Located in the Central Maya Lowlands in what is now northern Guatemala, the Preclassic city of El Mirador was a giant compared to most of its contemporaries. Its massive ruins still tower above the rainforest canopy. They are silent witnesses to Maya ingenuity and the Maya’s ability to sustain such a massive settlement so early […]
Editor’s note: The following post was written by David Lee, a rock expert specializing in the rock art sites of northern Australia. His Distinguished Lecture, co-sponsored by the Archaeological Institute of America Society – Houston, examines how the ceremonial traditions of indigenous groups in northern Australia are linked to lessons learned during the “dreamtime,” when […]
When the new paleo hall opened, the Museum put up a billboard warning the public that the hall is infested with BUGS! It really is, but they are not the kind you step on. We have a display that is arguably the “Best In the World.” I will be writing a number of articles on […]
Of all the natural disasters that could befall us, only an Earth impact by a large comet or asteroid has the potential to end civilization in a single blow. Yet these near-Earth objects also offer tantalizing clues to our solar system’s origins, and someday could even serve as stepping-stones for space exploration. Dr. Donald Yeomans […]
What’s transparent, powerful, and something that we use in our everyday lives? Nope, it’s not the government, (though some people may think they control it). No, it’s not the Internet, although we’ll see in the coming years how the government changes that. I’m talking about gasoline. Gasoline is a transparent liquid containing mainly hydrogen and […]
Creating a fuse bead masterpiece is a different feat at 25 years old than it was at 10. I’d never realized how handy having tiny digits had been until recently, as I fumbled with slippery, miniscule beads to create one of our most popular Party Smarty crafts. Kiddos who book their birthdays with HMNS get […]
Editor’s note: Museum volunteer and Ecoteen Myria Perez was recognized by Mayor Annise Parker on Friday after earning the Girl Scouts’ highest honor for her work with HMNS. Perez collaborated with the HMNS paleontology department to construct a Permian-period touch cart using specimens that she helped uncover at our dig site in Seymour, Texas. We […]
If you Google “most common New Year’s resolutions,” you get a variety of results, but generally the options seem to come down to these: 1. Lose weight 2. Exercise more 3. Spend more time with family and friends 4. Enjoy life more 5. Learn something new 6. Help others 7. Quit smoking 8. Get out […]
Your old favorite is back — our spring Herpetology Workshop on April 20! This course helps Scouts earn the Reptile and Amphibian study merit badge by completing eight of the badge’s 10 requirements in a single five-hour course. Student Scouts will convene from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and learn the identifying characteristics of reptile […]
Happy New Year! This January, Mars continues to fade as it drops into the Sun’s glare. It is low in the southwest at dusk. Jupiter is now up all night long. Opposition, when Earth is directly between Jupiter and the Sun and Jupiter literally rises at sundown and sets at sunup, is Jan. 3. After […]
