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>
> Date:    Tue, 12 Jun 2007 14:52:46 -0700
> From:    Bill Schmitt <[log in to unmask]>
> Subject: Re: Let's send some education quotes to Starbucks
>
> ISEN-ASTC-L is a service of the Association of Science-Technology  
> Centers
> Incorporated, a worldwide network of science museums and related  
> institutions.
> ********************************************************************** 
> *******
>
> For me. this thread generates some interesting questions.  When I  
> read the
> first e-mail, I had an immediate negative response to the quote. I  
> even
> called Starbucks.  Now I am rethinking my first response when I  
> looked at it
> in context.
>
> First the quote was not used to promote a point of view or a belief  
> or to
> support the author's point of view (it says so on the cup).  It is  
> also not
> a matter of Starbucks "taking sides." It seems to me that its  
> intent is to
> throw out ideas to provoke some thinking or discussion in the  
> tradition of
> coffee houses.  And that it did!   I often sit with a group at  
> Starbucks to
> "solve the world's problems."   None of us had ever paid any  
> attention to
> the quotes on the cups.  So I shared the one here.  It provoked  
> some quality
> discussion.  Mostly that Wells must be an awful biologist.  And it  
> made some
> in the group more aware of the struggle for understanding we often  
> find in
> science.  By the way - we checked out many other cups in the store  
> and found
> that the range of quotes contained some interesting ideas.
>
> As for me, I often throw out controversial ideas to challenge my  
> thinking as
> well as that of others.  That does not mean that I support the  
> ideas, but
> that sometimes it is beneficial to look at extreme sides of an  
> issue and see
> where it goes.
>
> Congratulations to Starbucks for at least trying to briefly  
> stimulate our
> minds and attempting to expand on the "tradition of the  
> coffeehouse."  Maybe
> there is an idea here for our museums. Do controversial ideas have  
> a place
> in museums?  Can these ideas be launching pads for exploration?   
> How do we
> get conversation and debate going between our visitors?
>
> Oh, but the way, why don't some of us generate some ideas about  
> science
> learning that just might make it onto one of the cups.  Mac Sudduth  
> (are you
> there?) posted a wonderful message about what science is about a  
> year or
> more ago.  It should be on cups in science museums as well as at  
> Starbucks.
> And here is mine:  "Information is a tool - Not a destination."
>
> Send out some quotable comments from you.
>
> Bill Schmitt
>


Here's mine: "The only thing science and faith have in common is an  
apple. It either falls on your head and leads to tremendous  
knowledge, or enters your mouth and leads to eternal sin".

Diana Issidorides
– –
Dr. Diana C. Issidorides
Senior Scientist & Exhibition Developer
Science Center NEMO
P.O. Box 421
1000 AK Amsterdam
The Netherlands
T: +31205313201
[log in to unmask] / [log in to unmask]
www.e-nemo.nl

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