Award-winning science writer K.C. Cole shares tales from her new book Something Incredibly Wonderful Happens: Frank Oppenheimer and the World He Made Up (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2009). Discover the never-before-told story of Frank Oppenheimer, physicist, educator, brother of J. Robert Oppenheimer, and founder of the Exploratorium. Believing that “without understanding, we’d all be sunk,” Frank Oppenheimer created the Exploratorium to be a museum of human awareness that combined art and science while encouraging play, experimentation, and a sense of joy and wonder. Its success inspired a worldwide revolution in museums and science education. A friend and colleague of Frank’s for many years, K.C. drew from letters, documents, and extensive interviews to tell this tragic, funny, and uplifting story of a man whose irrepressible spirit would inspire so many. Because capacity is limited, reservations are strongly recommended. Go to www.exploratorium.edu/40th/kcpanel/. Admission is free for members and is included in the price of admission for non-members.

Joining in the conversation about Frank, the Renaissance man, and his legacy, the Exploratorium’s vibrant creative culture,are San Francisco Chronicle’s eminent science editor, David Perlman, who knew Frank and the Exploratorium at its founding, along with others who were there at the start. To learn more about K.C. Cole, go to www.kccole.net.