Collectible Nightlife

Show us yours and we'll show you ours-collections that is!

This week, NightLife salutes the time-tested art and science of collecting. From life forms discovered at the darkest depths of the ocean to space objects collected after crashing through the atmosphere-we've got it all.

Fresh from the Academy's largest scientific diving expedition to date in the Philippines, Dr. Terry Gosliner will showcase some of the most fascinating specimens collected at the "center of the center" of marine biodiversity.

From photographing fish 400 feet below the surface, to preparing a sea slug to enter into a scientific collection, get an insider's look into the Academy's growing collection of nearly 46 million scientific specimens.

Meet the one and only Ray "Bones" Bandar and see some of his favorite artifacts from a personal collection of over 7,000 boney works of art.

In the Piazza, dance to the sounds of two of the Bay Area's top vinyl DJs-Tanoa and Tom LG-as they battle for the title of "vinyl victor."

Learn about the role collections play in preserving history with Paxton Gate, local taxidermy emporium Loved to Death, and Schein & Schein Antique Maps.

Plus, get a rare peek inside the Academy's Gem and Mineral Vault and learn how courageous scientists once risked their lives to save Academy collections after the 1906 earthquake and fire as you view prized collections from the Academy's library archives.

In the planetarium, discover what scientists learn when meteors and asteroids fall from the sky during a special presentation at 6:30 pm, followed by two showings of Dark Universe.