The Natural Museum has five scientific research departments: anthropology, invertebrate zoology, paleontology, natural science and vertebrate zoology. At present, there are 200 scientists, including more than 40 curators, distributed in these departments to carry out extensive scientific research activities. They study the origin and evolution of life on earth, countless species, various human cultures, and the complex process of the formation and change of planets on earth.
In addition, there are many short-term visiting scientists, postdoctoral researchers and graduate students in the museum to jointly carry out scientific research activities.
According to AliciaStevens, senior consultant of the international business development of the museum, one of the most important sources of scientific information for the museum is to organize scientific investigation teams. Since 1887, the museum has organized thousands of scientific expeditions, covering all continents.
The museum organizes about 65,438+000 expeditions every year, and goes to different places for scientific exploration in different fields. They have been to Chile, China, Cuba, Madagascar, Mongolia, New Guinea, Viet Nam and so on.
exchanges and cooperation
Reichel of the Natural History Museum said that most exhibition museums are jointly organized with other institutions. In this way, after the exhibition, these exhibits will return to their original institutions.
In addition to cooperation with domestic counterparts, the Natural History Museum also has very friendly cooperation with other countries. China, which has a long cultural history, has naturally become the key cooperation object of the museum.
"In the past few years, we have been trying to focus on China," Rex Worthy told reporters. He said that the Museum of Natural History hopes to cooperate more extensively and deeply with China.
In fact, the friendly exchanges between the museum and relevant institutions in China have not just begun. For many years, the Natural History Museum has had postdoctoral students from Peking University, China, doing scientific research projects in the museum. The museum also organized several scientific research teams to visit many provinces and regions in China, including Yunnan, Dunhuang and Tibet.
The recent cooperation between the Museum of Natural History and its counterparts in China is to cooperate with the Shanghai Science and Technology Museum and several other institutions to produce a special film called Cosmos Collision. This 20-minute short play has been staged in the Space Cinema of Shanghai Science and Technology Museum.
According to Raxworthy, the Natural History Museum and the Shanghai Science and Technology Museum are also talking about other cooperation. He heard that Shanghai is planning to build a brand-new natural history museum. The two sides are only in the discussion stage, but he said that if the itinerary is planned, the Natural History Museum is willing to provide assistance.
Laxworthy also believes that the Natural History Museum and China will have very broad prospects for cooperation in environmental protection, biodiversity and natural resources utilization.