In a Zoom webinar on Tuesday, Sept. 22, at 7 p.m., Ed Stanley, associate scientist and director of the Digital Discovery and Dissemination Lab at the Florida Museum of Natural History, will discuss the CT scans of reptiles, mammals and fossils currently on display in the Bruce Museum science exhibition “Under the Skin.”
“Natural history collections serve a critical role for scientists wanting to study patterns and changes of biodiversity, though access to these important resources has, historically, been limited,” Stanley said. “New digitization efforts are providing novel opportunities for researchers and democratizing access to specimens for scientists, educators and the general public.
“This virtual talk will use examples from cretaceous amphibians, armored lizards and burrowing frogs, showcased so wonderfully in the Bruce Museum”™s ”˜Under the Skin”™ exhibition, to discuss how scanning museum specimens with computerized tomography (CT) to create cross-sectional images is facilitating exciting new research and educational initiatives,” Stanley said.
On view at the Bruce Museum in Greenwich, through Nov. 29, the exhibit samples images made possible by array of technologies ”” CT scanning, infrared cameras, scanning electron microscopes, and more ”” that allow scientists to visualize the marvels of evolution that lie below the surface. All of the images presented in the exhibition were captured in the past five years. Many showcase amazing discoveries that were undreamt of just a decade ago. Natural history specimens from the Bruce Museum and on loan from other collections complement each image and reinforce the role of museums as stewards of natural history.
Take a virtual tour of the exhibition: https://www.undertheskinexhibition.com/. The virtual program is free for museum members; $10 nonmembers. To participate,\ or to join the Museum as a member, visit brucemuseum.org or call 203-869-0376.
