Human Origins Exhibit Hits the RoadArticles
Key milestones in the story of human evolution—including walking upright, developing technologies, and language development—are explored in a new traveling exhibition from the Smithsonian and the American Library Association. Exploring Human Origins: What Does It Mean to Be Human?, funded by a grant from the John Templeton Foundation, will appear at 19 public libraries across the United States between April 2015 and April 2017.
“This exhibition is all about integrating scientific discoveries from around the globe and making them available for everyone to see,” explains Rick Potts, director of the Smithsonian’s Human Origins Program and curator of the traveling exhibition. “We hope that it will spark a respectful and positive conversation across the country about what it means to be human and inspire people to contemplate their place in the natural world.”
The exhibiting libraries will also offer free public science lectures and educational workshops, complemented by community-led conversations with clergy, civic leaders, and the public. The exhibition features replicas and images of specimens from the Smithsonian’s David H. Koch Hall of Human Origins in Washington, DC. Dates and locations of this tour can be found online.