Take a stroll through a natural history museum these days and you'll not only see dinosaurs, you'll smell them. Get a whiff of T-rex's halitosis, his dinner leftovers, and, well, his droppings, too! In this hour of To the Best of Our Knowledge, museums that tickle your nose, and may turn your stomach. Also, the giant beasts that once ruled North America. And, an evolution explosion – deadly microbes run amok.
Biologist Stephen Palumbi tells Anne Strainchamps that insects and microbes are benefitting from human interventions. His book is "The Evolution Revolution: How Humans Cause Rapid Evolutionary Change." Also, Tim Flannery is a biologist at the University of Adelaide in Australia, and author of "The Eternal Frontier: An Ecological History of North America and Its Peoples." He tells Steve Paulson about the asteroid crashes and vanished fauna in our continent's past.SEGMENT 2:
Stephen Asma is a philosopher and author of "Stuffed Animals and Pickled Heads: The Culture and Evolution of Natural History Museums." He tells Jim Fleming how today's public institutions grew out of the bizarre private collections of people like Peter the Great. Also, Frank Knight, director of Dale Air in Letham, England, talks with Anne Strainchamps about the ancient smells his company creates for natural history museums. He's especially proud of the T-Rex stink.SEGMENT 3:
Edward Larson teaches history and law at the University of Georgia, and is the author of "Evolution's Workshop: God and Science on the Galapagos Islands." He tells Steve Paulson what makes the Islands unique, and why they inspired Charles Darwin to write "The Origin of Species," and says they're still a prime destination for scientists, creationists and eco-tourists.Cassette copies are available at 1-800-747-7444. Ask for program number 01-06-03-B.
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