Museum of the Earth

Since Gerry is not currently skiing, we had an outing today, to visit the Museum of the Earth in Ithaca, had lunch in Cortland at the new Japanese restaurant, and bought wool socks in Homer.

The museum was a visual and intellectual feast!  Essentially, it was a journey backwards, over the last 500 million years of earth's history.

 That includes the the unique origin of the earth,  the scientific development of the earth over various periods of time (millions of years), the development (and demise) of various life forms, such as dinosaurs [the Jurrasic Age].   We heard a video on the movements of the plates (continents); and several seasons of virtual extinction of most species.

One thing I found most fascinating about the earth's formation was the importance of the atmosphere.  Whatever those many forces were (collisions/explosions/creation) it was the exact distance from the sun which enabled life.  And part of that had to do with earth being able to "capture" an atmosphere around itself,  held in place by gravity, which served as a protection from the ultra-violent rays of the sun, and made possible water.  I had never given much thought to atmosphere before.  Now I have a new-found respect!

The scientific research and knowledge that has been amassed about our earth is truly remarkable. Tracing the stages of earth's development can even offer explanations for all the different mountain ranges and when and how they were likely formed.   The earth has had several major catastrophic events which changed the very nature of life on earth.  Likely causes: collision with meteor;  volcanic eruptions,  ice age, etc.  The earth is in a constant state of motion and evolution.

Agate

The museum was also filled with quite a bit of art, which I enjoyed.




It was a very enlightening day.

500 million years ago, from the ocean floor