The American Museum of Natural History never ceases to come up with clever and interesting exhibits to entertain the masses. One of their currently fascinating exhibits is called The Power of Poison, and looks at poison’s role in nature, history, literature and myths.
Begin your journey of discovery in the Chocó forest, located in Colombia, where poisons come in all shapes and forms. You will learn about the highly dangerous batrachotoxin found in dart frogs, urushiol found in poison ivy, and many more toxic substances that are used in nature.
After you make your way through the forest, you will discover yourself amongst some well-known stories and myths that incorporate poison…from Macbeth and Harry Potter to Alice in Wonderland and Hercules. The exhibit delves into the kernels of truth that sprung these tales to life. For example, the Mad Hatter in Alice in Wonderland was most likely created based on the fact that many hat makers in the day were considered ‘mad’ because they suffered from mercury poisoning, which at the time was used to make hats.
In this exhibit you will also travel back in time to see Cleopatra, Napoleon Bonaparte, and more famous faces, to learn about some perplexing cases involving poison which are still a mystery to us today. Additionally, you will find an abundance of charms and amulets once thought to be able to detect poison and defend against it. You can also partake in a live presentation about a real-world poisoning case and gain knowledge about detecting poison.
Last but not least, you will learn how poison has helped scientists to both treat the effects of poison, as well as discover treatments for sicknesses such as cancer, headaches, malaria and much more. The exhibit contains a wealth of knowledge and is full of fascinating facts, stories and creatures. Carve out a good chunk of time to take in all of the exhibit, which is on display through August 10th, 2014.
The American Museum of Natural History is located at Central Park West at 79th Street.
