Hello, to everyone reading this.
My name is Ted Rogers. I'm a Senior at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. I major in Journalism, with minors in Biology and History.
To finish my career as a student with honors, I needed to come up with a Capstone Project. This is the result. I combined my training as a journalist with my interests in biology and history to create a multimedia tour of the Amherst College of Natural History.
This is the culmination of 9 months of work. It's my hope that you enjoy viewing this as much as I did making it. The world has so much to tell us.
Let's begin.
Thursday, May 6, 2010
Credits
I would like to mention everyone that helped me complete this project:
First, I would like to thank the Amherst College Museum of Natural History for allowing me to create this tour.
Thank you, to all of the professors that helped me. Without their helpful advice, answers, and interviews, I would not have been able to make this project.
Professor Tom Burbine, UMass Amherst, Astronomy
Professor Jeff Podos, UMass Amherst, Biology
Professor Alan Richmond, UMass Amherst, Biology
Professor Cristina Cox-Fernandez, UMass Amherst, Biology
Professor Duncan Irshick, UMass Amherst, Biology
Professor Mark Leckie, UMass Amherst, Geology
Professor Ed Belt, Amherst College, Geology
I would like to thank Kate Wellspring, the museum's Collections Manager, for being my museum contact and helping me with questions on Anthropology.
I am especially grateful to my project chairs. Their help was essential in creating the format of this project. Thank you.
Professor Margery Coombs, UMass Amherst, Biology
Professor Stephen Fox, UMass Amherst, Journalism
First, I would like to thank the Amherst College Museum of Natural History for allowing me to create this tour.
Thank you, to all of the professors that helped me. Without their helpful advice, answers, and interviews, I would not have been able to make this project.
Professor Tom Burbine, UMass Amherst, Astronomy
Professor Jeff Podos, UMass Amherst, Biology
Professor Alan Richmond, UMass Amherst, Biology
Professor Cristina Cox-Fernandez, UMass Amherst, Biology
Professor Duncan Irshick, UMass Amherst, Biology
Professor Mark Leckie, UMass Amherst, Geology
Professor Ed Belt, Amherst College, Geology
I would like to thank Kate Wellspring, the museum's Collections Manager, for being my museum contact and helping me with questions on Anthropology.
I am especially grateful to my project chairs. Their help was essential in creating the format of this project. Thank you.
Professor Margery Coombs, UMass Amherst, Biology
Professor Stephen Fox, UMass Amherst, Journalism
Photography and Image Credits
I have used supplemental images in addition to my own photography while creating this project. Reasons for this include time constraints, unavailability of evidence I could photograph, and cases where certain images would give a better explanation to a situation than my own narration. Unless otherwise noted, pictures are filed under Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported.
All supplemental images were taken from the Creative Commons, a non-profit website that allows images to be taken and used within copyright laws.
Credits follow in order of appearance:
Elements:
Public Domain picture of Hydrogen Atom.
Periodic Table Image courtesy of Sch0013r.
Meteorites:
Illustration of meteor shower courtesy of E. Weiß, copyright expired.
All other supplemental images courtesy of NASA, public domain.
Horse Evolution
Prehistoric Maps created by Dr. Ron Blakey.
Illustrations of Prehistoric Horses by Heinrich Harder, copyright expired.
Grazing Horse photograph courtesy of Montanabw .
Wall of Mammals:
Illustration of Apatosaurus by Charles R. Knight, copyright expired.
All other illustrations by Heinrich Harder, copyright expired.
Ice Age America:
Illustration of Ice Age by Mauricio Anton, under Attribution 2.5 Generic
Rock Art photograph is public domain.
Ice Age Earth image by Ittiz.
Megaloceros:
Cave painting is public domain.
Peacock photo courtesy of Marlith .
Deer photograph courtesy of United States Fish and Wildlife Services, public domain.
Smilodon:
Both illustrations by Charles R Knight, copyright expired.
The Fishes:
Pikaia fossil photograph courtesy of Jstuby, public domain.
Lamprey feeding photograph courtesy of United States Geological Survey, public domain.
Prehistoric Maps created by Dr. Ron Blakey.
Jaw Image courtesy of Zina Deretsky, National Science Foundation.
Shark illustration by Dmitry Bogdanov.
Shark Photograph courtesy of Mila Zinkova.
Acanthodian illustration courtesy of Stanton F. Fink.
Lobed Fin Fish illustration by Heinrich Harder, copyright expired.
Tiktaalik illustration by Nobu Tamura.
South American Mammals:
South America photograph by NASA, public domain.
Prehistoric Maps created by Dr. Ron Blakey.
Ground Sloth photograph is public domain.
Moetherium illustration by Heinrich Harder, copyright expired.
Pyrotherium illustration by Stanton F Fink.
Thylacosmilus illustration by Stanton F Fink.
American Interchange Map is public domain.
Amphibians:
Amphibian illustration by Heinrich Harder, copyright expired.
Frog Spawning by Salim Fadhley.
Tadpole 1 by ViridFlavus.
Tadpole 2 by Liquid Ghoul.
Tadpole 3 by ViridFlavus.
Amniotes:
Dinosaur egg by Pavel Riha.
Tortoise hatchling by Mayer Richard.
Prehistoric Maps created by Dr. Ron Blakey.
Aquatic Reptiles:
Apatosaurus illustration by Charles R Knight, copyright expired.
Plesiosaur illustration by Heinrich Harder, copyright expired.
rhamphorhynchus illustration by Heinrich Harder, copyright expired.
Hoatzin illustration by J Arthur Thompson, copyright expired.
Bat illustration by Gustav Mutzel, copyright expired.
Dolphin courtesy of NOAA, public domain.
Mystriosuchus illustration by Edward Riou, copyright expired.
Crocodile photo courtesy of Rlevse.
Evolutionary Milestones:
Ammonite illustration by Charles R Knight, copyright expired.
Dunkleosteus courtesy of Dmitry Bogdanov.
Acanthodian illustration courtesy of Stanton F. Fink.
Lobed Fin Fish illustration by Heinrich Harder, copyright expired.
Tiktaalik illustration by Nobu Tamura.
Amphibian illustration by Heinrich Harder, copyright expired.
Human evolution:
Yams courtesy of C Ford.
Meat courtesy of Robin.
Skeleton drawing is public domain.
Brain courtesy of gaetan lee.
Fossil Environments
Carboniferous era illustration is public domain.
Coal mine image is courtesy of the Bureau of Land Management, public domain
Prehistoric Map created by Dr. Ron Blakey.
Oil gusher is public domain, copyright expired.
History of the Pioneer Valley:
Prehistoric Maps created by Dr. Ron Blakey.
Pikaia fossil photograph courtesy of Jstuby, public domain.
Himalaya photograph courtesy of Nichalp.
Rifting diagram courtesy of NASA, public domain.
Atlantic Ocean courtesy of the CIA, public domain.
Ice Age Earth image by Ittiz
Arsenates, Tungstates, and Molybdates:
Bangladesh map courtesy of the CIA, public domain.
All other photography was taken by me.
Now, let's move on to the tour.
All supplemental images were taken from the Creative Commons, a non-profit website that allows images to be taken and used within copyright laws.
Credits follow in order of appearance:
Elements:
Public Domain picture of Hydrogen Atom.
Periodic Table Image courtesy of Sch0013r.
Meteorites:
Illustration of meteor shower courtesy of E. Weiß, copyright expired.
All other supplemental images courtesy of NASA, public domain.
Horse Evolution
Prehistoric Maps created by Dr. Ron Blakey.
Illustrations of Prehistoric Horses by Heinrich Harder, copyright expired.
Grazing Horse photograph courtesy of Montanabw .
Wall of Mammals:
Illustration of Apatosaurus by Charles R. Knight, copyright expired.
All other illustrations by Heinrich Harder, copyright expired.
Ice Age America:
Illustration of Ice Age by Mauricio Anton, under Attribution 2.5 Generic
Rock Art photograph is public domain.
Ice Age Earth image by Ittiz.
Megaloceros:
Cave painting is public domain.
Peacock photo courtesy of Marlith .
Deer photograph courtesy of United States Fish and Wildlife Services, public domain.
Smilodon:
Both illustrations by Charles R Knight, copyright expired.
The Fishes:
Pikaia fossil photograph courtesy of Jstuby, public domain.
Lamprey feeding photograph courtesy of United States Geological Survey, public domain.
Prehistoric Maps created by Dr. Ron Blakey.
Jaw Image courtesy of Zina Deretsky, National Science Foundation.
Shark illustration by Dmitry Bogdanov.
Shark Photograph courtesy of Mila Zinkova.
Acanthodian illustration courtesy of Stanton F. Fink.
Lobed Fin Fish illustration by Heinrich Harder, copyright expired.
Tiktaalik illustration by Nobu Tamura.
South American Mammals:
South America photograph by NASA, public domain.
Prehistoric Maps created by Dr. Ron Blakey.
Ground Sloth photograph is public domain.
Moetherium illustration by Heinrich Harder, copyright expired.
Pyrotherium illustration by Stanton F Fink.
Thylacosmilus illustration by Stanton F Fink.
American Interchange Map is public domain.
Amphibians:
Amphibian illustration by Heinrich Harder, copyright expired.
Frog Spawning by Salim Fadhley.
Tadpole 1 by ViridFlavus.
Tadpole 2 by Liquid Ghoul.
Tadpole 3 by ViridFlavus.
Amniotes:
Dinosaur egg by Pavel Riha.
Tortoise hatchling by Mayer Richard.
Prehistoric Maps created by Dr. Ron Blakey.
Aquatic Reptiles:
Apatosaurus illustration by Charles R Knight, copyright expired.
Plesiosaur illustration by Heinrich Harder, copyright expired.
rhamphorhynchus illustration by Heinrich Harder, copyright expired.
Hoatzin illustration by J Arthur Thompson, copyright expired.
Bat illustration by Gustav Mutzel, copyright expired.
Dolphin courtesy of NOAA, public domain.
Mystriosuchus illustration by Edward Riou, copyright expired.
Crocodile photo courtesy of Rlevse.
Evolutionary Milestones:
Ammonite illustration by Charles R Knight, copyright expired.
Dunkleosteus courtesy of Dmitry Bogdanov.
Acanthodian illustration courtesy of Stanton F. Fink.
Lobed Fin Fish illustration by Heinrich Harder, copyright expired.
Tiktaalik illustration by Nobu Tamura.
Amphibian illustration by Heinrich Harder, copyright expired.
Human evolution:
Yams courtesy of C Ford.
Meat courtesy of Robin.
Skeleton drawing is public domain.
Brain courtesy of gaetan lee.
Fossil Environments
Carboniferous era illustration is public domain.
Coal mine image is courtesy of the Bureau of Land Management, public domain
Prehistoric Map created by Dr. Ron Blakey.
Oil gusher is public domain, copyright expired.
History of the Pioneer Valley:
Prehistoric Maps created by Dr. Ron Blakey.
Pikaia fossil photograph courtesy of Jstuby, public domain.
Himalaya photograph courtesy of Nichalp.
Rifting diagram courtesy of NASA, public domain.
Atlantic Ocean courtesy of the CIA, public domain.
Ice Age Earth image by Ittiz
Arsenates, Tungstates, and Molybdates:
Bangladesh map courtesy of the CIA, public domain.
All other photography was taken by me.
Now, let's move on to the tour.
Welcome to the Amherst College Museum of Natural History
Best estimates say the Earth is about four and a half billion years old. In the time since its creation, Earth has been pounded by meteors, seen mountains rise and crumble, had oceans rise and fall. Earth has nurtured life, everything from bacteria to dinosaurs to you and me.
This museum is a tribute to all of that. We begin as you walk through the main entrance, starting at the first floor mineral collection.
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
Introduction and Local Minerals
Welcome to the first exhibit. Here, you can see vast collections of minerals. From the oddly shaped to the brightly colored, these minerals are what make up the earth.
Introduction and Minerals of the Pioneer Valley from Ted Rogers on Vimeo.
Minerals can be made in a lot of ways. Crystals are made when like molecules overlap each other, creating distinctive shapes and colors. Gems are any mineral that are valuable by human standards. Some of the minerals you see here were created over millions of years through geological processes such as volcanoes and glaciers.
It would be a mistake to say that these collections are "just a bunch of rocks." These minerals are clues. If you care enough to look closely, these minerals can show you new meaning of history, you and me, and the world itself.
Elements
Welcome to the world of elements.
For those needed a refresher course in chemistry: Sometimes, atoms and molecules are charged, either negatively or positively. These are called ions or radicals. Ions usually try to get to a neutral charge. To do this, they will bond with an oppositely charged atom or molecule.
For example: Two oxygen atoms (each with a -2 charge) will likely bond with a single carbon atom (+4). This makes a neutrally charged Carbon Dioxide molecule.
As to where atoms come from: We don't know all that much about the Big Bang (The universes' abrupt expansion) but it's theorized that every last mote and particle in existence was made from it, mostly in the form of hydrogen, with some helium and a touch of lithium thrown in. The Hydrogen formed the first stars. These first stars burned out quickly, and died in tremendous explosions called supernovae.
These explosions are so powerful that they can fuse individual atoms together to form larger atoms, creating elements like gold, uranium, and platinum. In short, every molecule around you was made in a star's explosive end.
For those needed a refresher course in chemistry: Sometimes, atoms and molecules are charged, either negatively or positively. These are called ions or radicals. Ions usually try to get to a neutral charge. To do this, they will bond with an oppositely charged atom or molecule.
For example: Two oxygen atoms (each with a -2 charge) will likely bond with a single carbon atom (+4). This makes a neutrally charged Carbon Dioxide molecule.
Elements from Ted Rogers on Vimeo.
As to where atoms come from: We don't know all that much about the Big Bang (The universes' abrupt expansion) but it's theorized that every last mote and particle in existence was made from it, mostly in the form of hydrogen, with some helium and a touch of lithium thrown in. The Hydrogen formed the first stars. These first stars burned out quickly, and died in tremendous explosions called supernovae.
These explosions are so powerful that they can fuse individual atoms together to form larger atoms, creating elements like gold, uranium, and platinum. In short, every molecule around you was made in a star's explosive end.
Sulfides and Arsenides
This is a collection of sulfide and arsenide minerals.
Arsenic is a deadly poison, something that known since ancient times. This has not stopped the element from being used in pigments, insecticides, and Victorian makeup. Thanks to more stringent regulations, this is something we don't need to worry about as much today.
Sulfides and Arsenides from Ted Rogers on Vimeo.
Arsenic is a deadly poison, something that known since ancient times. This has not stopped the element from being used in pigments, insecticides, and Victorian makeup. Thanks to more stringent regulations, this is something we don't need to worry about as much today.
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