Are Bananas Really Cursed?

It’s October and in honor of our 31 Days of Death I’m exploring the deadly reputation of everyone’s favorite yellow berry. For at least a century now, it has been a common superstition among seafarers that to bring a banana on board a ship is bad luck. Nobody know’s where this myth came from, however […]

Sky Happenings This Month: The Autumn “Intermission”

      Autumn represents sort of an ‘intermission’ in the sky, with bright summer stars setting at dusk, while bright winter patterns such as Orion have not yet risen.   The ‘teapot’ of Sagittarius sets in the southwest early in the evening.  The Summer Triangle is high in the west.   Meanwhile, the Great Square […]

Skeletons, Citrus and Science! This Week’s Happenings At HMNS

Lecture – Beauty and Morphology of Insects by Erin Mills Characteristics and adaptations of these unique and misunderstood creatures will be explored by Erin Mills, Director of the Cockrell Butterfly Center. Living exotic beetles, giant katydids, walking sticks, hissing cockroaches, beautiful butterflies and other exciting arthropods will compliment this special presentation and tour of the […]

A Few Amazing Pieces In Our Hall Of Paleontology That Most Visitors Don’t Notice

Every year thousands of visitors pass through our Morian Hall of Paleontology. Within the labyrinthine halls of this massive space they encounter some of the most famous ancient creatures known to science: Tyrannosaurus rex, Triceratops, Stegosaurus, Megalodon, Mastodon and many others. The space is filled with so many gigantic wonders that it’s easy to overlook […]

Mastodon Monday To Skin Saturday: This Week’s Happenings At HMNS

Lecture – Facing the Past – Cases in Forensic Sculpture by Amanda Danning Forensic sculptor Amanda Danning performs facial reconstructions on skulls whose true appearance is unknown. She has worked on the most exciting anthropology finds in North America as well as contemporary criminal cases. Danning’s captivating presentation will combine history and technology, forensics and […]

Starbucks Didn’t Start The Pumpkin Craze, Mastodons Did!

In honor of the last day of Summer, I thought I’d investigate the pumpkin craze that is sweeping the nation even before Fall begins. In preparation for the coming season, grocery stores are stocking up on pumpkin scones, pumpkin muffins, pumpkin cakes, oreos, coffee… you name, they’ve pumpkin-ized it. It seems like people are crazy […]

Barbecue, Disney and Bored Scotsmen: Why Pirates Say Arrrrrrrrrrrrrr

In honor of National Talk Like a Pirate day, I thought I’d explore just where the famous pirate accent came from and whether any real pirates spoke in the style we all associate with them today. After days of researching I have discovered that, in short, the answer is Hollywood and no. However, the story […]

Mayan Monday To Forensics Friday And Everything In Between: This Week’s Happenings At HMNS

Behind The Scenes Tour of the Cockrell Butterfly Center Plus Greenhouses HMNS entomologists and horticulturists will take you behind the scenes of the containment room and rooftop greenhouses–areas not open to the public–where staff cares for the Museum’s caterpillars, butterflies, other insects, food plants for the butterflies. In addition to the behind-the-scenes zones, you will […]

Astronaut Shannon Walker Talks About Becomming A Space Explorer And Sheds Some Light On The Future Of Women In Space

This fall, in collaboration with Houston Museum of Natural Science, Rice University’s Glasscock School of Continuing Studies is offering Women in Space, a course (open to the general public) highlighting women who have played pivotal roles in the U.S. space program as astronauts, engineers, flight controllers, researchers and mentors for the next generation of space […]


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