Do you know what the common ingredient in peanut butter, laundry detergent, aspirin, ice cream, and fireworks is... it's Corn! This life nurturing natural grain is called maize in most countries and was first domesticated by indigenous peoples in Mexico more than 10,000 years ago. Since that time humans have deliberately altered and adapted this edible grain to meet their needs making maize the largest production crop in the world.
This summer, the Stamford Museum and Nature Center located on 39 Strickland Road has assembled a new special exhibition celebrating this precious grain. The exhibit, "MAIZE: Mysteries of an Ancient Grain" invites visitors to explore the science and history of maize and find out why it continues to surprise us. Learn about fascinating advances in the science of plant genetics, the process of evolution and how "useful mutations" can address world health and hunger issues. See how maize was adopted by Native Americans through historic and rare, corn-related objects from the Permanent Collections of the Stamford Museum, including archaeological material from the Stamford area that is more than 500 years old.
The Gallery Hours are: Mon.- Sat., 9 am - 5 pm; Sun., 11 am - 5 pm. This exhibition was developed and managed by the Paleontological Research Institution and its Museum of the Earth in Ithaca, N.Y., and produced with funding from the National Science Foundation Plant Genome Research Program, this interactive exhibition promises fun and engaging enrichment for the whole family.
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