Culture. Knowledge. Nature.
A friend of mine just received an email from Amazon recommending that, based on her recent activity, she might like to purchase The Future of Natural History Museums. She was so impressed, she mailed it to me. I'm so impressed that I'm including it for you. So, the book. It was a collaboration between the... Continue Reading →
I just read an interesting blog post from National Geographic "Does Destroying Ivory Save Elephants? Experts Weigh In". Of course, a big public display of destroying artworks made from illegally hunted elephants makes in impact. National Geographic garnered the opinions of thinkers from all over the world, and their perspectives are equally varied. For me,... Continue Reading →
After the infamous case of the untimely death of the beloved Cecil the lion, natural history museums have become even more careful than before about demonstrating the provenance of the specimens they use for research and display. Big game hunting can be viewed with such distaste by members of the museum-going public that its display... Continue Reading →
I just read a some news from NEXT Pittsburgh that seems pretty exciting. It concerns Garfield, one of the suburbs in Pittsburgh. It's not a wealthy neighborhood. In fact, it's one of the poorest neighborhoods in the state. Stats from Neighborhood Scout say that the area is primarily made up of medium sized to large... Continue Reading →
A friend just emailed me a series of articles which surprised me considerably. Each describes an event in which an animal has died at the hands of somebody - and in some cases many people - grabbing it to take selfies. Here are some examples within the last couple of weeks - warning this isn't... Continue Reading →
The rapid decline of the global environment is an inescapable fact. The Earth’s major oxygen sources, coral reefs and rain forests, are disappearing along with the species that live in them. Atmospheric carbon is rising precipitously and one in a hundred year storms are becoming the norm. As the planet warms and forests are removed... Continue Reading →
At the Carnegie Museum of Natural History, we have two new arrivals: a pair of just hatched American alligators. It’s important to start handling your baby alligator when it's still very young or you'll find it increasingly difficult to make any impression as the animal grows larger. So, happily, I’ve been invited by our wonderful... Continue Reading →
About two weeks ago the level of activity in my household was added to significantly by the addition of a miniature pinscher, Electra. She's 5 months old, incredibly friendly and relatively non-destructive. This photo taken at the pet shop makes her look the size of a shepherd, but in fact she's not much bigger than... Continue Reading →
I was at a dinner party the other day when I overheard one of the guests describing a living room in disparaging terms because it was too filled with chintz. I have to admit it's not a fabric I spend much time considering, nor before writing this post even knew anything about (except that it... Continue Reading →
When Juan Ponce de León traveled from Spain to the New World in 1513, he was looking for immortality. Legend has it that he was looking for the fabled fountain of youth. During his journey he named the state of Florida and his quest catalyzed the name of the Florida town of Ponce de León,... Continue Reading →
ERIC DORFMAN 