Event name: D.C. Excursion
Event time and place: National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC on December 2, 2023
This excursion took place at the National Museum of Natural History, and provided an insightful journey through the various exhibits that we explored. First, we explored the new and engaging "Cellphones: Unseen Connections" temporary exhibit that explores the origins and historical evolution of cellphones and its environmental and social impacts. Then, we ventured into the "Humans Change the World" sections in the Human Origins, Ocean Hall and Deep Time hall exhibits. Each area opened our eyes to the ways humans have influenced our worlds environmentally, socially, and technologically.
In the first exhibit we explored, there was a variety of presentation techniques that were used to explain the evolution of cellphones and its impacts. The first and most eye-catching was a giant tablet acting as a cellphone that would display information in a fun and interactive way. I believe that this is a good addition to the exhibit, because it draws people in, but I also believe that it may not be the best way to present information because it may become a distraction and take away from the importance of the information. Another presentation technique that was used was a visual display of a timeline of pre and post cellphone objects that are used on a daily basis. This was a great way to present the information in a visually appealing way because you could see how everyday objects or appliances have developed into technology that carries out the same function. Lastly, this exhibit included a wall filled with a comic strip that presented information about the uses and effects cellphones have. This was a great addition to the exhibit because of the blend of visuals and humor to display the information.
This exhibit also explained the environmental issues of cellphone technology. It displayed how copper, silver, gold, and palladium are just some of the materials used to create this technology, and if we recycled our smartphones, we could recover large amounts of these materials. It also describes how when you throw away your cell phone, it doesn't just disappear. It'll end up in a landfill or other E-waste locations, and due to the toxic chemicals used to create these tools, this leads to hazardous waste which is detrimental to the environment. This exhibit powerfully conveys this message through a blend of statistics and visuals to evoke the reader to confront these environmental realities.
In addition to the environmental issues, the "Cellphone: Unseen Connections" exhibit also displays the technological and social impacts of cellphones. One technological impact that this exhibit explores is the bias of artificial intelligence/machine learning. If a data set used to create the AI/ML algorithms are biased, then the technology itself will be biased as well. This can cause problems such as discrimination in algorithms trying to identify individuals of different ethnicities. A social impact of these tools that was presented in this exhibit was the sharing of images of violence. This occurs when people share violent videos or images online and can cause trauma to a viewer. Another social impact is due to people using cellphones as a catalyst for social justice. For example, much of the Black Lives Matter movement was driven by the images or videos of injustices taken on cell phones and posted on social media. These social and technological impacts were presented in this exhibit through the use of cartoons that showed pictures of everyday people in their everyday life to convey this information.
The second exhibit that we explored was the climate change section in the David H Koch Hall of Human Origins. This exhibit discusses the "Anthropocene Event" which is a time where human activity is noticeably affecting the living and non living world. One topic discussed in this section was how the tools and food we eat have evolved. In this exhibit, different stones that were used in the past are displayed to show what tools were used about 2.6 million years ago for homo sapiens to chop through animals like the antelope or zebras. Then, to show the change overtime, it describes how around 790,000 years ago, humans discovered fire. Because of this, new tools were made and different food was able to be digested. Another topic that was discussed in this section was human's artistic abilities and how they developed overtime. First, it displayed some paintings, drawing engravings, and sculptures that were developed about 44000 years ago. Art started as carvings into rocks or bones with sharp tools, but then became more intricate by using other tools such as paint, and in modern day the use of technology. One last topic discussed in this section is the social aspect of human evolution. The exhibit highlighted the progression of human social interactions, depicting how from about 2.6 to 1.8 million years ago, social aspects developed to share resources and services though hunting and gathering. Around 80,000 years ago, gatherings occurred around campfires to socialize, find comfort, and seek warmth. Today, social interactions have evolved into real relationships, illustrating the significant human societal development overtime.
There are some critics of this hall that state that this exhibit de-emphasizes the human impact on the environment and climate. In my opinion, this is an argument to consider. This exhibit covers human evolution, technological advancements, and social development, but doesn't dive deep into the environmental effects of these developments. The focus is more on humans and their advancements on the world, and less on the consequences that these advancements may have. While the information displayed in this exhibit is important and valuable, I believe that it could be improved by emphasizing any negative and positive influence that these advancements have on the planet's climate and ecosystem.
The third exhibit that we explored was the climate change section in the Human Impact in the Sant Ocean Hall. Most of the information in this section of the exhibit was presented in video format. One of the videos that we watched was titled "Trash Talk: How to Help" and another was titled "Cause a Sea Change: Save Sharks". In the video titled "Trash Talk: How to Help", the video talks about how marine debris wreaks havoc on the ocean, impacting animals and humans. Marine life is becoming endangered through entanglement and ingestions and it raises health concerns for humans reliant on ocean resources. The video "Cause a Sea Change: Save Sharks" describes the vital role that sharks play in the health of the ocean. However, because of human activity, the population of sharks is in decline. I consider the data displayed in these videos to be understandable by a general visitor to the museum and a great way to present this important information. In this same exhibit, there was a "Global Ocean Video" presented in the "Science on the Sphere" format. This video discusses how our planet used to be red and filled with volcanoes. The gasses spewed from volcanoes were able to help create the atmosphere, along with phytoplankton which take up carbon dioxide and release oxygen. The spherical video used to portray this information was fun and unique, but there were times where it was difficult to understand the information as it was spinning on the sphere. I wouldn't consider this format to be useful when trying to convey important information, but I do think it's an innovative and unique exhibit idea.
In the climate change section in the David H. Koch Hall of Fossils- Deep Time, scattered throughout the hall were pylons, which are miniature reconstructions of life throughout different points in geologic time. One of the pylons that is displayed is titled "A Time of Warmth" which represents Big Bone Lick, Kentucky 125,000 years ago. In this representation, the atmospheric carbon dioxide was about ⅔ what it is today, the average temperature was about the same as today, and the global sea level was up to 29 feet higher than today. Another pylon that was displayed in this exhibit was titled "A Time of Ice". This pylon represents Big Bone Lick, Kentucky 22,000 - 20,000 years ago. The atmospheric carbon dioxide is about half of what it is today, the average global temperature was about 9 degrees Fahrenheit lower than today, and the global sea level was 410 feet lower than today. I felt that these exhibits are effective because they help to really visualize what our Earth looked like in the past, and see how much it has changed compared to the modern day.
In the same hall, there are a series of exhibits describing climate change in the past and present and the ways in which we are able to find evidence of the past climates. For example, one of the exhibits described the earth from 28,200 - 11, 400 years ago and included information about a type of wolf that used to be alive during that time. The evidence for information like this can be determined in sediments found at the bottom of lakes. Sediments build up with the oldest layers at the bottom and then youngest at the top, so lower sediments can contain dead plants and animals from the past. Another example of this occurring is that scientists found charcoal in layers of sediment as well. This indicates an ancient fire that took place during this time period. These exhibits effectively explain how fossil and geological information can inform us about current and future climate change, showcasing how past climate indicators in sediment layers provide insight into past ecosystems, species existence, and environmental conditions. Using this information, we can piece together what the future of Earth may look like by noticing patterns in the changes we discover about our past.
This excursion to the National Museum of Natural History offered compelling insights into technology, human evolution, and climate change. While some areas could be enhanced, overall, the exhibits effectively present a wealth of information and made it an innovative and engaging experience.