What’s Eating These Mummies?

People working at the museum noticed the black jelly growing on mummies a few years ago. It was quickly spreading. The museum staff called on Ralph Mitchell for help. He’s a microbiologist at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Mitchell studies microbes, or microscopic organisms, like bacteria. Microbes exist everywhere—from the surface of your skin to the bottom of the ocean.

Mitchell and his team suspected that microbes might be causing the black jelly. So they did an experiment in a lab at Harvard. Scientists put a sample of the black jelly in a dish with nutrients that bacteria use as fuel. Sure enough, microbes started growing in the dish. 

The team put these microbes on normal mummy skin to see if the goo would appear there too. It did. The microbes fed on the mummies’ skin and released the black goo as waste.

People working at the museum noticed the black jelly growing on mummies a few years ago. It was quickly spreading. The museum staff called on Ralph Mitchell for help. He's a microbiologist at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Mitchell studies microbes. They are microscopic organisms, like bacteria. Microbes exist everywhere. From the surface of your skin to the bottom of the ocean.

Mitchell and his team suspected that microbes might be causing the black jelly. So they did an experiment in a lab at Harvard. Scientists put a sample of the black jelly in a dish. Then they added nutrients that bacteria use as fuel. Sure enough, microbes started growing in the dish.

The team put these microbes on normal mummy skin. They did that to see if the goo would appear there too. It did. The microbes fed on the mummies' skin. They released the black goo as waste.    

It’s clear that moisture in the air is harming the mummies. “But how do you protect them from the climate?” asks Archana Vasanthakumar. She’s a microbiologist who works with Mitchell. The climate influences the conditions both inside and outside the museum.

Using Mitchell’s data, she and other scientists at the San Miguel Museum are studying how to prevent the bacteria from eating more mummy skin. Meanwhile, Chilean officials are planning to build a new museum that can help protect the mummies by keeping the temperature and humidity low.

“Our goal is to have these ancient artifacts be preserved for generations,” says Vasanthakumar. “That way our kids and grandkids will be able to see how our ancestors lived.” 

It's clear that moisture in the air is harming the mummies. "But how do you protect them from the climate?" asks Archana Vasanthakumar. She's a microbiologist who works with Mitchell. The climate influences the conditions both inside and outside the museum.

She and other scientists at the San Miguel Museum are using Mitchell's data. They're studying how to prevent the bacteria from eating more mummy skin. Meanwhile, Chilean officials are planning to build a new museum. That's so they can help protect the mummies. They want to keep the temperature and humidity low.

"Our goal is to have these ancient artifacts be preserved for generations," says Vasanthakumar. "That way our kids and grandkids will be able to see how our ancestors lived." 

Harvard scientists kept the lab between 72 and 73 degrees Fahrenheit. They measured temperature in increments of 1/10 of a degree. Suppose you were to draw a number line. Between which two whole numbers should you draw your line?

Harvard scientists kept the lab between 72 and 73 degrees Fahrenheit. They measured temperature in increments of 1/10 of a degree. Suppose you were to draw a number line. Between which two whole numbers should you draw your line?

Draw your number line with fractional units in tenths.

Draw your number line with fractional units in tenths.

One day, the lab’s temperature is 72 2/10 degrees. The next day, it is 72 6/10 degrees. Plot these numbers on the number line you made for 1B.

One day, the lab’s temperature is 72 2/10 degrees. The next day, it is 72 6/10 degrees. Plot these numbers on the number line you made for 1B.

On which day was the temperature warmer? Explain how you know.

On which day was the temperature warmer? Explain how you know.

One day, the temperature cools to 71 5/10 degrees. If you were to warm the lab by 8 tenths of a degree, what would the new temperature be? Write an equation and plot your answer on a number line.

One day, the temperature cools to 71 5/10 degrees. If you were to warm the lab by 8 tenths of a degree, what would the new temperature be? Write an equation and plot your answer on a number line.

Is your answer from part A within the normal temperature range of the lab?

Is your answer from part A within the normal temperature range of the lab?

To protect historic artifacts, some museums store artifacts at around 60 degrees Fahrenheit. Let’s say one museum keeps temperatures between 58 and 62 degrees. Draw a number line to reflect this range.

To protect historic artifacts, some museums store artifacts at around 60 degrees Fahrenheit. Let’s say one museum keeps temperatures between 58 and 62 degrees. Draw a number line to reflect this range.

Is 62 2/10 degrees within the range from part A? Prove your answer by plotting the value on your number line.

Is 62 2/10 degrees within the range from part A? Prove your answer by plotting the value on your number line.

If you were to cool the temperature from part B by 4/10 of a degree, would the museum artifacts be protected? Show your answer on the number line.

If you were to cool the temperature from part B by 4/10 of a degree, would the museum artifacts be protected? Show your answer on the number line.

The table to the right shows 3 months of average high temperatures in Arica, Chile. Between which 2 months was there a greater increase in temperature? Explain.

The table to the right shows 3 months of average high temperatures in Arica, Chile. Between which 2 months was there a greater increase in temperature? Explain.

Let’s say that one year, the high temperature in Arica, Chile, was 7 6/10 degrees warmer than the average high temperature for September. What was the temperature?

Let’s say that one year, the high temperature in Arica, Chile, was 7 6/10 degrees warmer than the average high temperature for September. What was the temperature?