Through June 15 “Darwin’s Garden: An Evolutionary Adventure,” at the New York Botanical Garden. Visit the New York Botanical Garden online. September 27 Scheduled opening of Ocean Hall at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C. Visit The Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History online. 2009 International Year of Astronomy, a UNESCO and International Astronomical Union initiative. Visit International Year of Astronomy online.

Ancient Skull Puzzles — The 45,000-year-old Neanderthal skull recently assembled from fragments found in Shanidar Cave in Iraq presents a real scientific puzzle to anthropologists because, although his face was very primitive, the back of his head was more like modern man. The description of Shanidar Man as a being who appeared to be a totally different creature depending on whether he was seen coming or going was presented to the American Association of Physical Anthropologists meeting in Cambridge, Mass., by Dr. T. Dale Stewart of the Smithsonian Institution.… Putting the tiny pieces tog...

From Science News Letter, May 10, 1958

May 28, 2008 – June 1, 2008 The World Science Festival, an event-filled celebration and exploration of science in modern life, in New York City. See www.worldsciencefestival.com. August 1, 2008 Total solar eclipse, visible in Asia. Visit NASA’s site for more at eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov

Tung trees from China make their mark in the southeastern United States, early concerns about oil shortages, and a suggestion that telescopes might already be seeing almost to the edge of the universe.