Knowing where your food comes from and how it is grown is not as common as it once was. As we have become reliant on purchasing food from grocery stores and restaurants, we have become less connected to the ways our food is grown. When our guests visit the GROW Gallery, many of them are… Continue reading
This brass lantern was designed to hang under the eaves of Buddhist temples and shrines in Japan. Shaped like a pagoda, it has hinged doors and a traditional Japanese design etched on its six sides. Originally introduced from China around the 8th century for use in Imperial palaces, these lamps became popular fixtures to light… Continue reading
Native to North America, turkey vultures are a familiar sight in much of the continental United States. These large birds ride thermal waves in the sky, gliding on columns of warm air heated by the sun. The scavengers use their heightened sense of smell to find food, feasting on carrion. Their sophisticated immune system protects… Continue reading
Support science for our future. Make a gift to the Science Center’s Annual Fund today to help power connections to STEAM for everyone in our community. Asked what the word sustainability means to her, Maddie pauses for a minute to pull up a quote on her computer. “I want to get this definition right,” she… Continue reading
Effigies are vessels that take the form of people, animals, plants, or supernatural creatures. While it is common for pottery made by the Mississippians to have human effigies, it is unusual that this bowl is painted. Only a small number of ceramics were painted because it was a labor intensive process. The red color is… Continue reading
Many people know how much of a nuisance house mice can be, but did you know that they have some interesting abilities? A house mouse can hear in both the human range (audible to humans) and the ultrasonic range (not audible to humans). They are also good jumpers, able to jump a foot straight up… Continue reading
Hard to believe that leeches were kept in this beautiful jar! In the mid-19th century, medical practitioners used these blood-sucking worms as a cure-all, treating everything from boils to headaches. Today doctors continue to employ leeches, though not nearly as often! For example, leeches can be used to prevent tissue death by kick-starting blood flow… Continue reading
The slow-moving porcupinefish has three defense mechanisms to prevent predators from enjoying a tasty meal. The fish can swallow water or air and inflate to about twice its size. It also has a set of sharp spines that stick outward when inflated. Finally, some species of porcupinefish are poisonous, with a neurotoxin at least 1,200… Continue reading
The Fokker Dr.1 Triplane was a German fighter plane made famous during World War I by Germany’s leading flying ace, the “Red Baron.” Baron Manfred von Richthofen scored 80 air combat victories, and was a national hero in Germany. Although not as fast as other fighters, the Fokker Triplane had better rate of climb and… Continue reading
