Beautiful Science: Natural History

Nov. 16, 2008–March 17, 2020
Dibner Hall of the History of Science

Over time, scientists and artists have scrutinized the natural world, leading to dramatic advances in biology, medicine, and agriculture as well as a clearer understanding of our interconnectedness across species. In the exhibition, Beautiful Science: Ideas that Changed the World, the Natural History section emphasized the central roles of evolution and observation in the natural sciences from Aristotle to Darwin and beyond.

Historiae Animalium

Historiae animalium (History of animals), 1558, Conrad Gessner

Werken (Collected Works)

Werken (Collected works), 1684-1718, Antoni van Leeuwenhoek

Micrographia

Micrographia, 1665, Robert Hooke

Research on Fossils

Recherches sur les fossiles (Research on fossils), 1812, George Cuvier

On the Origin of Species

On the origin of species, 1859, Charles Darwin

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