Museum Provides New Perspective on Diversity

 By Richard B. Primack

 

“It is remarkable that no pains is taken to teach children to distinguish colors. I am myself uncertain about the names of many.” Henry David Thoreau in his Journal.

 

A trip to the Smithsonian Museum in Washington, DC provides an opportunity to think about diversity in new ways. 

Small dioramas allow viewers to appreciate the ecosystems in which large dinosaurs and other extinct animals lived. And because these dioramas can be viewed from two sides, people looking in from the other side become part of the experience. This highlights the social component of scientific education. 

Photo 1: People viewing a dinosaur diorama.  

 

Photo 2: Herds of large animals grazing on ancient grasslands. 

The mineral exhibit showcases hundreds of different mineral types and their astonishing variation. While we often think about the great diversity of plant and animal life, there is also great variety in the non-living mineral world. Does this kind of diversity deserve protection in the same way we protect living species?

Photo 3: Purple minerals related to quartz. 

Photo 4: Pink, yellow, and orange sulfur-containing minerals. 

 

Photo 5: Blue, green, and gold minerals containing metals such as lead and copper.