Hey, I'm hanging out in a lab in the fishes collection
We just filmed an episode here,
Now we're going to film another one
Guess what it is, it's Ask Emily
Spoiler alert, you already read the title
Okay here we go! Hannah Schwab, @SchwabDuckling asked
In 2008, scientists from the European Space Agency
attached some samples of the orange sunburst lichen
to the outside of the International Space Station
and exposed it to solar UV radiation, cosmic rays, and general space vacuum
Once the lichen arrived back on Earth, more than 18 months later,
researchers discovered the lichen kept on growing
that's because some lichens are able to go into a complete state of dormancy
to prevent their cells from entirely breaking down and dying off
And enduring such a space exposure marathon puts those lichens right up there with tardigrades and brine shrimp
for top contenders of most likely to survive Earth's next apocalypse
Kevin T Houlel, @KevinTHoule asked
The Field Museum has more than 27 million objects and specimens
and honestly <1% end up on display.
Big institutions like The Field Museum have a few different things going on
when it comes to exhibits.
We've got permanent exhibits, like our diorama halls, the evolving planet exhibit,
with the dinosaurs and the non-dinosaurs, and that kind of thing.
Most specimens in these permanent halls are, in general, permanent.
Specimens are removed from a display when a researcher comes to study them,
or sometimes when we like to feature one on The Brain Scoop.
In some cases, like with our new permanent hall on China, certain objects and artifacts
will need to be changed out every few years or so to prevent damage caused by exposure
to light and air.
But the reality is most objects will never make it on display.
Some because they're too fragile, some because they are not what you would deem 'aesthetically pleasing',
but mostly because the majority of the specimens that the scientists at the Field Museum have collected
over the last hundred years were never destined for display.
They're ultimate purpose is to be used in research.
Voronyzimoy asked
I use my art degree every day!
Art school teaches you how to communicate and share narratives and concepts
using imagery, color, and design. Those are visual stories.
Now I just use the English language to share information.
And throw in an odd assortment of noises when appropriate.
Or not appropriate. Meh.
Never-seen-a-nevergreen asked
I don't think that there's any particular specimen or species I would go searching for
but I do think it would be fantastic to recreate historic expeditions,
like visiting the same regions and ecosystems that naturalists and biologists
from a hundred years ago researched, to see how things have changed over the last century.
In some cases, the scientists on those trips brought back not only specimens, but also
photographs of where the plant or animal was collected.
Imagine comparing that to what the landscape looks like today.
Besides that Madagascar might be pretty cool.
Holyhuckleberry asked
I am totally okay with entertaining the thought of both
because even if Bigfoot exists, which is unlikely, or aliens,
which is vastly more likely, there is still so much life on our planet that we've got no clue about.
Bigfoot and aliens are like the ultimate symbol for untold discovery.
And anyway, how boring would it be if it turns out that human life is the most complex
in the universe? Snooze fest. I want telepathy.
Rollingwithmyohms asked
While I've never had a dream about a bazaar, I have had bizarre dreams
that involve the museum getting attacked by dragons from Skyrim
and then I start dissecting the dragon because I want to know if it's a diapsid or a synapsid
I honestly have a theory that they're actually basal synapsids, but more on that later.
Amutheemu asked
The great thing about scientific research is that there's no finality to it.
We'll never reach a point where we figured everything out.
There's literally no moment where somebody stands up, hangs up their proverbial lab coat, and says,
"Well, we're done, we know everything."
New discoveries and advancements are stepping stones as we map out our world
in all of its complexities. Not every researcher is going
to have monumental contributions to the world at large
but that shouldn't be your ultimate motivation pursuing a career in science anyway.
Instead, I'd be encouraged in thinking your contributions to science continue this long
legacy of discovery and realize that we might not know
the extent of your impact until hundred of years from now.
14crobison asked
The wonderful thing about natural history museums is
that their importance increases over time.
As habitats shrink and more species decline in numbers,
natural history museums will be the only place to see
remnants of what used to be and
to learn about the world as it continues to change physically and environmentally.
Think about it, natural history collections as institutions
really only go back about 200 years.
The world has changed a lot in the last two centuries,
and it's destined to be changed even more.
But as long as natural history collections continue to act
as repositories of the physical world, they will remain
valuable to our planet.
Ben Cammett @BenCam137 asked
I work closely with the research and science staff
at the museum to figure out topics for episodes.
One major goal of the Brain Scoop is to help scientists
share their stories and work with a wide audience.
Sometimes people approach me directly, like one of
our paleontologists asked if I would create a series about Dimetrodon locomotion
and help them secure National Science Foundation grant.
I did, and we got it! So that's coming up soon.
And sometimes randomly people stop me in the hall,
like the other day Jim Holstein from geology just looked
at me and said, "Death rocks."
"An episode all about deadly rocks."
And then he walked away.
I think it'll be a good one.