Latest news with #CarnegieMuseum
Forbes
a day ago
- Science
- Forbes
Scientists Recreate 5000-Year-Old Blue Pigment
Ancient Egyptians used pigments to create dyes and paints, but the origin of one blue pigment was lost to time. This dye was regularly found on artefacts from ancient Egypt, and still used by the Romans. After that, though, it was gradually used less and less until nobody remembered how to make it. But now, researchers from Washington State University have recreated this blue pigment. Researchers Travis Olds and Lisa Haney from the Carnegie Museum examine an ancient sarcophagus that ... More was painted with Egyptian blue pigment. The researchers worked with the Carnegie Museum of Natural History and the Smithsonian's Museum Conservation Institute. After studying the blue pigment on materials from museum collections, they made their own version of it with different recipes using silicon dioxide, copper, calcium, and sodium carbonate. They shared their recipes in a research paper last month. Egyptian blue is different from many other ancient pigments, because it wasn't a pigment found in nature. So rather than trying to find the plants or minerals that naturally produce this blue, the search was on for the lost recipe that would have created this bright blue. Everything the researchers tried would have to resemble methods that people would have access to 5000 years ago. So to heat the materials, they had to limit the temperature to about 1000 degrees Celsius (about 1800 degrees Fahrenheit). That sounds pretty hot already, but modern industrial furnaces can reach much higher temperatures. After doing a chemical analysis of the pigments they produced, the researchers compared this to samples they took from museum artefacts. For example, they measured the exact wavelengths of both visible and near-infrared light that are characteristic of the pigment. One thing they noticed was that there wasn't just one version of Egyptian blue. Often the pigment was mixed with other materials and just slightly different based on where or how it was made. 'You had some people who were making the pigment and then transporting it, and then the final use was somewhere else,' John McCloy, lead researcher on the study, told Washington State University. 'One of the things that we saw was that with just small differences in the process, you got very different results.' But often these differences didn't have a big effect on the color. Even with only 50% of the blue pigment, the color dominated over other materials in the mixture. The newly created pigments are now part of the collection at the Carnegie Museum of Natural History in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. But there could be more to these ancient blue pigments. 'It started out just as something that was fun to do because they asked us to produce some materials to put on display at the museum, but there's a lot of interest in the material,' said McCloy. Egyptian blue has caught the eye of people who are interested in using it for new technological applications, because the pigment produces near-infrared light that could be used for fingerprinting in forensic science or for security solutions such as counterfeit-proof inks. But even without these modern applications, the recreation of Egyptian blue gave an insight into a long lost recipe for the world's first synthetic pigment.
CBS News
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- CBS News
Inaugural "DinoFest" takes over Carnegie Museum of Natural History
The prehistoric beasts on display at the Carnegie Museum of Natural History got their moment in the spotlight on Saturday morning as part of the inaugural "DinoFest" event. Free with admission, the celebration included the scenes, insights, activities for all ages, and live discussions from dinosaur experts. With the new Jurassic World Rebirth movie coming out on July 2, experts also spoke about how they consult for Hollywood movies. "It's just an absolute celebration of all things paleontology. We have hands-on activities, we have sit-down talks with collections managers, paleontologists, we're live-streaming a dig, we've got a live sculptor here. Truly, this is one of the biggest and most fun events that we've had this year," said Stuart McNiell, Senior Manager of Public Programs for the Carnegie Museum of Natural History. Also part of the event, guests got to take a behind-the-scenes, never-before-seen look at a new velociraptor before it's officially put on display.
Yahoo
20-02-2025
- General
- Yahoo
National Aviary welcomes 10 new animal ambassadors
The National Aviary is welcoming 10 animal ambassadors into its family. The animals are moving to the aviary from the Carnegie Museum of Natural History, which recently concluded it's animal ambassador program after a 10-year run. The aviary says they're a natural fit to care for many of the ambassadors. 'We are beyond thrilled for this recent partnership with the Carnegie Museum and are honored to give 10 of their beloved Animal Ambassadors a home with our flock!' said Cathy Schlott. 'We are committed to providing them with the utmost care and are excited for the additional educational opportunities they will allow us to offer to guests.' Seven species are joining the aviary, including striped skunks, four-toed hedgehogs, a central Asian tortoise and an African pied crow. National Aviary officials say guests should stay tuned to their social media for individual introductions to the animal ambassadors. Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW
CBS News
19-02-2025
- Entertainment
- CBS News
National Aviary gets 7 new species
Seven new species are getting a home at the National Aviary, and most of them aren't birds. The Carnegie Museum of Natural History recently ended its animal ambassador program after a 10-year run, and the National Aviary said it's "a natural fit" for it to take over care for many of the ambassadors. The new additions include four-toed hedgehogs Doris and Betty and striped skunks Gouda and Pepper Jack. There's also a Jackson's three-horned chameleon named Waldo, a blue-tongued skink named Bluey, a New Guinea blue-tongued skink named Miley and a central Asian tortoise named Natasha. Jon Snow the African pied crow and She-ra the American Kestrel will also join the crew. The aviary says it's already home to more than 500 animals, and the new species highlight the importance of biodiversity in shared ecosystems. "We are beyond thrilled for this recent partnership with the Carnegie Museum and are honored to give ten of their beloved Animal Ambassadors a home with our flock!" Cathy Schlott, director of animal programs and experiences, said in a news release. "We are committed to providing them with the utmost care and are excited for the additional educational opportunities they will allow us to offer to guests."
