Museum experts are re-examining traditional science dioramas to bring them into the 21st century, while maintaining scientific accuracy and acknowledging past biases. This effort is a response to the changing times and our understanding of the natural world.
The Evolution of Science Dioramas: A Journey Through Time
Museum experts are re-examining the traditional science dioramas of yore to bring them into the 21st century while maintaining scientific accuracy and acknowledging past biases. This effort is a response to the changing times and our understanding of the natural world.
Science dioramas are three-dimensional scenes that illustrate scientific concepts, experiments, or theories.
They often feature miniature models of objects, animals, or environments.
To create an effective science diorama, designers use a combination of materials such as clay, wood, and fabric.
Research and planning are crucial to ensure accuracy and relevance.
Statistics show that interactive exhibits like dioramas increase student engagement by 25%.
Facts about famous dioramas include the 1950s-era 'Dinosaur Diorama' at the American Museum of Natural History.
The Art of Diorama Creation
Gary Hoyle, former exhibits artist and curator of natural history at the Maine State Museum, reminisces about his time working with esteemed diorama painter Fred Scherer and renowned diorama artist James Perry Wilson. Wilson’s use of a grid pattern to minimize distortion in viewing curved backgrounds against three-dimensional foregrounds is still astounding to Hoyle today. The duo’s sensitivity to light and colors was remarkable, as they consciously modified colors to reduce the green tint from plate glass in the viewing window.
Unfortunately, many scientific and artistic challenges that went into developing wildlife dioramas are now being ignored or lost to history. What is needed is a museum devoted solely to these complicated and mesmerizing exhibits.
The Looming Threat of Tsunami Risk
A Pacific submarine volcano called Axial Seamount is likely to erupt in 2025, according to freelance writer Rachel Berkowitz. Reader Ginger Johnson asked if the eruption could cause a tsunami. However, geophysicist William Chadwick of Oregon State University‘s Hatfield Marine Science Center reassures that Axial’s eruptions are benign to humans due to its depth and mild activity.
Tsunamis are large ocean waves caused by earthquakes, landslides, or volcanic eruptions.
These massive waves can reach heights of over 30 meters and travel at speeds of up to 500 miles per hour.
According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), tsunamis affect coastal communities worldwide, causing widespread destruction and loss of life.
In 2004, a tsunami in the Indian Ocean resulted in over 230,000 deaths in 14 countries.
Understanding tsunami warning systems and evacuation procedures is crucial for survival.
Axial Seamount is a submarine volcanic feature located in the Pacific Ocean, approximately 300 miles off the coast of Oregon.
It is a seamount, meaning it rises above the surrounding seafloor due to volcanic activity.
Axial Seamount is part of the Juan de Fuca Ridge System and has been actively erupting since 1998.
The seamount reaches an elevation of about 1,500 meters above the seafloor, making it one of the highest underwater volcanoes on Earth.
Chadwick explains that tsunamis are typically caused by sudden, large movements of the seafloor, especially around subduction zones. The volcano is too far away from the Cascadia subduction zone along the coast of Oregon, Washington, and British Columbia to have any effect on it.
The Math Puzzle ‘Imagine There’s No Zero’
Reader Bill Torcaso found James Foster‘s number system valid but bizarre. The puzzle maker, Ben Orlin, explains that arithmetic operations can be accommodated without a zero symbol. Negatives still work fine, and decimals can be handled with an adapted version of scientific notation.
However, the absence of zero as a placeholder concept is problematic. As Orlin notes, ‘Foster has eliminated zero as a placeholder, but not as a number concept.‘ This exception highlights the importance of preserving the concept of zero in mathematics.
