ISEN-ASTC-L is a service of the Association of Science-Technology Centers
Incorporated, a worldwide network of science museums and related institutions.
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This discussion touches on a topic that has intrigued me for a while,
the loss of meaning of symbols in our culture. As computers and software
have taken over as the tools of choice in many fields the symbols which
previously identified those fields have lost their meaning. A T-square
no longer identifies a draftsman or architect, a roll or frame of film a
photographer, or a beaker a lab scientist. This puts graphic designers
and photographers in a bind. How do you visually communicate a person's
occupation when most of use are using the same tools and dressed the
same way? The use of symbols such as beakers and lab coats is a bit of
culture lag, they still work as symbols because they existed in the
near-past, but that will soon be changing. How many 20 year olds know
what a T-square or slide rule is/was? The challenge is to develop a new
visual vocabulary which does not rely on ephemeral technology as
symbols. 

Lath Carlson

Manager of Interactive Technology
Art Guild Inc.
300 Wolf Drive
Thorofare, NJ 08086
Mobile: 215-768-9322
Email: [log in to unmask] 
www.artguildinc.com 


-----Original Message-----
From: Informal Science Education Network
[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Carey Tisdal
Sent: Thursday, July 13, 2006 11:21 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Scientist Dress Codes

ISEN-ASTC-L is a service of the Association of Science-Technology
Centers
Incorporated, a worldwide network of science museums and related
institutions.
************************************************************************
*****

Reading through all these postings made me smile thinking about
interview 
data from teens where the "white lab coat" idea of a scientist didn't
match 
the particular science they were exploring. The "lab coat" idea conveys 
experimental chemistry or physics to people--and the processes of
sciences 
such a astronomy and archaeology take place in rather different
settings. 
Science is done is many settings and in many modes of dress. It made me 
think of a recent encounter:  I was standing outside a museum when the
Geek 
Squad came to fix a server. There were two guys in black pants, white 
shirts, and ties, and when I call out "It's the Geek Squad to the
rescue!" 
they had so much fun with it. We took our picture with them! That is
such a 
great example of using a sterotype to communicate and make something
work.

Wouldn't it be fun to do a science theater or even a flash game (with a 
humorous approach) to expand people's ideas about the settings in which 
scientisits to their work and how they dress?  I think the "fashion
sense" 
of field archaeologist in a warm climate is great fun--hard-toed shoes
and 
sox, shorts, hats and a water bottle. Each area of science really does
have 
a culture and the dress code--partly functional and partly tribal-- is
part 
of it.

My question, for the day is: What is the dress code of different
disciplines 
of science?

Any sharp-eyed ethnologists out there?

Cheers,

Carey

Carey E. Tisdal
Tisdal Consulting
4475 West Pine Blvd., #1705
St. Louis, MO 63108
Phone: 314-531-9766
Cell: 314-496-9097
Email: [log in to unmask]

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