Cheeseburger and Imogene, the Rats
2004-2009
The Museum of Discovery misses two of our more unique and colorful personalities from our animal collection as we mourn the passing of Cheeseburger and Imogene the rats.
"Unfortunately, it's not unusual for mice and rats to get tumors easily," said Susan Bennett, Outreach Educator.
Cheeseburger and Imogene held a special place in the hearts of Museum visitors, as they greeted everyone from their "condo" located near the Museum's gift shop.
One young visitor said, "Even though they were yucky rats, they had cute eyes."
The Museum has plans to adopt two rats to replace the recently deceased.
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Monday, December 21, 2009
Snow and Hail - Science of Weather
Weather explained...part 2! SNOW and HAIL
Snow is created in the cloud from which it falls. As every second grader knows, each individual snowflake has its own unique pattern.
Though hail seems as if it would occur during the winter time, it usually occurs during the summer months. Hail forms in storm clouds typically during thunderstorms and is frequently known to be the size of golf balls. The largest hail stone on record is seven inches in diameter and has a 18.75 inch circumference!
Remember, you can make your own winter weather forecast! Visit the Museum’s own television green screen! You can be on TV!
Snow is created in the cloud from which it falls. As every second grader knows, each individual snowflake has its own unique pattern.
Though hail seems as if it would occur during the winter time, it usually occurs during the summer months. Hail forms in storm clouds typically during thunderstorms and is frequently known to be the size of golf balls. The largest hail stone on record is seven inches in diameter and has a 18.75 inch circumference!
Remember, you can make your own winter weather forecast! Visit the Museum’s own television green screen! You can be on TV!
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Santasaurus?
Lilo the Dinosaur, the mascot of the Museum of Discovery's Dino Dash, made an appearance at the Museum last Sunday for our holiday open house. He had a great time meeting Museum visitors.
Lilo sings along to holiday tunes.
Posing for pictures
High Five!
Lilo loves to give hugs!
Happy holidays from all of us at the Museum of Discovery!
Lilo sings along to holiday tunes.
Posing for pictures
High Five!
Lilo loves to give hugs!
Happy holidays from all of us at the Museum of Discovery!
Sunday, December 13, 2009
Sleet and Freezing Rain - Science of Weather
Winter weather explained...part 1! Today...sleet and freezing rain. Tune in next week for snow and hail.
Freezing rain consists of water droplets that fall from clouds as rain but freeze upon contact with the ground when the temperature is below 32 degrees Fahrenheit.
Sleet begins in the form of a snow flake. As it falls to earth, it passes through a layer of warm air and transforms into a liquid state. However, it refreezes before reaching the ground. When sleet hits the ground, it generally bounces.
And, if you would like to predict your own winter weather forecast, visit the Museum’s own television green screen! You can be on TV!
Lastly, a helpful tip: Keep an ice scraper in car just in case; Arkansas has been known to have unusual spurts of wintry weather! You don’t want to be unprepared as I was last winter. (I had to scrape the frozen sleet off my windshield with a debit card!)
Freezing rain consists of water droplets that fall from clouds as rain but freeze upon contact with the ground when the temperature is below 32 degrees Fahrenheit.
Sleet begins in the form of a snow flake. As it falls to earth, it passes through a layer of warm air and transforms into a liquid state. However, it refreezes before reaching the ground. When sleet hits the ground, it generally bounces.
And, if you would like to predict your own winter weather forecast, visit the Museum’s own television green screen! You can be on TV!
Lastly, a helpful tip: Keep an ice scraper in car just in case; Arkansas has been known to have unusual spurts of wintry weather! You don’t want to be unprepared as I was last winter. (I had to scrape the frozen sleet off my windshield with a debit card!)
Monday, December 7, 2009
The Science of Shivering
If you have ventured outside without a warm jacket, you have probably discovered the frigid air of Arkansas in December, and you may have even felt your hands shaking or teeth chattering. However, you probably didn’t know why you couldn’t steady your hand. Humans have a core body temperature, which must be kept at 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit for the proper function of vital organs. 
The subconscious act of shivering is your body’s way of maintaining homeostasis. Your muscles surrounding your vital organs shake in an attempt to keep these organs warm; the shaking motion produces heat energy. According to Kazuhiro Nakamura of Oregon Health & Science University, shivering requires a lot of energy and thus is the body’s last resort at maintaining its internal temperature. Before shivering, your body goes through a number of processes to keep heat within the body. First, blood vessels are constricted in an attempt to keep the blood as far from the surface of the skin as possible. This prevents the blood from being cooled and inhibits evaporation. In addition, tiny muscles known as erector pili flex to make your hair stand up straight. This causes the hair to serve as an insulator, and it causes goosebumps to appear on the skin. If these processes do not work to keep the core warm, your body resorts to shivering. But how does the body know when to shiver? Well, your brain monitors the temperature of your skin and tells muscles when shivering should commence. So, the next time you shiver, remember the science behind it; then, put on a sweater.
Want something to do this weekend? Visit the Museum this Sunday, December 12 for FREE SECOND SUNDAY!
The subconscious act of shivering is your body’s way of maintaining homeostasis. Your muscles surrounding your vital organs shake in an attempt to keep these organs warm; the shaking motion produces heat energy. According to Kazuhiro Nakamura of Oregon Health & Science University, shivering requires a lot of energy and thus is the body’s last resort at maintaining its internal temperature. Before shivering, your body goes through a number of processes to keep heat within the body. First, blood vessels are constricted in an attempt to keep the blood as far from the surface of the skin as possible. This prevents the blood from being cooled and inhibits evaporation. In addition, tiny muscles known as erector pili flex to make your hair stand up straight. This causes the hair to serve as an insulator, and it causes goosebumps to appear on the skin. If these processes do not work to keep the core warm, your body resorts to shivering. But how does the body know when to shiver? Well, your brain monitors the temperature of your skin and tells muscles when shivering should commence. So, the next time you shiver, remember the science behind it; then, put on a sweater.
Want something to do this weekend? Visit the Museum this Sunday, December 12 for FREE SECOND SUNDAY!
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