Beyond Bones

Forget the fruit cake – get your family and friends something they could actually use for the holidays! Here are 20 items under $20 for everyone on your list (including you) from the Museum Store: 1. FOR THE CARBIVORE: Pastasaurus “There are too many dinosaur references in my kitchen,” said no one, ever. Liven up your […]

Editor’s note: This week’s guest post was written by Becky Lao of the Archaeological Institute of America (AIA) – Houston. On Tuesday, Nov. 12, Dr. Randall White, a prominent expert on paleolithic art, spoke at HMNS as part of the AIA series on the development of art as a great human innovation. The AIA lecture […]

Jambo! Now that we have a good Internet connection to the Internet (there aren’t a lot of Internet cafes in the middle of the Serengeti), I thought I should update you on our adventures! The second evening in Tanzania, a brave few were fortunate enough to be taken on a late afternoon nature hike. We […]

This is it. The final stargazing report of 2013. So let’s get to it, shall we? Venus remains in the west at dusk for one more month. It outshines everything but the Sun and Moon, so you can begin observing it during deep twilight. Shortly after the new year begins, Venus shifts from the evening to […]

We arrived at the Kilimanjaro airport well after dark. There are no gates, so we deplaned onto the tarmac and walked in to get our visas. Everyone was in a chipper mood — we had arrived, we were up and moving around (which was awesome after two long flights), and we were ready to begin […]

As holiday and end-of-the-year parties are getting closer, it may be time to think of new topics to bring up when there’s a lull in conversation with coworkers, family, friends and new acquaintances. And what better way than bringing up some interesting science facts? Here are some of the most interesting facts that I have […]

Today’s guest post was written by Dr. Gus Costa, Geoarchaeologist at Rice University and Paleoarts Educator/Owner of The Flintstone Factory The ascent of humankind is an unlikely story of a clawless, small-toothed primate prevailing in a brutish world of horrific beasts. How did our ancestors compete with lions, tigers and bears? More importantly, how would […]

Today we saw dozens of very photogenic zebras. This got David and me talking: What came first, the zebra or the stripes? There are plenty of theories as to why the zebra has stripes – some more fantastical than others. According to one African tale, the zebra was once pure white. One very hot day, […]

Today’s guest post is written by John Moffitt, Astrophysicist & HMNS Volunteer. Amateur astronomers are getting a better look at Comet ISON as it dives toward the sun for a Nov. 28th close encounter with solar fire. As the heat rises, the comet brightens, revealing new details every day. This photo, taken Nov. 10th by Michael Jäger of […]

Pick up a conversation piece. Give a smart gift. Or just scare the cat. Give it, receive it, OWN IT. Click here to peruse our exciting 2013 Holiday Gift Guide. And feel good about yourself knowing that 100% of the proceeds benefit the museum’s educational programming. Something to warm your heart this holiday season: the […]