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PermalinkDr. Entomo’s Palace of Exotic Wonders
New Bug Exhibit At TheNAT Aims For Fun And Education
Above: Dr. Michael Wall showing one of the trays of specimens from the San Diego Natural History Museum's collection.
Monday, February 25, 2013
Dr. Entomo's Palace of Exotic Wonders
Aired 2/25/13
GUEST
Dr. Michael Wall, Curator of Entomology for TheNat
TheNAT's new bug exhibit serves up an old-fashioned circus sideshow called Dr. Entomo's Palace of Exotic Wonders where fun and education are served up in equal parts.
The San Diego Natural History Museum is asking you to step right up and see some of the creepiest, and most mysterious and mind-blowing creatures ever to crawl the face of the earth. The new exhibit has the sensational name of Dr. Entomo's Palace of Exotic Wonders, and like a circus sideshow, this "bug zoo" presents some of the most extreme exhibits as it explores the myths, mysteries, and ultimately the truths about some of nature's most curious insects, arachnids and other arthropods - many of them alive and on display.
Dr. Michael Wall is curator of entomology. Wall has a passion for bugs and hopes that the exhibit will ignite a similar passion in young visitors to the museum by opening their eyes to the wonders of the insect world. The museum als keeps an extensive collection of bugs, insects, butterflies, arachnids and other arthropods that are mostly hidden away from public view but used for research.
Dr. Entomo's Palace of Exotic Wonders will be on display at theNAT until June 2, 2013, and entrance to the exhibition is included with general admission to the Museum and free for Museum members. For more information, please visit TheNAT's website.
Just for fun, the San Diego Central Library will show the science fiction B-movie "The Black Scorpion" this Wednesday at 6:30pm as part of its ongoing series Schlockfest. Not much real science but lots of fun.
Watch for a behind the scenes look at the exhibit this Friday on Evening Edition.
Comments
Peking_Duck_SD | February 26, 2013 at 7:37 p.m. ― 2 months, 3 weeks ago
What percentage of the bugs are alive?
Seeing them living fascinates me and would make this worthwhile, but if most of them are just specimens as in the photo above it would be disappointing.
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Beth Accomando, KPBS Staff | February 27, 2013 at 9:13 a.m. ― 2 months, 3 weeks ago
The new Dr. Entomo exhibit is all live bugs with the exception of a couple of displays showing some bug scenes. Live creatures include tarantulas, millipedes, vinegaroons (not sure of spelling) , scorpions, hissing cockroaches, mealworms, and darkling beetles. I might have left one or two out. It's quite fun and I think you can hold some bugs on the weekend interactions. Call the museum and check. ANd the library is showing Black Scorpion tonight and giving out passes to the exhibit... not real bugs but quite fun.
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Peking_Duck_SD | February 27, 2013 at 10:53 a.m. ― 2 months, 3 weeks ago
Thanks, Beth! I am going to check it out!
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Beth Accomando, KPBS Staff | February 27, 2013 at 2:09 p.m. ― 2 months, 3 weeks ago
Great! I think you'll enjoy it. I have a video feature about it on this Friday's Evening Edition if you want to get a look at it before you go.nThanks for your interest.
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