A few weeks ago I was shadowing David Temple, our Associate Curator of Paleontology, as he and a specialist from the Medical Center examined the levels of radiation given off by vintage luminescent watch dials in preparation for our new special exhibit Death by Natural Causes. After the examination was over, David decided we […]
Whenever the topic of human evolution comes up in a classroom you are bound to hear the name “Lucy” thrown around. But who exactly is Lucy and why is she so important? Well, tracing the roots of the human family tree is a tough task. Most ancient human skeletons discovered are only fragmentary, but when Lucy’s […]
Educator Late Night – Death by Natural Causes Death by Natural Causes will introduce students to the range of “animal, vegetable and mineral” dangers that lurk in their everyday lives. Through a collection of specimens, text and interactives, students will explore animal adaptations, statistics, chemistry, medicine and history. The rich graphics, compelling visuals and […]
Registration For HMNS X plorations Summer Camp Is Now! Questions? Contact xplorations@hmns.org or call 713-639-4652. Don’t forget you can Refer a Friend when registering for Summer Camp, and you’ll both receive a discount! More information on that can be found here. Parent’s Guide to Xplorations Summer Camp is the basics of what you need to know! […]
Lecture – Hearth, Heart, Home: Skara Brae’s Early Stone Age Dwellings by Martin Carruthers What was it about an ancient windswept place in the remote Orkney Islands that caused people to invest so much effort in creating one of the earliest examples of permanent homes? Skara Brae, a Stone Age village and UNESCO World […]
This sand from Flagler Beach, Florida, contains both mineral grains and shells. The mineral grains are clear quartz, and the brown, tan, and orange grains are shells that give the beach an orange hue. Blocks of coquina (roughly 130,000 -100,000 years old and known as the Anastasia Formation) are found offshore much of eastern Florida […]
Cultural Feast – A Renaissance Condottieri Banquet…A Knight to Remember Art, warfare, intrigue, and cuisine often melded during the Italian Renaissance. Places such as Milan and northern Italy were important centers for the manufacture of the exquisite armor worn by kings and nobles throughout Europe during battles. Artists including Leonardo da Vinci often designed fortifications […]
Jupiter is almost due south at dawn; it outshines all the stars we ever see at night. Mars is in the south-southeast at dawn. It brightens a little each morning as moves away from Jupiter and towards Saturn. Saturn is in the southeast at dawn this month. Venus is lost […]
A trilobite changed my life. I know what you’re thinking, “Say what? That’s just crazy!” No, it’s true. Please let me explain. I’ve worked at the Houston Museum of Natural Science for close to half my life. Truth be told, the Museum has been a part of my life even longer than that, […]
This week the community that we are so proud to be a part of has suffered a devastating loss. In the midst of that suffering, many of you reached out to see how the museum was faring and if the collections were safe. We could not be more humbled, grateful and […]
