Your Smithsonian Story

Chapter 1

Meet Liz.

Liz Cottrell, Geologist at the National Museum of Natural History, shares her amazing volcano expedition stories and argues that volcanoes are essential to human life on Earth:

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Stay tuned for more! Here are the people you'll meet on your Smithsonian adventure:

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Liz Cottrell, National Museum of Natural History

Liz Cottrell
Volcano Hunter

Listening to the Earth Breathe

When you hear 'volcano,' what image comes to mind? Liz Cottrell wants you to know why it should be more than liquid hot magma and how the Smithsonian is tracking and sharing volcano activity around the globe.

A geologist with the National Museum of Natural History, Liz approaches our Earth's evolution by comparing laboratory experiments that simulate the deep Earth to rocks from Smithsonian's collections. Currently, her research focuses on how carbon and oxygen, the building blocks of life, cycle through the deep Earth.

John Grant, National Air and Space Museum

John Grant
Mars Road-Tripper

Road Trip Across Mars

John Grant has been interested in Mars since reading The Martian Chronicles as a child. Today, he works alongside NASA, the European Space Agency and NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory to determine where Mars rovers Opportunity and Curiosity should explore each Martian day.

A geologist at the Center for Earth and Planetary Studies at the National Air and Space Museum, John Grant explores the surface of his favorite planet. Balancing careful planning with a spirit of adventure, John helps lead the daily science planning and operations for the Mars rover's limited time on the red planet.

Mercedes López-Morales, Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory

Mercedes López-Morales
Exoplanet Expert

Are We Alone?

Do you believe in life on other planets? Mercedes works with researchers and scientists across the globe to identify planets that could potentially nurture life and turn what some call science-fiction into something very real.

An astronomer with the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, Mercedes López-Morales is mapping the universe to guide the next generation of scientists in a continuing search to pinpoint signs of life. On this journey, she'll use a remarkably powerful new tool – the Giant Magellan Telescope – to find and analyze exoplanets.

Greg Adams, Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage

Greg Adams
Banjo Connoisseur

Preserving Cultural Traditions

Few instruments are more deeply connected to the full American experience than the banjo. Created by enslaved Africans and their descendents in the Caribbean and colonial North America, the banjo did not come unaltered from Africa – rather, it's the result of a blending between West African and European traditions.

As an archivist at the Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage, Greg Adams preserves cultural traditions. Through his study of the banjo, he deepens our understanding of our shared heritage using melodies and instruments from the past to highlight the origins of America and its distinctive music.

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