play! This interactive exploration features Linus Pauling’s oxygen meter and Arnold O. Beckman’s iconic pH meter, EASE analog computer, oxidant recorder, and infrared spectrophotometer.

Play the games and learn about the profound impact these instruments have had on our world.

Enter Gallery

Instruments of Change is part of The Arnold O. Beckman Legacy Project, which was made possible with generous funding from the Arnold and Mabel Beckman Foundation.

You may also like

The Instrumental Chemist

Watch this documentary about the remarkable life and legacy of chemist, inventor, entrepreneur, and philanthropist Arnold Beckman.
Woman irritated by smog in LA in the 1950s

Fighting Smog in Los Angeles

And how California’s car emission standards continue to influence the rest of the country.

Arnold O. Beckman

In 1934 Beckman invented the first commercially successful electronic pH meter and then went on to found an international scientific instruments company.

    Republish

    Copy the above HTML to republish this content. We have formatted the material to follow our guidelines, which include our credit requirements. Please review our full list of guidelines for more information. By republishing this content, you agree to our republication requirements.