Thanks to Darwin’s turning 200, First Fridays at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County could be described as church nights for atheists, complete with 3 bars with $5 glasses of wine, locavorian healthy eats, and great DJs.
2009’s “Darwin Year” at the Natural History Museum, and last weekend, the popular monthly Friday night event drew 1400 people curious about sexual selection. That’s right — Zoologist Dr. Michael J. Ryan’s lecture — originally titled “Why Men are from Mars and Women are from Venus” but renamed “Why Males are Dying to Mate” — attracted 300+ audience members — and many more who were turned away because the lecture hall was full. Sexual selection can be so cruel –
Post-lecture, the party continued, with people milling about the glowing exhibit halls, beer and wine in hand — turning the museum into a gigantic club with surreal decor. Mission Bistro — which gets a lot of its produce locally — catered the event; the grilled salmon salad I ate was both yummy and very filling –
Only two more First Fridays remain in 2009! The next one happens May 1, featuring a lecture from Paleoanthropologist Dr. Donald C. Johanson, who found the Lucy skeleton. But the one I’m really looking forward to happens June 5. The speaker that night will be Michael Shermer, author of Why Darwin Matters, who will talk about “how and why creationism and intelligent design are not part of science.”
I don’t have a lot of people trying to argue intelligent design with me, but living in lala land, I do have a few friends who believe in equally strange things — i.e. that crystals and stones have great powers, say. Grateful as I am for these friends’ other qualities, I’m tired of getting “gifts” that are, basically, rocks. Here’s a great 10-minute video showing why NOT believing in the supernatural doesn’t mean you’re closed-minded (via kottke):
The regular $9 museum admission gets you in to First Fridays; get there early or buy advance tickets so you’re not turned away.
Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County. 900 Exposition Blvd., Los Angeles. 213.763.DINO.
Heh, get some mortar and build a flowerpot? :) I’m a christian and a darwinist – which is much more easy in Sweden. If I could swin the ocean I would really like to listen to the last lecture. On the other hand I have the evolution museum here in Uppsala to enjoy instead. Hmmmm… the son is old enough to appreciate dinosaurs by now. Perhaps it’s time for an excursion.
Rosengeranium (Indoor Gardener)’s last blog post..They’ve started to drink
Comment by Rosengeranium (Indoor Gardener) — April 8, 2009 @ 2:13 pm
Guess I’ll take back that special rock I got for you at Tiffany’s.
I like the vid.
Summer’s last blog post..Green Cleaning: Polishing Silver with Toothpaste
Comment by Summer — April 8, 2009 @ 4:34 pm
Rosengeranium — I’m impressed by the way you’re able to keep a blog in 2 languages!
Comment by Siel — April 17, 2009 @ 2:29 pm