Bayer and Neandertal

The highlights of this week were our trips to Neandertal and Leverkusen; we went to Leverkusen first. Leverkusen is perhaps best known for being the headquarters of the multinational corporation Bayer, which was the reason we went to Leverkusen at all. A company representative lectured us on the history of Bayer, its structure, certain products they are producing, and how it is trying to foster interest in the natural sciences. We also got a tour of their storage facility, which is run by a computer that is advanced enough to be able to predict which resources are likely to be needed the following day, and one of their assembly lines.

As one might guess, Neandertal is the place where the first Neanderthal bones were discovered and from where their name originated. While there, we visited the local Neanderthal museum and learned of the history and culture of early man and the history of their discovery. Afterwards, the group stopped for ice cream before walking to the site where the original Neanderthal bones were believed to be discovered. Interestingly, the site today is only about 50 feet from the road and quite close to the Neanderthal museum. The site features historical markers in the shapes of Greek crosses, some curved benches where people can lie down, a life-size cut-out sign displaying a Neanderthal man in profile, and a garden featuring plants that, I believe, were native to the Neandertal valley before extensive human habitation.