Sunday, June 16, 2024

AMNHinNY

We all should wander around and ponder deeper: What’s our human origin, and where are we going, ultimately?

New York as a large metropolitan city with more than ten million of people has enriched anthropological treasures such as museums and galleries, besides its natural sceneries such as the ocean or riverfront and greenery gardens. In fact, New York City is home to several prominent museums that cover history, art, and science.


In New York City last month, I visited a few art and science museums, through which I studied human history and evolution, art and craft, science and technology development from many years of human history. 


The American Museum of Natural History (AMHL) was located in the center of New York, the central park was just located at the other side of the street. I arrived too early in the morning, the library was not open yet, I hung around at the neighborhood areas, they were quiet and decent. AMNH is one of the largest and most celebrated natural history museums in the world.  It features extensive exhibits on dinosaurs, mammals, biodiversity, human cultures, and the natural world. AMNH is also a major research institution with scientists conducting research across a wide range of disciplines, focusing on different aspects of natural history, cultural anthropology, and scientific exploration. Here are the main categories of exhibitions: 

Biodiversity and Conservation: Exhibitions in the hall explore the diversity of life on Earth, the interconnectedness of ecosystems, and efforts to conserve biodiversity. There are many three dimensional creature samples; there are many pictures of different types of beautiful butterflies and other insects, highlighting species from different habitats and regions, including endangered and extinct species. 

Earth and Planetary Science: The exhibitions in this category focus on geology, meteorites, minerals, and the formation of Earth and other planets. They include displays of geological specimens, interactive models of Earth processes, and information about planetary exploration.

Paleontology:There are extensive paleontology exhibitions, which feature fossils of dinosaurs, prehistoric mammals, and other ancient life forms. These exhibitions showcase the evolutionary history of life on Earth and advancements in paleontological research.

Human Origins and Cultural Halls: This category explores human evolution, anthropology, and cultural diversity. Exhibitions cover topics such as early human ancestors, ancient civilizations, and contemporary indigenous cultures. They often include artifacts, reconstructions, and multimedia presentations. There is a comprehensive exhibition about Africa: from Sahara to Nile, how the early human species survived, grew, and innovated. I believe the exhibition in this section provokes our thoughts on human origin by introducing some historical facts, but people need to keep exploring further and deeper to discover human origins.

Space and Astrophysics: Exhibitions in this category focus on the universe beyond Earth, including stars, galaxies, and cosmology. They often feature interactive displays, models of spacecraft, and information about ongoing space exploration missions.

They are all high-quality exhibitions, from which we learn history, biology, astrology, and many more, etc. Each of these categories within the American Museum of Natural History offers a unique perspective on the natural world, providing visitors with opportunities to learn about Earth's history, biodiversity, and the scientific discoveries shaping our understanding of the universe. We all should wander around and ponder deeper: What’s our human origin, and where are we going, ultimately?


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