A museum is a terrific place to wander around on those days when you have a few hours to kill, and a visit will often inspire people and set them to ponder many different aspects of life and the world. There are a variety of museums that are dedicated to a wide range of different themes and these themes are often given life in amazing ways through the collections of art and artifacts that are on display. One of the best known is the American Museum of Natural History.



The American Museum of Natural History, or AMNH, has been in operation since 1869, when the world was quite a different place than it is today. Even by the end of the 19th century, there was not a vast knowledge of many of the lands and ocean regions of the earth. Even less was understood about the diversity of the many cultures outside of the western world.

To help put that date in better perspective, the American Museum of Natural History opened its doors in 1869, only ten yeas after Charles Darwin published his controversial theory in his work called "Origin of Species." Also, another 30 years would pass before the structure of an atom was discovered. The year 1869 was also 40 years before Einstein published his theory of relativity.

During this time of significant scientific advancement and achievement, the AMNH has played an important role in the exploration, the discovery, and the advancement in the natural sciences and scientific theories. A pivotal part of supporting these efforts has been the steady and strategic accumulation of one the greatest museum collections the world has ever known.

Nowadays, the continued effort of this natural history museum means that it is able to continue to thrive and expand on these early accomplishments. This important work is made possible through the efforts of scientific researchers, laboratory studies, and specialist who oversee these collections. In total there are more than 200 scientific personnel employed by the museum, including more than 40 curators of various specialties.

Aside from the many achievements of the Museum of Natural History, the staff and management of the organization continue to be committed to staying up to date with the advances in science. They also attempt to be vigilant about the thoroughness and effectiveness of presenting this information to the public in ways that are interesting, engaging, entertaining, and that make the history of man relevant to today's concerns.

One of the most exciting and major accomplishments of this history museum can be seen in the recent collaborative research that they have taken part in regarding the extraordinary fossils which have been discovered of feathered dinosaurs and furred mammals. These fossils are estimated to date back to approximately 100 million years and are from old rock findings in northern China.

Another one of the noteworthy accomplishments of this organization was the in-depth study of how insects and their arthropod "cousins" evolved. This particular study required processing a massive amount of DNA sequencing data from both fossil specimens and living specimens. Because of the intense data processing, the brand new computer cluster facility of the Museum of Natural History was put to the test.