Science to me is everything that surrounds us. It’s to discover information about this world we live in, study this information, and use it however we will; a process that has started long time ago, and will continue in generations to come. Everything in our world that we use somehow or someway was made by science. It started with discovering something new; then studying what it can be capable of. Science is used to create something new.
Dr. Tartaglini, our Science club coordinator planned to take us to the Harvard Museum of Natural History, where we all had an exotic experience. You won’t find exhibits like these anywhere else in New England. Comprehensive in scope, yet intimate in scale, the museum presents a rare glimpse at the exotic and a fresh look at the familiar. There are many exhibitions in this museum. One of my favorite is the “Glass flowers”. There are unique collection of over 4,000 models, representing more than 830 plant species, created by glass artisans Leopold and Rudolf Blaschka. This small, special exhibit, located in the Glass Flowers gallery, reveals the astonishing diversity of apples and the surprising beauty of the fungal and bacterial infections that afflict these and other fruits.
The museum also has the Earth & Planetary Sciences Gallery where there are displays of thousands of rare minerals and sparkling gemstones in both rough and cut examples, including a 1,600-pound amethyst geode from Brazil. We were able to touch rock and mineral specimens that date back to the beginning of our solar system. We were also able to see the astonishing evolution in their exhibitions. We were able to examine the fossil, anatomical, and genetic evidence that all life is connected through a shared evolutionary history. In addition, we viewed animals and plants that sparked Darwin’s theory, dramatic displays of diversity within species, and computer simulations that demonstrate how natural selection acts. Another part of the museum that was magnificent was the Arthropods. We saw the dramatic specimen displays, colorful video and graphics, and even live animals, this exhibition draws on the latest scientific research to explore arthropods’ extraordinary evolutionary success and their impact on our lives. Evolving for more than 500 million years, these creatures range in size from giant king crabs to microscopic mites, represent over 80% of all animal species, and have colonized every corner of the planet.
Going to this museum was a wonderful experience for all of us as we explored many astonishing exhibitions. In the future, we will continue to go to many other museums to get an interesting, enjoyable and educational experience. We all were able have fun and learn something at the same time.
By Rishika Pal
THE CAMBRIDGE MATIGNON MIRROR 