VOA标准英语2010年-What does it Mean to be Human?（在线收听）

Multi-media website explores human evolution

Rosanne Skirble | Washington, DC 07 May 2010

'What's Hot in Human Origins' keeps you up-to-date on recent studies and research in the field.

The human origins website at www.humanorgins.si.edu poses the age-old question: What does it mean to be human?"

The purpose of the website is to explore the evidence says Smithsonian Institution Science and Education Program specialist Briana Pobiner. "That evidence is organized into behavioral evidence, fossil evidence, evidence for dating [and] evidence for a whole variety of things."

The website complements the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History's Hall of Human Origins in Washington.

Pobiner says it expands on the museum's collection with information and multimedia experiences. "You can almost reach out and touch and rotate the evidence for human evolution. There are hundreds of fossils, and there are dozens and dozens of artifacts and art objects that you can zoom in, rotate and take a close look at. It is almost like seeing them for yourself."

The Smithsonian's Human Origins Initiative website capitalizes on the popularity of 'CSI' and other forensics television shows with an interactive on fossil forensics.

Visitors can also take a virtual trip with a Smithsonian researcher to Kenya's Rift Valley, one of the richest sources of fossils in Africa. Teachers are invited to join an online education forum where they can exchange ideas about teaching human evolution and link to lesson plans about human evolution. 

In addition the Human Origins Program Education Network will use the site to bring scientists and educators together. Pobiner says "What's Hot in Human Origins" is already a popular feature. "Any time a story breaks about a new find, whether [it's about] fossils or artifacts or DNA, we can feature it right there on our home page."

Where are you on the family tree? Trace your origins on the Smithsonian's human origins website.

Pobiner adds that the site is frequently updated with new content.  "In fact in the next couple of weeks we're going to add a really interactive time line, which has a variety of fossils, information about different species, information about climate change and a lot of milestones on human evolution. And you can zoom in on particular time periods and really explore."