forces.si.eduForces of Change

MAIN DIG IT! ARCTIC ATMOSPHERE EL NIÑO CURRENT CONDITIONSOVERVIEW SCIENCE AT WORK MEDIA LIBRARY FOR EDUCATORS LEARN MORE IN THE NEWSNearly every scientific and social issue confronting us today involves change: climate change, ecological change, cultural change. What forces drive these changes? What is the tempo and mode of these changes? Are these changes natural or the result of human tampering? Are they to be feared or welcomed? How do we - and all life on this planet - adapt to these changes? Come and explore the answers to these and other important questions with us. FEATURED TOPICS How well do you know the world beneath your feet ? Take our Soil Quiz and find out! What does Ginkgo biloba have to do with climate change? Ginkgo biloba, a hardy tree commonly found along city streets, is considered a living fossil.” It is giving scientists important information about climate change. Meet Pat Megonigal, Soil Ecologist How are soils connected to earth’s global ecosystems? How are wetland soils threatened by climate change and pollution? Dr. Pat Megonigal explores these questions and more. Australian Dust Storm - September 2009. Australians were affected by the country’s worst dust storm in seven decades. Learn about atmospheric transportSatellite Images Show Evidence of El Ni ñ o - July 26, 2009. The NOAA Climate Prediction Center reported that ocean temperatures in Pacific had shifted into El Niño conditions. Atmosphere: Change is in the Air An exhibit that explores Earth’s Atmosphere - a thin envelope that surrounds us and makes Earth habitable for life. Arctic: A Friend Acting Strangely An online exhibit that explores changes in the Arctic, the Earth’s northernmost region, and how they are monitored by scientists and polar residents alike. Dig It! The Secrets of Soil We are building an exhibit about soil - a world under our feet and teeming with life! Open at the Natural History Museum through January 3, 2010. IN THE NEWS Eighty thousand new bark beetles in the Museum’s collection December 21, 2010 The Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History recently acquired an 80,000-specimen collection of bark beetles donated by the late Stephen L. Wood, Brigham Young University professor of Entomology, and former reigning expert on the bark beetles. The Stephen L. Wood collection brings the collection of bark beetles held in the Natural History Museum’s Department of Entomology to an impressive 180,000 specimens, making it one of the most extensive collections in world. “The Smithsonian’s collection is arguably the most important bark beetle collection in the world,” says David Furth, entomology collections manager at the Natural History Museum. “We are proud to have the S. L. Wood beetles join our collection.”RESOURCES Media Library For Educators Learn More Site Credits Copyright | Privacy | Smithsonian Institution | Email...