American Museum of Natural History

Mark your calendars for Wednesday, October 9! Join us for the first SciCafe of the season with Nina-Marie Lister, professor at the School of Urban and Regional Planning at Toronto Metropolitan University and visiting professor at Harvard University Graduate School of Design. Lister, an expert in landscape architecture, will explore applications of ecological design that draw on biodiversity science to reconnect people in cities to nature. SciCafe is 21+ and free with RSVP! For more details and to reserve tickets, visit: https://bit.ly/4cGkiag #thingstodoinnyc #museums #landscapearchitecture #climateresilience

During the Pleistocene, a wide array of ground sloths lumbered across North and South America. Some, like the island-dwelling Megalocnus rodens, evolved to be long-distance swimmers. Others, like the mighty Megatherium, were among the largest land mammals to ever live. The biggest ground sloths could have weighed up to 8,800 lbs (4,000 kg)—the size of an elephant! Most of these mammals died out at the end of the Pleistocene. There is also evidence that ground sloths and early humans used the same caves, but not necessarily at the same time. This image, snapped circa 1957 depicts giant sloths on display in the Museum. Learn more about giant ground sloths, megafauna, and more in the Hall of Primitive Mammals. We're open daily from 10 am–5:30 pm! Plan your visit: https://bit.ly/4brkWaP Photo: Image no. 324981 / © AMNH Library #museums #mammals #fossils #paleontology #megafauana

How do we discover new types of objects in space? One way is to invent new kinds of telescopes. In our latest video, join Museum Curator Michael Shara on an exploration of evolving telescope technologies, the most powerful telescopes ever built, and how the future of stargazing might already be in your pocket. Watch the full episode on the Museum's YouTube channel: https://bit.ly/4g0rwc3 #museums #space #spaceexploration #astronomy #astrophysics

Thanks to Bronx Times for spotlighting the American Museum of Natural History Master of Arts in Teaching Earth Science Residency program’s recent visit to Orchard Beach. AMNH Curator Denton Ebel and Postdoctoral Fellow Samantha Tramontano led this excursion – just one of eight field trips that our residents take each summer to geologically important sites in the region as they prepare to be Earth Science teachers in NY City and State. Lots of great pictures here show the excitement that comes from working in the field – and it’s not lost on any of the participants that experiential, hands-on learning like this is vital to teaching children about #science.   https://lnkd.in/eqMq7hVA 

Join us at the Museum on Tuesday, September 17, for the next Astronomy Live! Gain fascinating insights into the cutting-edge advancements and possibilities that await us in the near future of space exploration. Jackie Faherty, Museum Senior Research Scientist in the Department of Astrophysics, will give a tour of what has been built, where we have gone, and where we are headed in the cosmos. For more details and to reserve tickets, visit: https://bit.ly/3XaBuQH #museums #thingstodoinnyc #astronomy #spaceexploration

From the field: This month, Senior Museum Specialist Carl Mehling is in Wyoming, looking for dinosaurs! The first image shows the team making plaster jackets, constructing the map grid, and digging. The second image is of a theropod tooth! #museums #paleontology #dinosaurs #naturalhistory #fossils

So this happened @AMNH today. More than 500 high schoolers exhibited posters based on their authentic science research in the Hall of Ocean Life and Hall of Biodiversity. They are from one of 25 sites in New York City - who are part of the Science Research Mentoring Consortium. studentresearchnyc.org. Based on our longitudinal studies, we can expect 75% of these racially and socioeconomically diverse group to enter STEM and STEM-enabled careers and nearly all of them to report increased sense of belonging to STEM, opportunities to learn and use science practices that they will leverage in college, in internships, in graduate school and in jobs. Most importantly, they report that they learned to think scientifically. Now we just need double the number of sites doing this work to accommodate the high demand for spots.

Have you ever wanted to be an intern at the Museum? Now’s your chance: Our Museum Education Experience Program (MEEP) is looking for fall interns! This program is for college students who are curious about their surroundings and passionate about science. Through MEEP, interns develop the skillful art of initiating engaging science conversations, using the Museum halls as a launchpad. Applications are open through August 23! Apply today: https://bit.ly/4c4ZFnH Photos: A. Keding/© AMNH, pictured is the Summer ’24 MEEP cohort #nyc #museums #internship #STEM

It’s #WorldElephantDay! Let’s celebrate with an up-close look at the Museum’s exhibition The Secret World of Elephants. Did you know? Elephants and their relatives once lived on almost every continent of the world. Today, only three elephant species survive. The Secret World of Elephants—which features life-sized models, interactive exhibits, and the fossilized remains of ancient elephants—reveals new science about these majestic animals, explores why they’re essential to the health of their ecosystems, and addresses ways that humans and elephants can share the planet. Details: https://bit.ly/3zmKRTY Photos: A. Keding/© AMNH #museums #elephants #thingstodoinnyc

In the mood for a blast from the past? Check out this archival image from the Museum’s digital collections! Snapped in 1938, it depicts Museum preparators sculpting a model Styracosaurus. This large ceratopsian dinosaur was related to Triceratops. However, unlike its three-horned cousin, Styracosaurus had a singular nasal horn. It also possessed huge spikes on its frill—the bony collar that projects rearward from the skull. The model pictured here isn't on display today, but Styracosaurus fans can spot a fossil skeleton in the Hall of Ornithischian Dinosaurs. Photo: Image no. 315713 / © AMNH Library #museums #naturalhistory #dinosaurs