No visitors but teeming with life: what ’s going on inside the Natural History Museum?

While its doors have been closed to the public, scientists have been busy digitising its vast archive – from 100-year-old insects to rare mineralsThe main exhibition room at the Natural History Museum in London is cathedral-like, with Hope the blue whale suspended mid-air like a demigod. Filled with specimens collected by explorers, this remarkable place teaches us about the evolution of life on our planet.There is a “great unlocking” happening in this building, home to one of the world’s largest natural history collections. Insects on pins and old minerals that have been sitting in mahogany display cases for hundreds of years are being re-examined, digitised and brought into the 21st century.Continue reading...
Source: Guardian Unlimited Science - Category: Science Authors: Tags: Natural History Museum Genetics Environment Insects Animals Biology Science Museums Wildlife Plants Fungi Biodiversity Conservation Green economy Cop26: Glasgow climate change conference 2021 UK news Culture London Source Type: news