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In the last two days several posts have expressed displeasure at the 
evolution thread going on and on.   As a result, I feel that people have 
just trashed an issue that should be top of mind for science centers.   
Is this the same reaction that scientists have, i.e. "It's so absurd, 
bringing ID to the classroom, why discuss it?"  Is it a feeling that the 
issue of ID making inroads applies to schools and not to science 
centers?  The discussion was more information sharing and most emails 
tended toward posting the latest news of the controversy, which I'll 
admit does get overwhelming.  Did people get tired of emails that failed 
to offer ideas for addressing it specifically in science centers? 

It's certainly easier to talk about floor surfacing materials, or other 
questions with concrete answers (no pun intended), and definitely 
relevant, but if 30% or more of the country believes in the literal 
story of creation then science centers still haven't finished an 
important education piece of the job and we need to beef up or change 
what we are doing.

This choir has work to do.  If teachers don't feel comfortable teaching 
evolution, are science centers exhibits and classes picking up the 
slack?  If there are proponents out there of bringing faith-based 
explanations into the classroom then perhaps we need to focus more on 
teaching people not what evolution is but what the nature of science is 
and the questions it can answer as well as the ones it cannot.  That 
serves a larger purpose than refuting the "alternate theory" of the 
month.  I think seriously considering how we convey the nature of 
science is as important in the, pardon the phrase, evolution of 
education through focus on inquiry.  If we were already successful at 
this, the polls would perhaps tell a different story or more people 
would be embracing this as a theological discussion and not a 
"scientific" one.


I think it is our job to think about these things and think hard about 
them in whatever ways our particular roles bring us into contact with 
content that shapes how people view the enterprise of science.  I also 
think it is our job to then do something in whatever capacity our roles 
allow.

So what elements in your museum explicitly address the nature of 
science?  Has anyone done evaluations that seek to find out visitors' 
concepts of the nature of science?

-Tinsley

-Tinsley Davis, M.S.
Education Associate
Museum of Science, Boston

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