MUSEUMS/EXHIBITIONS(1) Mythic Creatures: Dragons, Unicorns & Mermaids
Why do so many different cultures include dragons in their mythology? Anthropology, archaeology and art history meet in this new exhibit designed to explore the roots of belief in fantastical creatures. Art, cultural artifacts, fossils and animal relics are displayed side by side, illustrating how, for example, narwhal tusks fueled a unicorn craze in medieval Europe. Learn how human imagination (and misinterpretation) has created stories of impossible beasts, many of which have become central myths in cultures around the world.
American Museum of Natural History
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New York City
Through January 6, 2008
212-769-5100
www.amnh.org/exhibitions/mythicbeasts/
Ansel Adams & Edwin Land: Art, Science and Invention
Ansel Adams, the renowned nature photographer, became close friends with scientist and inventor Edwin Land after Land allowed him to test the first Polaroid prototypes in the late 1940s. The two brilliant minds traded ideas and inspired each other to experiment in their respective fields. This exhibit highlights the photographs that were born of their partnership—a merging of artistic and scientific genius.
Palmer Museum of Art
Pennsylvania State University
July 12–September 9
814-865-7672
www.psu.edu/dept/palmermuseum/exhibitions.html
[break] CONFERENCESAmerican Psychoanalytic Association 96th Annual Meeting
Freud's work lives on. The APsaA's 2007 meeting offers scientific sessions open to anyone with an interest in psychoanalysis. More than 1,000 psychoanalysts gather to discuss the latest theories in their field, often incorporating recent neuroscience findings. This year's agenda includes a special seminar on combat stress and the mental health of soldiers.
Denver
June 20–24
Third International Congress of Psychology and Law
Every four years since 1998, lawyers, scientists and academics from many disciplines have met to discuss the intersection of psychology and law. Sponsored by American, Australian and European associations, the 2007 conference will host several focus groups on confidentiality in mental health practice.
Adelaide, Australia
July 3–8
e-mail: psychlaw2007@sapmea.asn.au
www.sapmea.asn.au/conventions/psychlaw2007/
[break] MOVIES/TELEVISION(2) NOVA scienceNOW: Sleep and Memory
Why do we spend a third of our lives sleeping? Evidence is building that sleep plays a crucial role in strengthening memories and facilitating learning, not just in humans but in all animals. ScienceNOW, NOVA's periodical news program, visits labs where rats wear hats that painlessly pick up electrical activity from their brains, investigating why we need sleep and what happens when we don't get enough. Watch the show online if you miss it on the air.
PBS
Tuesday, July 10, 8 P.M. (ET/PT)
www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/sciencenow/
Eagle vs. Shark
In the same character-driven vein as Little Miss Sunshine and Napoleon Dynamite, this quirky New Zealand comedy follows two misfits as they awkwardly fall in love. A Sundance Film Festival favorite, the film follows the geeky duo as they take revenge on high school bullies and meet each other's eccentric families.
Miramax Films
Limited release June 1
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
Harry and the Hogwarts gang face their darkest times yet in year five of their coming- of-age tale. Battling both the evil Lord Voldemort's supporters and a government bureaucracy unwilling to believe in Voldemort's return, Harry must deal with mind-controlling wizards, double-crossing professors and, on top of it all, his raging teenage hormones.
Warner Bros. Pictures
Wide release July 13
www.harrypotterorderofthephoenix.com/
(3) Martian Child
John Cusack plays a recently widowed novelist who adopts a young boy in an attempt to build a family but soon finds himself in over his head. The boy's hyperactivity and behavior problems are just the beginning—the real trouble starts when Cusack finds himself believing the kid's claim that he's from Mars.
New Line Cinema
Wide release June 27
[break] WEB SITE(4) SharpBrains
Everyone knows the importance of staying physically fit. But what about staying mentally fit? Research in the past several years has shown that mental “workouts” may improve memory, relieve stress and even help stave off Alzheimer's. This new site is an online gym for the mind, offering a blog about the science of brain fitness and links to relevant research. It also sells “exercise” software and offers personal training.