12019-04-25T20:13:29-07:00Grace Schlemmer4cdb225eb240a654c54dbd10176f95b6483b5313336154Built to Survive: Biomechanics - Cleveland Museum of Natural History - cmnh.orgplain2019-04-25T23:10:48-07:00Grace Schlemmer4cdb225eb240a654c54dbd10176f95b6483b5313
Recently the Cleveland Museum of Natural History held an exhibit called Built to Survive: Biomechanics which focused on the biomechanics of a variety of animals and why their individual traits are necessary for their survival. This exhibit featured more interactive elements than is seen in the rest of the museum which likely contributed to its popularity as well as the interesting content.
One of the most attention grabbing items in the exhibit was the giraffe heart. Just past the entrance there was the tall neck of a giraffe and only when you got closer to it could you see the large glass container holding the giraffe heart. While seeing the heart of a previously living animal could make some people squeamish the awe and shock factor that it has is very useful in pulling the viewer in to learn more, which is exactly what the giraffe heart did. Each time I went this display was surrounded by curious kids with mouths wide open trying to compare their own hearts to the one of the giraffe and comprehend that it was larger than their heads.
