On May 5, explorers, acrobats, and supporters packed the California Academy of Sciences for the 25th annual Big Bang Gala. DJs Solomon and Claude Von Stroke spun records all night while acrobatic dance troop Project Bandaloop dazzled guests by swinging, bouncing, and deftly maneuvering from the walls to the ceiling. During the lush dinner catered by McCall Associates, three innovative pioneers who have pushed the boundaries in each of their respective fields—Elon Musk (founder of PayPal, Tesla Motors, and SpaceX), Craig Venter (National Medal of Science winner and human genome pioneer), and Eric Schmidt (Executive Chairman of Google)—fascinated the audience with their discussion of the significance of science in our future. Proceeds from the event benefit the Academy's research and local education programs.

Photo Credit: Drew Altizer