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

Lisa -
Pleased also see my last (rather verbose) post on Bonnie's statement.

This may sound a bit cold, but i think that when dealing with a topics 
related to science, we need to be scientific about it. It is up to our 
visitors to make moral or ethical judgements about such things as 
cloning, global warming, etc. BUT, it is up to us to communicate the 
science clearly and, where appropriate to distinguish that which is 
science from that which is not. Perhaps this is not as easy as it 
sounds, but the science must speak for itself without our "moral 
support." If the science points to particular response, such as reducing 
co2 emissions to reduce global warming, then this is the position we 
should take. If creationism is not part of the  scientific paradigm, we 
should say so. By entering the political, ethical, moral fray, we have 
taken ourselves out of the realm of science and into the realm of 
politics, ethics, morality, and unless we are running the Center for 
Science, Ethics, Morality and Politics, this might be territory we want 
to stay out of. People have plenty of other places to go for 
editorialization and spin. Lets leave that stuff to the editorialists 
and spin doctors. This of course leaves wiggle room for all kinds of 
"here's the science, what do you think" sorts of polls, bulletin boards, 
etc. If we want to demonstrate the bredth of opinion on a particular topic.

Lisa Jo Rudy wrote:

> ISEN-ASTC-L is a service of the Association of Science-Technology Centers
> Incorporated, a worldwide network of science museums and related 
> institutions.
> ***************************************************************************** 
> 
> 
> With all the conversation going on about evolution and the 
> importance/meaning of science, I'd be interested in museum 
> professionals' take on the questions --
> 
> should science centers take moral  positions on issues in which they are 
> involved?  If so, what should those moral positions be?  Should all ASTC 
> institutions share the same moral positions?
> 
> For example -- do ASTC institutions have a moral obligation to take a 
> stand on evolution?  Or should they simply clarify the difference 
> between evolutionary theory as a scientific concept and creationism as a 
> religious concept)?  Should ASTC institutions take an ethical stand on 
> topics like cloning, global warming, etc. -- or is their purpose to 
> engage visitors in non-judgemental exploration of scientific topics, and 
> to help visitors better understand the scientific method without 
> reference to ethics one way or another?
> 
> (just keeping the conversation lively!!)
> 
> ***********************************************************************
> More information about the Informal Science Education Network and the
> Association of Science-Technology Centers may be found at 
> http://www.astc.org.
> To remove your e-mail address from the ISEN-ASTC-L list, send the
> message  SIGNOFF ISEN-ASTC-L in the BODY of a message to
> [log in to unmask]
> 

-- 
Stephen Miles Uzzo
Director of Technology
New York Hall of Science
47-01 111th Street
Flushing Meadows Corona Park
New York 11368     U.S.A.
v. +1.718.699.0005 x377
f. +1.718.699.1341
http://www.nyscience.org

***********************************************************************
More information about the Informal Science Education Network and the
Association of Science-Technology Centers may be found at http://www.astc.org.
To remove your e-mail address from the ISEN-ASTC-L list, send the
message  SIGNOFF ISEN-ASTC-L in the BODY of a message to
[log in to unmask]