Who says vectors have to sit still? Why not have them go for a swim? At the American Museum of Natural History, we recently put together a new section of the Museum site for kids, (OLogy). Each section of the site looks at a different "study of" (aka, "ology"), and this one was about marine biology. We focused on the story of ocean life and the research of ichthyologists. Check it out: (Marine Biology: The Living Oceans)

Inside you'll find a cool collection of features ranging from a whirlwind tour of three major marine ecosystems and creature matching game to a sampling project in (and under) a mangrove tree and an in-depth look at biodiversity in the ocean. But this little guy you see flailing his arms about is the star of an OLogy feature called (They Glow!) This two-and-a-half minute presentation "Glowing in the Ocean" introduces the process called bioluminescence - creatures that glow in the dark! Our writer put the lyrics together and we had quite a few people behind-the-scenes to make this happen; the storyboards, animation, and soundtrack was put together by yours truly. Yup, this was a major task of mine back in Fall 2003. Everything from recording the music (that's me singing the third verse, and two co-workers on the first two... an in-house project all the way!) to shading the background to show the depth of water for each scene.

This is a blue-ringed octopus, one of the most venomous octopus species out there and also among the smallest (about the size of a golf ball). It's typically pale-yellow until it feels threatened when it 'lights up' with bright blue rings: a clear warning sign that it's likely to bite. Getting this little guy to glow was one thing, but just the fluid movement necessary to give him some sense of reality was quite a challenge. The whole presentation has a comic style (and combined with the urgency of meeting a deadline), his movement is simplified to jointed arms, which fortunately could all connect safely hidden under the layer that formed the octopus head. The good fortune of a trip to see some of the real thing (at the New York Aquarium) inspired the approach to his dance and the suction that happens when he moves around (just like a jellyfish or squid would do).

Conservation means development as much as it does protection.
–Theodore Roosevelt

The 77th Street Entrance, or Victorian Facade, to the American Museum of Natural History harkens to a time of great progress in this fledgling New York landmark. An 1897 edition of Harper's Weekly published plans for the completed museum, echoing the southern facade shown here on all four sides, anchored by the massive turrets at each corner. The architect's plans also showed a central tower rising over twice this height, called the "Hall of the Heavens" to hold an observatory and planetarium, and with connecting buildings and interior courtyards between. Two-thirds of the original drawings were never completed, as a new monumental front would be built facing Central Park West, and a far more recent architectural statement in the Rose Center for Earth and Space (opened in 2000).

While never growing to its original intentions, the turn-of-the-century themes that continue on the interior of the museum's 27 interconnected buildings all stem from the standard set (on 77th Street). In the past decade, the Museum of Natural History made a transition from using this facade in its marketing to (a more modern approach). Yet, I felt the original hand-drawn illustration deserved an update. So, this vector graphic has painstakingly recreated the lines and arches of the original, giving it the good fortune of being scalable at any size and taking on any set of colors or shadows. A flexible and sustainable design thanks to a little math behind the scenes.

Ultimately, the Rose Center is not all that different from its older cousin on the south end of the museum. Ellen Futter, President of the American Museum of Natural History, shared her insight in the 2000 Annual Report: "Among the most ambitious and significant additions to the Museum in its 131-year history, the Rose Center increases the Museum's square footage by nearly one quarter. More important than sheer size, the Rose Center constitutes a groundbreaking advance for science education worldwide and a singular new icon on the New York City skyline." The connecting thread Ms. Futter speaks of is the continuing mission of the museum to reach out to the public. A role "where education and advanced research intersect" and with "efforts [that] have illuminated and enriched the public's understanding of and respect for this fragile planet and the vast cosmos that surrounds us."