Event name: National Museum of Natural History
Event time and place: Washington, DC (December 2nd)
Disclaimer - I was analyzing the exhibits and sharing notes during this excursion with Jack Bowe thus our analysis may be similar to one another as we were together discussing and observing the different areas together.
Cellphones: Unseen Connections- In this exhibit several different methods were used in order to inform observers about cellphones and their impacts both in and out of use. One method used throughout the area was several displays showing the different materials alongside their processed counterpart that is used as a component in a common cell phone. Additionally, large blocks of text are used to tell stories of workers who harvest and process the materials both highlighting the positives and negatives of the work. For example, the titanium display had a story about two sisters who worked as miners that worked in dangerous conditions as the mines could collapse on them from one wrong swing however, they also mentioned that they believed the risk was worth the reward as on a good day they could be walking away having mined upwards of $1500 worth of material. But not all these displays cover the materials. In other segments it discusses the impacts of cellphones after their production and the carbon emissions associated with them, as well as the waste of people just leaving their old phones around rather than trading them in or recycling them so their materials can be reused in newer models and reduce climate change. Another technique they use to relay information is the walls. Each wall that was void of a display was plastered with a large comic of how technology and media has evolved and allowed people to speak out about movements and their beliefs for people to see. From public speeches, to news articles, to radio, to television, to social media there are many more ways for people to speak out today than ever before. The last method of display they used that I want to discuss is the timeline of features that cellphones have steadily replaced along with accessories that go with cellphones to make them more personalized. The timeline moves from right to left with machines such as CD players, fax machines, pay phones, on the far right and the first cell phone being in the middle, followed by the evolution of cell phone customizability such as phone cases, emojis, accessories, stickers, etc.
Climate Change in the David H. Kock Hall of Human Origins- One of the topics discussed in this exhibit is past climate change. Here, a graph is used to depict the past 10 million years of climate change, represented as levels of oxygen isotopes from the ocean cores, where the lower the number of a specific isotope, the cooler the climate was and vice versa. At the start of the graph, there is little movement, but as it approaches modern day, the graph becomes a lot more spontaneous with higher highs and lower lows. The next topic that was discussed is innovation and extinction. This section goes into detail about how Earth’s climate has varied dramatically between warm and cold over the course of ~6 million years. These changes stimulated the extinction and evolution of various species across the globe. As today’s climate changes, we will likely see similar things happen. The third topic discussed in this section is climate change today. This section explains the correlation between atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations and Earth’s temperature. As humans use fossil fuels and cut down forests, carbon dioxide concentrations are projected to increase to the highest levels since our species evolved. This will lead to significant warming and a slough of other problems. Additionally, some critics state that this exhibit de-emphasizes the human impact on the environment which I disagree with but, I see where they are coming from. The exhibit tries to explain how the climate has changed naturally throughout human history, which is true. It also has a little blurb that explains anthropogenic climate change. I can see how this can come across as de-emphasizing anthropogenic climate change, but that is not the focus of the exhibit. The reason there is only a little blurb is because anthropogenic climate change is only a fraction of the time hominids have been around.
Climate Change & Human Impact in the Sant Ocean Hall- One information source available was an interactive video station in which I watched 2 videos. The first video I watched was “Deep Ocean Creatures,” which showed clips of several organisms doing things in their natural environment in an effort to display ocean biodiversity. This data is easily understandable by the general public, as the video presents their observations and message in a visually appealing yet informative manner. The second video I watched was titled “Hurricane Scientist,” where a hurricane scientist from NOAA did a presentation on why she became interested in hurricanes, what her job consists of, and why she likes her job. It is easy for the general public to understand as she narrates her life story and interest in a short and concise way. Along with the videos there was a “Global Ocean Video” that talks about ocean, air, and land interactions, origins of life, and weather and climate change. It provided information by changing what was displayed on the globe to match the information being presented such as when they were talking about how the earth would look without water they simulated all the water being gone and highlighted the relevant geographical information. As far as information provided, it went into detail about the different ocean currents, the “Ring of Fire,” Hurricanes/Typhoons/Cyclones, the origins of the ocean, early Earth, Pangea, climate change, the ozone layer, our ability to resolve the climate crisis, and more.
Climate Change in the David H. Koch Hall of Fossils - Deep Time- Throughout the exhibit there are several pylons which feature mini reconstructions of life and environments in different points of geological time. The first pylon I found was the one on Conifer Forests and Fern Prairies, which was present 230-201 million years ago. This diorama displayed Vancleavea, fern ceratopteris, and other organisms near a river. The pylon also states that, compared to today, the CO₂ concentrations were seven times higher, temperatures were 12-26 degrees Fahrenheit higher, and sea levels were 30 feet lower. I believe that this pylon is a good representation of what the world could have been like at that time. The second pylon I found was titled “Giant Shadows on the Landscape,” which was present 157-145 million years ago. This diorama depicts large dinosaurs along a river and open areas with ferns and trees. The display noted that CO₂ concentrations were four times higher, temperatures were 15-17 degrees Fahrenheit higher, and sea levels were 330 feet higher. I believe that this pylon is also a good representation of what the world could have been like. Not only the pylons but also informational videos were playing that depicted different events that have impacted the climate. One we saw was the impact of the asteroid impact on the climate. The evidence used to support this event was fossil records and sedimentary rock layers to show when the asteroid impacted. Before the level of the asteroid impact there are clear fossil records for dinosaurs and other organisms but after the impact they ceased above the asteroid impact level. They inform us on current and future climate change as we reflect on what led to their events.