National Museum of Natural History
Deep Thoughts with Cephalopod Biologist Mike Vecchione
I can remember being enthralled by Jacques Cousteau, watching his television shows about his ocean exploration adventures aboard his famous ship, the Calypso. That feeling of wonder has never really left me; I'm still a sucker for a good deep-sea documentary. So, as soon as I heard about the "Deepe...
February 18, 2010 |
By Jeff Campagna
A Dinosaur Graveyard in the Smithsonian's Backyard
At a new dinosaur park in Maryland, children and paleontologists alike have found fossils for a new Smithsonian exhibit
February 2010 |
By Abby Callard
Yikes! The Sky is Falling. And a Meteoric Dispute Ensues
Around this time each year, geologists from the department of mineral sciences at the National Museum of Natural History anxiously await the arrival of hundreds of meteorites that are collected annually from Antarctica. The space rocks are sent thousands of miles first by ship, and then by truck to...
January 29, 2010 |
By Erica R. Hendry
A New Diamond Unveiled at Natural History Museum
Last month, the National Museum of Natural History announced that rarely-seen, Wittelsbach-Graff Diamond would be temporarily joining the Hope Diamond in the museum's gem collection. Tomorrow, that diamond goes on display."It is a truly remarkable opportunity," said Cristián Samper, the museum's di...
January 29, 2010 |
By Megan Gambino
The Secret's in the Stone (or How to Build a Cave) at the Natural History Museum
Over thousands of years, early humans made their mark with hand prints and paintings on the stone walls of caves and other hillside shelters and grottoes—but one thing is sure; humans rarely had to build the caves themselves.That was exactly the work that foreman Jason Horne and his crew had been e...
January 28, 2010 |
By Erica R. Hendry
"Best of the Decade" With African Art Curator Christine Mullen Kreamer
As we embark on a new decade, we here at ATM thought it a good time to reflect on the last—asking Smithsonian curators to weigh in on their favorite exhibits and acquisitions since 2000.Christine Mullen Kreamer began her Smithsonian career in the late 1980s, working as the content coordinator for t...
January 12, 2010 |
By Megan Gambino
Events: Celebrate Kwanzaa, Get the Skinny on Rocket-Powered Aircraft and More!
Monday, December 28: Kwanzaa Workshop Series: Ujima (Collective Work and Responsibility)In this continuing series, come learn about the Kwanzaa principle of Ujima—collective work and responsibility—through an arts and crafts workshop. Free, but space is limited. To make a reservation, call 202-633-...
December 28, 2009 |
By Jesse Rhodes
Happy Holidays! The Smithsonian is Closed on Christmas Day
Twas the Night Before Christmasand here on the Mall,Not a creature is stirring in the museum's vast hallsFull of objects and trinkets selected with careBy curators hoping you'd all soon be there.Alas and alack, one day of the year,The Smithsonian closes. But don't shed a tear—The day after Christma...
December 24, 2009 |
By Jesse Rhodes
Events for the Week of December 21-25: Holiday Happenings, Gift Shop Sales, Chat With a Scientist
SNOW DAY! All DC-metropolitan Smithsonian museums, along with the Udvar-Hazy Center in Virginia, are open today. The National Zoo, however, remains closed due to the heavy snowfall over the weekend.Monday, December 21: IMAX!!Spend your snow day away from work or school exploring the museums or enj...
December 21, 2009 |
By Jesse Rhodes
Smithsonian in the News: Diamonds at Natural History and Bubbles at the Hirshhorn
More than a Bauble...The Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History announced yesterday that the Wittelsbach-Graff Diamond, a rare 31.06-carat blue diamond, will be joining the museum's 45.52-carat Hope Diamond come January 28. The last time the diamond, one of the grandest in the world, wa...
December 15, 2009 |
By Megan Gambino
Events for the Week of 11/23-27: Dig It!, Space Exploration, American Food, and the Freer's Annual Attic Sale!
Monday, November 23: Sorry kids, no special events today. But be sure to check this website for a listing of regularly scheduled Smithsonian fun.Tuesday, November 24: Dig It! ActivitiesExperience the Natural History Museum’s Dig It! exhibition a la carte! As you tour the show, keep an eye out for v...
November 23, 2009 |
By Jesse Rhodes
Nature's Best Photography Exhibition Opens at Natural History Museum
Nature's Best Photography is a magazine that has encouraged conservation and stewardship of the natural world by way of its world-renowned photography competition. Every year, the magazine receives about 25,000 entries that highlight natures beauty and a small selection of them—including winners in...
November 13, 2009 |
By Jesse Rhodes
Scientists Use 100-Year-Old DNA to Validate Species
Scientists, including the Smithsonian's Gary Graves, recently used nearly microscopic fragments of tissue to identify a presumably extinct hummingbird. Even more amazing, the specimen from which the tissue was taken is 100 years old.The Heliangelus zusii hummingbird specimen was originally purchase...
October 28, 2009 |
By Abby Callard
Caption Writing Contest #6: Winner Revealed
We sifted through over 100 pre-historic entries in this month’s caption contest, ranging from riffs on insufficient food consumption of some type to mother-in-law jokes, but Big Steg finally has a winning caption.See, look right there. The proof of intelligent design. It’s stamped, "Made in heaven....
October 14, 2009 |
By Jeff Campagna
Weekday Events: Book Signing, Panamanian Music, Pinball, and Artist Brian Jungen
Monday, October 12: Book SigningRobert F. Door will be available to autograph his book Hell Hawks!: The Untold Story of the American Fliers Who Savaged Hitler’s Wehrmacht. Free. Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center, 12:00-5:00 PM.Tuesday, October 13: Celebramos Panama: A Musical ExtravaganzaCelebrate Hispan...
October 12, 2009 |
By Jesse Rhodes
Removed from its Setting, The Hope Stands Alone
The Hope Diamond, the Smithsonian's rock for all ages, that wonderful indigo blue 45.52 carat gem stone, is once again in the spotlight. Today, as part of the diamond's on-going 50th-anniversary celebration of its arrival at the National Museum of Natural History, curators will remove the diamond f...
September 23, 2009 |
By Beth Py-Lieberman
Smithsonian Events for the Week of September 21-25: Thomas Jefferson, The Jungle Book, and an Artists' Roundtable Talk
Monday, September 21: A Conversation with Thomas Jefferson and His Slave, Betty HemingsThis theatrical performance imagines what it's like to look at Thomas Jefferson through the eyes of Betty Hemings—a slave owned by Jefferson's father-in-law, John Wayles, and mother of Sally Hemings. This show fe...
September 21, 2009 |
By Jesse Rhodes
Dispatch from Panama: Getting In the Mood
ATM blogger Megan Gambino spent a week in Panama reporting on research taking place at two locations—Barro Colorado Island and Bocas del Toro—of the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI). Read on in this final dispatch to follow her day-to-day adventures.Day 5 and Day 6: Coral Spawning!B...
September 16, 2009 |
By Megan Gambino
Dispatch from Panama: Bocas del Toro
ATM blogger Megan Gambino spent a week in Panama reporting on research taking place at two locations—Barro Colorado Island and Bocas del Toro—of the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI). Read on to follow her day-to-day adventures.Day 3: Arriving at BocasToday I left Panama City for ...
September 15, 2009 |
By Megan Gambino
Smithsonian Events Week of September 14-18: Julia Child, Prince Edward, the Global Arts Scene and More!
Monday, September 14Ah, Monday, Monday—can't trust that day. No free special events scheduled. Sometimes it just turns out that way. So check out this site for a listing of regularly-scheduled events happening at the museums. But rest assured, every other day of the week is fine.Tuesday, September ...
September 14, 2009 |
By Jesse Rhodes
