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Field Museum's Member's Nights March 26-27, 2008

Member Listen to How Carl Linnaeus, (Carl von Linné or Carolus Linnaeus), the Father of modern Taxonomy, ranked the many species
that he encountered.
© Suburban Journals of Chicago Inc. photo

Member's Night at the Field Museum Is Something that You Do Not Want to Miss
review by Ed Vincent

Each year the museum has a couple of evenings where members get a chance see behind the scenes, where items are stored and
worked on by the experts. I believe this one night is worth the
price of a basic membership all by itself, if you attend and ask
questions of the staff. Science is fun, and new science is even
greater fun.

Cephalopods in many forms are on display in fossil form from local areas to Chicago. Cephalopoda, means "head foot", and cover living animals
like mollusks (bivalves, like scallops, oysters, and clams), gastropods (snails and slugs), scaphopoda (tusk shells), and polyplacophorans.
© Suburban Journals of Chicago Inc. photo

If you had a question about the memory or brain of a cephalopod you might have got an interesting answer. I remember from college studying the brains of octopi. The
octopus for being a rather simple animal had an interesting
level of both long and short term memory. Even if questions
you had were not immediately answered you would more than likely get a response that would give you an educated view as
to whether or not something was known or not and either a
phone number to ask a different expert or a book where the
answer would be.

Entering the museum from the East Parking lot led right to the Robotic exhibition being given by teams from Indiana. Hayden Piffer from Hammond High School (at the table to the left) and Brandon Jones Jr,
from Clark High School, control the large robot who tosses large balls
(watch the video below).
© Suburban Journals of Chicago Inc. photo

Field Museum Robotic Display from Indiana

The Ornithology area was filled with science and scenes from
the Hitchcock film. Humor was abundant and science kept step
with each wing flutter.
© Suburban Journals of Chicago Inc. photo

Primative stone tools from Tanzania were on display for science, art,
and discussion.
© Suburban Journals of Chicago Inc. photo

Dr. Robert D. Martin (A. Watson Armour III Curator of
Biological Anthropology, Past Provost, and featured expert on
Discovery specials)is holding a casting of a young Australopithecus africanus, and had just finished explaining some of the differences
to a young 9 year old scientist between this species and the "Lucy"
bones (Australopithecus afarensis) that are on display temporarily
in the south western United States.
© Suburban Journals of Chicago Inc. photo

This triceratops should keep its attention on the roving tyrannosaurus rex.
© Suburban Journals of Chicago Inc. photo

A small child is about to be eaten by a hungry tyrannosaurus rex, she had been warned--but just stood there.
© Suburban Journals of Chicago Inc. photo

A scanning electron microscope, just like the one at home, if you live at
a major university.
© Suburban Journals of Chicago Inc. photo

Most folks arrived on time, but if you were late, perhaps you would have been eaten--or at least stalked.
© Suburban Journals of Chicago Inc. photo

Come Have a Look at the Mythic Creatures Review