Earth Science

Exhibit

In Search of Earth’s Secrets

Explore the magnetism of the Earth’s core, extract a core sample, and discover secrets form the past with a full-body puzzle!
Video
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time
under 1 minute

New Breakthrough: Scientists Turn Food Waste Into Plastic Alternative

By feeding fermented food scraps to a bacterium called Cupriavidus necator, researchers at Binghamton University were able to produce a biodegradable material that works like plastic, but breaks down naturally.
Video
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time
under 1 minute

Can Birds Have Road Rage?

Tiny yellow warblers are changing their songs in response to nearby roads and growing tourism. Researchers have discovered that these birds sing louder, faster, and more repetitively near traffic — a behavior scientists call vocal plasticity.
Video
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time
Under 1 minute

Recycling Rare Earth Metals

Rare earth metals are essential for manufacturing our electronics, but is there a way to mine them without harming the environment? In this video, Maynard Okereke explains how Phoenix Tailings works to reduce waste from rare earth metal mining.
Video
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time
Under 1 minute

Rock vs. Mineral: Know the Difference!

What’s the difference between a rock and a mineral? Maynard Okereke explains the key differentiating factors.
Video
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time
Under 1 minute

Did an Asteroid Boost Life on Earth?

How did a gigantic meteor impact 3.26 billion years ago benefit life on Earth? The S2 impactor was 200 times bigger than the meteor that caused the dinosaur extinction, so it seems counterintuitive for it to have had a positive impact on life.
Event
Friday, October 25 | 7:00 pm

WaveForms: A Multimedia Art Occurrence

Art, science, and technology are woven together in this one-night-only multimedia art occurrence, presented by the Museum and happening exclusively at the Midway Artist Studios!
Video
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time
Under 1 minute

Coral Reefs: How Rising Ocean Temps Cause Bleaching

How are rising ocean temperatures impacting coral reefs? This video explains how coral that face heat stress will often expel the algae zooxanthellae in a process called bleaching.
Video
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time
under 1 minute

Climate Change Affects Ocean Currents

What is the great ocean conveyor, and what would happen if it were to collapse? Dr. Amy Bower, a Senior Scientist at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute, discusses how a series of ocean currents that link determine heat distribution around the globe.
Video
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time
under 1 minute

How Light Pollution Affects Insects

How does human-made light pollution affect nocturnal animals? In this video, Alex Dainis outlines how light pollution could be changing the DNA of bugs.
Video
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time
Under 1 minute

Autumn Foilage: Summer Solstice's Influence on Trees

Did you know that the summer solstice is an important marker for predicting fall leaf peeping? In this video, Alex Dainis explains the connection between the two seasons.
Kahoot
Play
time
20 minutes

Recycling 101

A crash course in recycling: What it is, how it works, and all the myths, misconceptions, and tricky things to know to make sure you’re getting it right. Learn what you need to do to be recycling correctly and combating climate change from within your...
Video
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time
Under 1 minute

Can Animals Use Medicine?

Did you know that humans aren’t the only animals who use medicine to feel better? In this video, Alex Dainis explains how animals ranging from chimps and elephants to bees and lizards have been observed self-medicating in some way.
Video
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time
Under 1 minute

Elusive Monk Seal Tracked Using eDNA

Join us on a journey to track the monk seal, one of the most elusive endangered animals. In this video, Alex Dainis explains how scientists use Environmental DNA, or eDNA, which is DNA animals shed throughout their environment in the form of hair, skin...
Exhibit

Gaia Globe

View our planet on a grand scale, floating in three dimensions, when you gaze at UK artist Luke Jerram's Gaia artwork featuring detailed NASA imagery of the Earth's surface!