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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
Lecture – Sherlock Holmes, The Evolution of a Timeless Character by Warren Chaney No other character has been beloved generation after generation. Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes, however, has indeed evolved from Doyle’s original 54-volume cannon of Sherlock Holmes novels–to stage, radio, silver screen, and well into the digital age. Dr. Warren Chaney will trace the […]
Lecture – Dinosaurs of Hollywood, Truth is Better than Fiction by James Washington 1914 saw the first dinosaurs on the silver screen and the public has been in love ever since. The summer of 1993 was a turning point not only in film history and techniques, but also a resurgence of interest within the field […]
The 90’s were the decade of dinosaurs. Sure, the prehistoric creatures had already been capturing the imagination of the public for more than a century by that point, but in the 90’s a combination of scientific breakthroughs in the field paleontology and special effects innovations in the film industry completely changed the way we see […]
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 […]
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 […]
Imagine a primeval world, a swamp, but not like any swamp you see today. A canopy of fern-like leaves towers fifty to a hundred feet above you, blotting out the sun like a blackish-green, moth eaten blanket. Remarkably thin, spindly trunks support the structure precariously. These trunks have a scaley texture, like the skin […]
