Nothing inspires both children and adults quite the way a museum does. A close second is the inspiration that both the young and old find playing and experimenting with various kinds of toys that encourage building and construction. Exploration of the natural sciences and imaginative construction play are a natural fit. The museum’s new exhibit […]
The Houston Museum of Natural Science, along with the Girls Scouts of San Jacinto Council, cordially invite you to attend the Girls Exploring Math and Science event, Feb. 20 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. GEMS is a free event for members and is included with the purchase of a ticket to the museum’s permanent […]
After months of renovation, the Burke Baker Planetarium at the Houston Museum of Natural Science will re-open March 11 with the best picture of the universe in the world! The Evans and Sutherland Digistar 5 digital projection system boasts the first True 8K image on the planet, with twice the resolution as an IMAX theater. The powerful digital […]
Anubis is the Greek name for the “jackal-headed” god associated with death and the rituals of mummification in Ancient Egypt. Anubis’ color is black, symbolizing rebirth, which parallels the belief that the deceased is, in fact, reborn in the afterlife. Over time, Anubis played several roles in funerary rituals, from protector of the grave to […]
Have you ever touched a living shark? Sounds like a scary proposition, but you can do so safely at Shark! The Touch Tank Experience. Before you reach into that tank observe shark’s skin (above). How might it feel to the touch? A shark’s skin is actually very comparable to… sandpaper! That’s right folks, the tiny dermal denticles that cover […]
Editor’s note: This blog post was contributed by Kathleen Havens, HMNS Assistant Director of Youth Education. Feudal Japan’s government depended on a warrior class, called Samurai, for over 600 years. Individual samurai warriors served a daimyo, powerful warlords that governed individual regions throughout Japan. At the pinnacle of this loyal and highly trained group of […]
Heraldry is a unique identification system developed in the Middle Ages to aid in the identification of fully armored knights on the battle or tournament field. The roots of heraldry lay in the insignia, seals, and symbols used in ancient times for individual and/or national identification purposes. Heraldic designs were applied to shields, tunics, horse […]
Bats have frightened, awed, and inspired for millennia. Leonardo da Vinci used the bat’s amazing wing structure as inspiration for his version of the ornithopter — a machine which flies using flapping bird-like wings. No one knows for sure if he ever built or tested his invention, but Cardanus, a contemporary of Leonardo wrote that […]
The moon’s appearance in the sky follows a 29.5-day cycle. During the cycle, it first appears as a crescent. The lighted portion that you can in the night sky see becomes larger as days pass, growing until you see a full moon. As more days pass, the lighted portion gets smaller again, until no moon […]
Editor’s note: In honor of our new Nautilus Live program — which takes Museum patrons to the ocean floor with telepresence technology — this month’s Educator How-To is all about the nautilus shell. From our veteran Xplorations educator Kat Havens: It is difficult to deny the beauty and perfection of the nautilus’ spiraled chambers. Many […]
