In Which I Meet Sandra Day O'Connor

I had the immense privilege of giving a speed-tour of the museum's Archaeology exhibits to former Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor last week. She was in town for the investiture of a 10th Circuit court judge and presided over a huge evening event at the museum the night before the ceremony. Apparently the place made a positive impression, because she made a point of stealing a half an hour from the following day's luncheon event to stop by and take a peek.

Peter, the museum's Associate Director, and I gave her the tour. Before she arrived, I was as nervous as a long-tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs (as my father would say). But once she arrived, she was so perfectly charming and delightful that it was easy to be comfortable with her.

She took delight in the museum's glass elevator, was completely fascinated by the archaeology exhibits, and asked real questions as we tooled her around. She was friendly and warm and personable, and clearly had a real interest in natural history. Unlike a number of dignitaries I've toured who are clearly just following their tour schedule. She was wonderful.

Now we hear that President Clinton may be making a swing by the museum before or after his stump speech for Hillary on Wednesday. I thought my assistant was going to wet her pants when she heard that. She literally got red faced, started to giggle, and had to fan herself to cool down! I told her we would not allow her to meet President Clinton if she was going to giggle.

It would be very cool to get to meet him, however, and to tour him through the museum. I'll feel like such a big wig, with all this meeting of dignitaries.

Religion and the Real World Part 2

Okay, don't know if I'm sending out some kind of cosmic attractive field, but for the second time in a two weeks, I received an out-of-the-blue random Christian weirdness.

This afternoon I picked up the phone and had a brief conversation with a woman in Texas who thinks she has found the jawbone and teeth of a Xiphactinus, a ginormous fish from the Cretaceous period with wicked-looking fangs. I told her I could put her through to the vertebrate paleontology team and they could talk to her about what she found and help her identify it.

Then, a propos of nothing, she asks me, "Do you believe dinosaurs and humans walked the earth at the same time?"

Half beat while I think "WTF?"

"No ma'am."

"But isn't there some debate about that?"

"Not in the scientific community, no ma'am."

Pause.

"Well, thank you! Good bye!"

And I ask again: what is it about me this week that is bringing out these random questions? At least she didn't try to debate me. I think I made it as clear as possible that the question was not up for discussion. But what on earth did she expect from a natural history museum?

Really, we don't get a lot of static from the Young Earth Creationist quarter most of the time because they know they are not going to convince or convert any of us, or cause the museum to change its exhibits. If people are offended by evolution, they're probably not pass up the natural history museum and go see the creationist museum instead. It's just not our bag.

There's a new book out by the National Academy of Sciences that gives their very well-thought out and reasoned explanation of why they see no conflict between religion and science. I have ordered it from them and anxiously await its arrival.

The National Council of Churches also has a nice essay out about how it believes science and religion are in no way exclusive of one another, and they quote the historic Dover I.D. judgement that "Repeatedly, in this trial, Plaintiffs' scientific experts testified that the theory of evolution represents good science, is overwhelmingly accepted by the scientific community, and that it in no way conflicts with, nor does it deny, the existence of a divine creator."

This seems to be coming up repeatedly lately, like the parking token you keep trying to give away as a quarter.

Sick day

My kid is home sick.
Again.

Poor guy. We kept him home from school on Friday because he had a cough that sounded like a barking seal. Then he had a snotty nose, a cough and a fever all day Saturday. By Sunday he was down to just the snotty nose, which seems like an improvement. He was feeling well enough yesterday to spend most of the afternoon at his friend Sam's house down the street.

So I had no qualms about sending him to school this morning. Sure, he was still snot-nosed and stuffy. But that kid is snot-nosed and stuffy so much I don't really register it that much anymore.

But by 10:30 I got a call from Gray. The school had called and they were sending him home. Gray said they told him Grayson just "looked like he didn't feel well." Poor kid.

So Gray's at home with him today. No doubt playing World of Warcraft while Grayson watches cartoons and plays his Nintendo DS. So they're both happy.