DNA detective work tracing the evolutionary history of crocodiles has led to several surprising discoveries. In this lecture, Evon Hekkala, a professor at Fordham University and research associate in the Museum’s Department of...

Cuba is the largest island in the Caribbean and home to an astonishingly diverse and unique set of animals and plants. In this SciCafe, join Museum scientists Ana Porzecanski and Angelo Soto-Centeno for a lively discussion about their...

Only a small percentage of people who try an illicit drug will go on to develop addiction. What makes one more vulnerable to addiction than another? Theories abound, from troubled childhoods to work stress to genetics. Psychiatrist...

Evolutionary biologists argue that no study of human health or evolution is complete without considering the trillions of microbes that live in us or on us—our microbiome. In this SciCafe, join molecular anthropologist Christina Warinner...

Watch step-by-step as experts create the cast of The Titanosaur, the new dinosaur at the American Museum of Natural History. From the excavation of giant, fossilized bones in the Patagonia desert, to 3D scanning the fossils and mounting...

The evolution of life on Earth is full of amazing episodes. But one story that really captures the imagination is the transition from the familiar, charismatic dinosaurs that dominated the planet for around 170 million years into a new,...

Anemones look like beautiful flowers in the sea, but did you know that they are actually animals related to jellyfish and corals? In this podcast, join Estefanía Rodríguez, associate curator in the Museum's division of Invertebrate...

Measuring 122 feet, the Museum's new exhibit, The Titanosaur, is big--so big that its head extends outside of the Museum's fourth-floor gallery where it is now on permanent display. This species of dinosaur, a giant herbivore that...

In January 2016, the Museum is adding another must-see exhibit to its world-famous Fossil Halls: a cast of a 122-foot-long dinosaur. This species is so new that it has not yet been formally named by the paleontologists who discovered it....

In the late 1960s, Curator Emeritus Niles Eldredge was a graduate student with a passion for trilobite eyes. He had been taught to expect slow and steady change between the specimens of these Devonian arthropods he collected for his...

As the last survivor of his species, Lonesome George became a worldwide icon of conservation decades before he died from natural causes in the Galapagos in 2012. When the Pinta Island tortoise arrived at the American Museum of Natural...

Isaac Asimov’s famous Three Laws of Robotics might be seen as early safeguards for our reliance on artificial intelligence, but as Alexa guides our homes and automated cars replace human drivers, are those Three Laws enough? Neil...

Can the entire universe be explained with a single, unifying theory? This is perhaps the most fundamental question in all of science, and it may also be the most controversial. Albert Einstein was among the first to envision a unified...

When black holes collide, the energy of the event generates intense gravitational waves. These waves were predicted by Einstein in his theories, but scientists have only recently been able to detect them experimentally. In this SciCafe,...

Need some extra motivation to get to the gym? Neuroscientist and exercise enthusiast Wendy A. Suzuki explains how physical aerobic activity can change your brain. Dr. Suzuki gives an overview of her research into how exercise can improve...

Science starts when you pack your bags, so here’s some of the gear Museum paleontologists make sure they have on hand in the field—even if they have to sit on their carry-on to make it fit. Pack your bags for adventure. Season 2 of the...

Americans spend an estimated 92% of their time indoors, yet we know little about the diversity of microbes that exist in the built environment. This collection of microbes is influenced by where we live, whom we live with, and what we...

Bats are known for many remarkable qualities including mammalian powered flight and echolocation. Using CT-scanning technology, Museum scientists are taking a new look at bat skeletons to learn more about how they've evolved such...

The asteroid belt provides important clues into the history of our solar system. Meteorite specialist Denton Ebel, curator in the Division of Physical Sciences, explains different theories of solar system formation and how the asteroid...

Since 2005, when the U.S. Congress mandated that NASA identify and track all near-Earth objects that are larger than 140 meters (approximately the diameter of a football field), professional and amateur astronomers have kept a tally of...

Venomous animals have evolved a variety of mechanisms that deliver toxins to would-be predators and prey. Museum Curator Mark Siddall discusses some of the anatomical features you'll want to avoid! #venom #biology #snakes #insects...

On November 26, 2018, NASA’s InSight lander successfully touched down on the surface of Mars. The Museum’s Science Visualization team created this simulation of the landing for NASA/JPL using an interactive data visualization software...

Before we can make a plan to protect our oceans from climate change, we need to know what they were like before human impact. We haven’t been collecting ocean data for very long, but luckily one ocean marine organism has been keeping...

Happy Shark Week! Shark teeth are among the most common vertebrate fossils you can find, and yet fossilized shark skeletons are harder to come by. Paleontologist and Curator Emeritus John Maisey explains how sharks' cartilaginous...