Art Conservation and Preservation (broadcast Friday, June 20th, 2008)

Check out these images of Mars, painted by planetary scientist and artist Bill Hartmann. (Credits: Images courtesy of Bill Hartmann. Produced by Flora Lichtman) See More Videos

How do museums protect and preserve artistic and historic artifacts for the ages? It's a complicated field, including everything from studying the chemical makeup of paints to optimizing the temperature, humidity, and lighting conditions in museum galleries. In this segment, we'll talk with the director and one of the scientists of the Getty Conservation Institute about the fine art of art preservation. Teachers, find more information about using Science Friday as a classroom resource in the Kids' Connection.