Museums have tons of data, and AI could make it more accessible − but standardizing and organizing it across fields won’t be easy

Every field has its own standard for what data gets recorded for specimens archived in a museum collection, which can make research difficult.

Bradley Wade Bishop, Professor of Information Sciences, University of Tennessee • conversation
March 17, 2025 • ~7 min

US museums hold the remains of thousands of Black people

Proposed legislation would identify and protect African American cemeteries. But it wouldn't cover the remains of thousands of Black people in museum collections.

Chip Colwell, Associate Research Professor of Anthropology, University of Colorado Denver • conversation
March 24, 2021 • ~9 min

Museum specimens could help fight the next pandemic – why preserving collections is crucial to future scientific discoveries

Specimen preservation means researchers don't need to reinvent the wheel each time they ask a new question, making it critical for the advancement of science. But many specimens are discarded or lost.

Bryan McLean, Assistant Professor of Biology, University of North Carolina – Greensboro • conversation
Dec. 16, 2020 • ~11 min

A special journal explains the critical importance of biological collections

Harvard researchers contribute to the preservation of museum specimens, marking the collections’ importance in a special journal released Nov. 19.

Peter Reuell • harvard
Nov. 19, 2018 • ~7 min

A special journal explains the critical importance of biological collections

Harvard researchers contribute to the preservation of museum specimens, marking the collections’ importance in a special journal released Nov. 19.

Peter Reuell • harvard
Nov. 19, 2018 • ~7 min

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