SCIENTIFIC PRINCIPLES

The importance of scientific literacy

Science, technology and innovation are important to our economic well-being and quality of life and are foundations of an innovative culture.

Collections

Our collections form one of the world’s great archives of biodiversity, as well as the history of life and human relationships to nature. We are responsible for stewardship of a collection that is critical to the scientific discovery, communication and inspiration that are central to the museum’s mission and values.

Evolution

Evolution is the best explanation for how the diversity of life around us came to exist. It remains the only compelling scientifically rigorous account of how life has developed – and continues to develop – on our planet.

Human-induced Climate Change

Multiple lines of evidence confirm that the clearly measurable rise in greenhouse gases over the past few hundred years, which adversely affect the quality of life for the whole biosphere, does not stem from natural mechanisms. Rather, post-industrial human activity has increased the proportion of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, resulting in a change to the Earth’s climate patterns. We support activities that use human ingenuity to mitigate and adapt to these changes.