Lecture – Venomous Bites and Stings – Public Perceptions and Misconceptions by Spencer Greene There’s plenty of misinformation about both prevention and relief from bites and stings. Dr. Spencer Greene will break down some common myths about dealing with critter attacks–jellyfish, bees, snakes, asps, ants, scorpions are all culprits of myths. Spencer Greene, […]
In the modern age of planes, trains and automobiles the world can seem like it’s getting smaller every minute. But what I think is actually happening is that this new world of travel options simply causes us to overlook the quirky little corners of our own cities and states and as a result we […]
Lecture – The Perfectionists: How Precision Engineers Created the Modern World by Simon Winchester Revered “New York Times” bestselling author Simon Winchester will trace the development of technology from the Industrial Age to the Digital Age to explore the single component crucial to advancement–precision–in a history that is both an homage and a warning for […]
It’s been more than two weeks since the International Exhibition of Sherlock Holmes opened here at HMNS. For those of you who have not read about the exhibit yet, it’s basically an interactive nineteenth century crime scene and traditional historical exhibition rolled into one. Visitors can try their hand at helping Holmes interpret a mock […]
We all learned in school that James Watt created the first useful steam engine, but did you know that his machine was still extremely inefficient until John Wilkinson’s method of boring holes through solid blocks of iron allowed precision cylinders to be produced? It turns out the element of “exactness” is very important to […]
Lecture – The Story of the Sword by Don Halter Warfare changes with the technology of the day. Historian and historical bladesmith, Donald Halter, will detail the evolution of edged and blunt force trauma weapons in medieval times. This presentation will include an overview of the advancement of iron and steel from the inception of […]
Lecture – Medieval Arms Race Throughout the Middle Ages competition between offensive and defensive arms resulted in a constant stream of innovation and evolution that resulted in the magnificent suits of armor and gracefully proportioned weapons on display in the current collection. Historian David Wise will explore the science behind the arms race […]
Lecture – What Makes Us Human? Lessons from the Study of Wild Chimpanzees by John Mitani This evening leading Primate behavioral ecologist John Mitani will reveal interesting parallels between humans and chimpanzees with respect to friendships, longevity and cooperation. Humans form long-lasting friendships, live a very long time, and are an unusually prosocial and cooperative […]
Spring is in the air and the Houston Museum of Natural Science Spring Plant Sale is right around the corner! If you are in need of plants, we will have thousands! There will be over 20 different species of host plants for butterflies, over 100 different species of nectar plants for all hungry pollinators, […]
Last week we discussed the history of dining utensils, including an insightful review of the dubious origins of the fork. This week we will focus on the proper arrangement of different utensils, plates and cups and discuss why stuff is placed where it is. To begin, here are some helpful hints from Dylan Flosi at […]
