Film Premiere at the Museum of Natural History

Film and natural history lovers will get a special treat at the Museum of Natural History this weekend.

To celebrate National Science and Technology Week, the museum is collaborating with natural history museums across Canada to host the premiere of Miracle Planet, on Saturday, Oct. 15.

Miracle Planet, a film series by the National Film Board of Canada, is a journey of four billion years. It is a story of how life has evolved from simple microbes to the complex and diverse planet of today. Filmed around the world and based on the most recent scientific findings, the film combines location footage with interviews with leading scientists, including Kevin Zahnle of NASA Ames Research Center.

"It is very exciting to collaborate on this initiative through our membership with the Alliance of Natural History Museums of Canada," said museum manager Janet Maltby. "Visitors young and old will be amazed at the cutting edge computer graphics that vividly show the events which have shaped our planet."

On Saturday, Oct. 15, the museum will show the first film of five in the series, The Violent Past, which shows how the planet was born in chaos, disaster and chance.

"During one gripping sequence, visitors can follow exactly what would happen if a large asteroid hit the earth today," said museum curator Christine Sykora.

The film will be shown at 2 p.m. in the museum auditorium. The entire series will continue to be shown in the new year. Included in the general admission. See the museum's website at http://nature.museum.gov.ns.ca for more information.