Jurassic Park
| 25 June, 2010 | Richard P. Grant |
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GIANT FLYING MONSTERS!
No, seriously.
As part of the Royal Society’s 350th anniversary celebrations, there’s a festival of arts and science on London’s Southbank this summer, See Further. I’ve already talked about Icarus at the Edge of Time, and will be participating in a Cafe Scientifique event discussing the history of scientific conversation on Monday (eek!).
But yesterday evening I went down to have a look at some of the largest flying animals that have ever lived. Well, models of them, anyway.
This is a free exhibition, “Pterosaurs – Dragons of the Air”, in which visitors can get up close to the models and also see fossilized Pterosaur bones.
The largest of these guys (or gals; my pterosaur-sexing abilities are practically non-existent) has a wingspan of over ten metres.
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Very cool! Pity this isn’t here in the US, I’d love to visit.
I’ve always been interested in flying things and in thinking about how one could create a real dragon biologically- you know, 6 limbs, fire, and all, I’ve been thinking about homeobox mutations for example. Someone replied to me once when I said that, “Oh, I guess you mean, symbolically right?” I said, no, a real living dragon… Of course I would be somewhat smart, a small one would be fine.
Awesome idea. Should we write a grant?
If if had an opportunity to visit London, for sure I would not like to miss this occasion. It is amazing how far even our “educated” imagination falls short of experiencing the real thing.
I love the RAF roundells addition. It’s the Battle of Britain according to the fundamentalists. Grandad was riding around on dinosaurs whilst he was sticking it to the NAZI’s, right?