Carl Zimmer reviews the new Darwin exhibit at the AMNH. He has a few complaints, but otherwise it sounds wonderful.
Pharyngula
Evolution, development, and random biological ejaculations from a godless liberal
Carl Zimmer reviews the new Darwin exhibit at the AMNH. He has a few complaints, but otherwise it sounds wonderful.
Don’t you owe GrrlScientist a return home/away match? Also there’s the issue of whether “they have bowling alleys in NYC” to be investigated.
Then there are those NYT reporters to deal with in person … just to see if you can persuade them to do a better job in future of course. Eg Perhaps by giving them lists of people to contact whenever there’s a science story. You could take a bunch of sticky notes or something to put on their monitors. It might be a bit expensive to run to customised mugs or mouse mats as advertising vehicles.
Interestingly enough, my girlfriend and I just saw the exhibit Sunday. I do agree with Zimmer that the “Evolution after Darwin” part of the exhibit seemed an afterthought, but my girlfriend (a non-scientist) was amused by a computer simulation of natural selection where you get to change the background color and see how this influences the color of bugs being preyed upon by birds. It sounds obvious, but it really is a nice illustration to non-scientists.
I have to admit that the live iguanas and tortoises were quite interesting — and unexpected. They may lead to demands that live specimens become a more common feature of such exhibits — after the Darwin exhibit we saw the Hall of Ocean Life and my girlfriend said (only half-jokingly) “This isn’t interesting; everything’s dead here”
I’m of mixed opinion about Niles Eldredge’s companion book to the exhibition, though. In a 200 page book about Darwin, he manages to bring up punk eek on four different occasions! Give it a rest, Niles! The book is supposed to be about Darwin’s thoughts — not yours!
By the way, if you go to New York, be sure to get tickets on-line ahead of time. The exhibit is on a timed entry system and popular times do sell out. It is also a $10 fee in addition to the $15 museum entry.
it was sold out both times is showed up last week :(
PZ, say when. I live about 3 hours from NYC, and I’d come to see you if you make it out here again. I’ll also commit to springing for some cabfare and at least one dinner for you and yours while you’re here. To really sweeten the deal, you’d most likely also get to meet OGeorge (Carl Buell), the natural history illustrator. :D
(And I’d still like to see gravatars back on your site.)
I told my Honeybunch that we’re going to NYC for this exhibition–he has no choice (but he really does want to go)–and that we’re going to beg/bribe a friend of ours to let us stay at her place. Thanks for heads-up about tickets, Razib. I’m so spoiled, working at a free museum, that I didn’t even think about calling for reservations!
How about pay the NYU picket line a visit to show support?
i’ve spent many hours in that exhibit so far and will spend many more there in the next few months.
oh, and more bowling? my left butt cheek hasn’t recovered from the last match yet, but okay, if your fans insist .. but i warn you, i’ll beat you, PZ.
Seeing all the original documents is really exciting, and I absolutely agree with Zimmer, that the view of the first phylogenetic tree is quite extraordinary. BTW since the day I saw the exhibit, I’ve been dreaming of a T-shirt with that drawing (plus the two famous words above: “I think”). After all physics people could really make E=mc2 popular that way ;-).
It’s New York. You never need an excuse to visit. You just go when you feel like it.
You COULD fly in for a weekend to go see it, but it runs through May. You could go during Spring Break while your students are off getting drunk and removing their tops in the Carribean. Go in, see the sights, search out the best restaurants/bars. Treat yourself. You’ve earned it.
I’ll be going to it when it comes to Chicago. I’d love to see it brought to the Science Museum in St Paul. BTW, when Norm Coleman had a radio show, he once had creationist guests on his show – and pander to them big time. I wish there was a way to get audio of that particular show.
My favorite was the notebooks — they had all the key notebooks on evolution, opened to excellent entries, for instance, the entry in (I think the D notebook?) in which he pencils a quick sketch of an evolutionary tree (the first ever). Wow.
On the other hand, I was not too wowed by the tortise–I’d seen some in the Galapagos a couple of years ago and was expecting (naively) older specimens.
P.S.> If any of you do hit NY could you swing by NYU and tell Sexton to shove it?
Dude! There are at least three bowling alleys in NYC, but since they’re all relatively small, it’s a good idea to call ahead for availability.
And I would totally buy a t-shirt with that tree sketch on it. GrrlScientist – didn’t you once mention a science t-shirt place that did custom orders?
A few random, relatively unconnected comments:
1. There are bowling alleys in NYC, but, as Kitty already pointed out, they are small. And expensive. I haven’t ever been to any of them since, being from the midwest myself, I find the idea of an expensive bowling alley an abomination.
2. The Darwin exhibit is selling out? Cool! That means that
A: Lots of people are learning something about Darwin and evolution.
B: The AMNH is making lots of money, which will in turn fund their research division, where my partner works. Remember when you’re visiting the AMNH you’re not just seeing interesting exhibits, you’re funding a post-doc.
3. The exhibit really is good, but I kept wanting more of everything: more on Darwin’s life and work, more post-Darwin information, more tortises…But even the AMNH only has so much room.
4. (Totally off topic) I miss the anti-spam confirmation words from the old Pharyngula. Can you get them back?
5. The exhibit needs to go on the road, with stops in Dover PA, Kansas…
Interestingly enough, my girlfriend and I just saw the exhibit Sunday.
My friend (biologist) and I (environmental scientist) were there on Sunday!
I can get lost in that museum for hours, but we made a point of getting as much Darwin as possible. They also give proper respect (“props” as the kids say) to Alfred Russell Wallace, too. There are several excellent video displays on what a scientific theory is, how evolution is supported, and why it is so important to modern science. The replica of the Beagle is a little awe-inspiring, how so many men survived on such a small ship for 5 years is amazing. The replicated study is also a highlight. As are the notebooks, though it takes a minute to adjust to his elegant writing.
Unfortuantely, the AMNH site doesn’t give the dates for the other stops (not that I could find, anyway). I’m happy to see it’s coming to Toronto in 2008 — but I had to dig through the ROM site to find that. I will definitely have to make a point of seeing it there.
Does anyone know when it’s going to hit Chicago? (Damned if I can find any mention of it on the Field Museum site). I’m going to be in the Midwest around Labour Day.
Rats, I won’t be in NY until June. I’d love to add this exhibition to my list of things to do while I’m there.
Hi Kitty,
I just now came across your post – we’re the t-shirt place that Grrlscientist mentioned. I don’t want to spam Pharyngula here but we do indeed do custom orders and we could totally make a shirt out of Darwin’s diagram, I know which one you mean and actually that would make a great shirt. Email us if you see this post!
Sara @ YellowIbis
Mrly wnt t sy yr rtcl s brllnt. Th clrty n yr pst s smply strkng nd cn tk fr grntd y r n xprt n ths fld. Wll wth yr prmssn llw m t grb yr rss fd t kp p t dt wth ncmng pst. Thnks mlln nd pls kp p th rspctbl wrk.