Some of the world’s most influential inventions were dreamed up by San Franciscan tinkerers. On this tour, we explore seven surprising stories of innovation that exemplify San Francisco as a hotbed of creative thinking for nearly two centuries. We’ll investigate the science behind some of these inventions, discuss how the nature of what we patent has evolved over time, and explore our own ability to think outside the box—all while taking in the city’s stellar views and historic neighborhoods.
This tour is for tinkerers, hackers, engineers, creators, and anyone interested in stories of intrigue about the city's great innovators. 2.3 miles with some uphills, 2.5 hours, with some snacks provided.
Robin's reputation as an explorer began when she was a baby, crawling her way into crevices that sometimes gave her parents a fright. As a child, she preferred biology and astronomy books to fairy tales and barbies. She fashioned her own experiments with plastic, ice, wax, and matches and nearly set the house on fire. In college, she became a biochemist, but found the practice of science somewhat stoic. When her first published paper came back from peer review with the commentary “too creative,” she took it as a sign she should get out of the lab. She has since worked for many years as a writer and reporter, and spent a decade at the Exploratorium, where she had the honor of working with and learning from some of the best science teachers in the world. Robin still gets her geek on by writing for high school science textbooks and editing podcasts for the National Academies of Science, and she is also the current president of the Northern California Science Writers’ Association. Full profile
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