American Museum of Natural History Announces Summer Programs and Exhibits

Our Earth's Future
Five Mondays, June 1-29, 6:00-8:30pm
Application Required,
$25 registration fee once accepted
Our Earth's Future is about the science of climate change-and how to talk about it. You will hear from scientists in the fields of climatology, oceanography, Earth science, and anthropology, and study how climate change is affecting people and their ways of life. You will explore the multiple lines of evidence that human-induced climate change is happening today and consider what that means for the future of our planet. By the end of this course, through understanding key scientific principles, you will be able to confront misconceptions and contribute confidently to conversations about climate change.

SciCafe: Flipping the Genetic Switch: Discovering the "Rules" of Human Variation
Wednesday, June 3
Doors open at 6:30 pm
Program begins at 7 pm
Seating is available on a first-come, first-served basis
Free with cash bar
21+ with ID
Enter at 77th Street
How and why do the same genes work differently in different people? What causes a gene to be turned "on" or "off," and how can that affect disease risk? Geneticist Tuuli Lappalainen from the New York Genome Center explains how genetic variants shape how our genes are expressed and discusses how her lab is seeking to uncover the "rules" of human variation.

The SciCafe Series is proudly sponsored by Judy and Josh Weston.

Meet the Scientist in the Discovery Room:
Life at the Limits with Mark Siddall
Saturday, June 6
2:15 pm, 3pm, or 3:45 pm
Free with Museum admission
Visitors 7 and older can chat with Curator Mark Siddall and hear how the exhibition Life at the Limitsrelates to his work with leeches and other parasites.

Water World: Immersive Dome Experience
Monday, June 8-Saturday, July 11, during Museum hours
Take a ride through the solar system and gain a new perspective on our home planet, a unique world colored ocean blue. After passing through Earth's orbit, we'll splash down into the deep oceans to examine life underwater. This 10-minute Geodome experience mixes science visualization and high-resolution video to reveal the many scales at which scientists explore our oceans and marine life.

The Strange Case of the Rickety Cossack
June 9 at 6:30 pm
$15 ($13.50 seniors, students) Free for Members; reservations required at 212-769-5200
In his new book, The Strange Case of the Rickety Cossack, paleoanthropologist and American Museum of Natural History curator Ian Tattersall argues that a long tradition of "human exceptionalism" in paleoanthropology has distorted the picture of evolution. Scientists have repeatedly created convoluted, fanciful stories to explain their finds, rather than face the inconvenient possibility that their assumptions were mistaken. Tattersall offers an idiosyncratic look at the competitive world of paleoanthropology, beginning with Charles Darwin 150 years ago, continuing through the Leakey dynasty in Africa, and concluding with the latest astonishing findings in the Caucasus. With tact and humor, Tattersall concludes that we are not the perfected products of natural processes, but instead the result of substantial doses of random happenstance.

A book signing of The Strange Case of Rickety Cossack will follow.

Our Earth's Future: Online Course on the Science of Climate Change
Ten-week online course beginning Monday, June 15
Free with application, available on amnh.org
This course is about how to talk about the science of climate change. You will hear from scientists in the fields of climatology, oceanography, Earth science, and anthropology, and study how climate change is affecting people and their ways of life. By the end of the 10-week, free course, you will be able to confront misconceptions and contribute confidently to conversations about climate change.

Southern Skies
Tuesday, June 30, 6:30 pm
Hayden Planetarium Space Theater
$15 ($13.50 seniors, students)
$12 Members
The sky of the Southern Hemisphere may be unfamiliar, but it is actually home to many of the brightest stars, the closest star to Earth, the Magellanic clouds, the Southern Cross, and much more. Join Hayden presenters Irene Pease and Lydia Maria Petrosino as they highlight some of these gems. In this Astronomy Live presentation, you will also visit the new observatories soon to populate the Southern Hemisphere; and learn why we in the North see different skies and whether the North Star has a southern counterpart.

Evening Bat Walks in Central Park
Fridays, July 10, 24, or 31, 8 pm
$40 adults; $25 children
At dusk, bats leave the warm spaces under city roofs to feed on flying insects. Join Bradley Klein,Danielle Gustafson, and other members of the New York City Bat Group for a walk through Central Park. Aided by detectors that amplify the bats' otherwise inaudible high-frequency chirps, bat-watchers monitor and catalogue the species that call the city home. Meet at the Museum entrance on 77th Street between Central Park West and Columbus Avenue. Enrollment is limited. Please register no later than one week in advance.

Manhattanhenge
Monday, July 13, 7 pm
$15 ($13.50 seniors, students)
$12 Members
As the sun sets on July 13, it will be perfectly aligned with Manhattan's east-west numbered streets, creating cinema-worthy photo opportunities of Manhattan's brick-and-steel canyons. AstrophysicistJackie Faherty will be your guide to the history and astronomy behind this fascinating phenomenon in a special presentation at the Hayden Planetarium.

Astronomy Live: Deep Sky Scavenger Hunt
Tuesday, July 21, 6:30 pm
Hayden Planetarium Space Theater
$15 ($13.50 seniors, students)
$12 Members
Grab your binoculars and join guides Emily Rice and Irene Pease to explore celestial treasures from the comfort of the Hayden Planetarium. Learn how astronomers measure distances to faraway stars, clusters, and galaxies, and where to find them in the night sky.

Astronomy Live: Grand Tour of the Universe
Tuesday, July 29, 6:30 pm
Hayden Planetarium Space Theater
$15 ($13.50 seniors, students)
$12 Members
Where are we among the stars in the Milky Way? Do we hold a special place in the universe? The Grand Tour will answer these questions while you travel from Earth to the most distant objects in the universe. Explore planets, nearby stars, and the myriad galaxies that populate the universe while we fly through the 3D Digital Universe Atlas. Join Brian Abbott to experience the entire observable universe and come to a cosmic understanding of where we are and how we came to be.

Astronomy Live: Superstitions in the Stars
Tuesday, August 4, 6:30 pm
Hayden Planetarium Space Theater
$15 ($13.50 seniors, students)
$12 Members
Numerous celestial events make the news but what is the science behind them? What's so special about a Super Moon? Why does the Moon appear red sometimes? What's the origin of the zodiac?Emily Rice and Jackie Faherty will explore these phenomena and more, using both the Zeiss star projector and the 3D Digital Universe Atlas.

Astronomy Live: Visiting Pluto and Friends in the 21st Century
Tuesday, August 11, 6:30 pm
Hayden Planetarium Space Theater
$15 ($13.50 seniors, students)
$12 Members
Pluto may have been demoted to a dwarf planet, but it remains a fascinating part of our solar system. This July, NASA's New Horizons space probe will give us the closest view of Pluto and provide new data about this dwarf planet. Join Jackie Faherty and Emily Rice as they take you through the probe's historic journey and highlight the groundbreaking science that has emerged along the way.

Hours

The Museum is open daily, 10 am-5:45 pm. The Museum is closed on Thanksgiving and on Christmas Day.

Admission

Museum admission is free to all New York City school and camp groups.

Suggested general admission, which supports the Museum's scientific and educational endeavors and offers access to the Museum's 45 halls including the Rose Center for Earth and Space, is $22 (adults) suggested, $17 (students/seniors) suggested, $12.50 (children) suggested. All prices are subject to change.

The Museum offers discounted combination ticket prices that include suggested general admission plus special exhibitions, IMAX/3D films, and Space Shows.

• Museum Plus One includes one special exhibition, IMAX/3D film, or Space Show: $27 (adults), $22 (students/seniors), $16 (children).

• Museum Supersaver includes all special exhibitions, IMAX/3D film, and Space Show: $35 (adults), $28 (students/seniors), $22 (children).

Visitors who wish to pay less than the suggested Museum admission and also purchase a ticket to attend a special exhibition, IMAX/3Dfilm, or Space Show may do so on site at the Museum. To the amount they wish to pay for general admission, they add $25 (adults), $20.50 (students/seniors), or $13.50 (children) for a Space Show, special exhibition, or IMAX/3D film.

Public Information

For additional information, the public may call 212-769-5100 or visit the Museum's website atamnh.org.

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