Wednesday, March 26, 2025
The California Science Center announced today that it will host The Bias Inside Us exhibition from April 5 to June 15, 2025, in the S. Mark Taper Foundation Sky Court Gallery. This community engagement initiative, presented by the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service (SITES), seeks to raise awareness about the social science and psychology of implicit bias, its impact, and what actions can be taken to address it.
The Bias Inside Us is a traveling exhibition that explores and demystifies the concept of bias using thought-provoking images, interactive displays, and powerful testimonials and videos. Divided into six sections—Introduction, The Science of Bias, Bias in Real Life, Serious Consequences—Bias is All Around Us, #RetrainYourBrain, and Personal Reflection—the exhibition guides visitors through the foundations of bias, the psychological processes behind its formation, and its influence on both conscious and unconscious behaviors.
Interactive components showcase how implicit and explicit bias manifest in the world, demonstrating the ways bias shapes systems and policies that affect individuals and communities. One such interactive experience challenges visitors to consider how bias influences areas such as product design, advertising, architecture, and technology. A special series of videos features eight diverse voices sharing their personal experiences with bias.
Additionally, the exhibition includes Spanish photographer Angélica Dass’ Humanae project, which redefines the concept of race by documenting humanity’s true skin colors through portraits, rather than traditional racial labels like “white,” “red,” “black,” and “yellow.”
“At the California Science Center, we are committed to fostering curiosity and science learning in a welcoming environment of accessibility and inclusiveness,” said Jeffrey Rudoph, President and CEO of the California Science Center. “The Bias Inside Us offers a powerful opportunity for our guests to explore the science behind implicit bias and reflect on the ways it shapes our perceptions and interactions.”
Drawing from the research and educational work of psychologists Mahzarin R. Banaji of Harvard University and Anthony G. Greenwald, professor emeritus at the University of Washington, the exhibition explores the science behind implicit bias. Their work on unconscious and conscious mental processes led to the term “implicit bias,” and their book Blindspot: Hidden Biases of Good People (Delacorte Press, 2013) delves into how biases are shaped by cultural attitudes surrounding gender, race, social class, and disability.
