stephensDESMA9

Arctic Wolves For my event, I visited the Los Angeles Museum of Natural History. Specifically, I toured the halls of African Mammals and North American Mammals. The exhibits featured many large, well known animals like lions, grizzly bears, elephants etc. Animals from around the world had been preserved and very artistically displayed in well-thought out exhibits with very detailed painted backgrounds. The science of ecosystems and nature was blended with artistic tinge to create these life-like displays of these commonly known animals. In addition to being well known, one thing I noticed that a lot of the animals on display had in common was that they were endangered. It is no secret that the development of human civilization over the past few thousands of years has driven some animals to extinction, including the marsupial rhino and giant kangaroo. Primarily human action has caused the animals on exhibit in the museum to become extinct as well (Durfee). Lowland Gorilla T

Digestive System Display For my second event, I visited the Body Worlds exhibit at the California Science Center. The exhibit features human organs and organ systems separated and preserved, enabling viewers of the exhibit to view first hand the different structures and functions of different parts of the human body. Thought the exhibit showed primarily individual systems, it conveyed well the interdependence of the systems on each other. Ancient Egyptian Dissection Being at the exhibit made me realize how far the human understanding of the human body and the representation of the human body has come. The first instances of dissections of recorded trace back to Ancient Egyptians (Vesna). After the death of Egyptians, their bodies would be cut open and mummified. This process often entailed skilled morticians altering the bodies in ways that preserved them for thousands of years. This process has been captured in much Egyptian art and is well-known today. Art and science w

From very early on in human civilization, the sky has been a source of curiosity for people on Earth. The video, Powers of Ten, conveys the vastness of space, zooming in as far in as a proton and far enough out to capture the galaxies in our own cluster as well as those as far away as the Virgo Cluster ("Powers of Ten"). It is no surprise then that it has found its way into artwork ranging from thousands of years ago, to present day. Stone Henge, a world heritage site in England composed of large rock slabs dated back to around 2100 BC. Though it appears artistic, researchers have determined that it is modeled after the stars and possesses astronomical qualities ("Introductory..."). Stone Henge Throughout history, because gazing up at the sky and admiring the stars is such a timeless experience, there is a myriad of artwork centered around stars. Cultures ranging from ancient Africans to Native North Americans, to Islamic cultures on the Arabian Peninsula