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

	As part of our (the New York Hall of Sciences) proposal last 
year to NSF for our Life Changes project* we did a survey of museums 
asking about evolution exhibitions and the results indicated that 
there are not many (note I am not saying none) exhibits that tackle 
evolution in science or children's museums nor in zoos, aquaria, 
botanical gardens or nature centers. And as documented by Mac West 
recently even natural history museums sometimes (with notable 
exceptions) avoid using "evolution". Our survey clearly demonstrated 
from our sample that science centers do not see evolution as part of 
their mission and that there are real concerns about "community" 
reactions to the topic. Even informal settings that are exclusively 
biological (zoos, aquaria, botanical gardens and nature centers shy 
away from evolution (again not all) as it felt it is off their 
mission of conservation. (What better reason to show how evolution 
helps understand ecology, the environment and biodiversity?)

I am not going to post the survey results here as it is too large but 
we can figure out a way to give you access to it. (Note: Mac West has 
posted a short bibliography).


I hope we can continue to discuss this issue, as well as other issues 
important to science centers, without having to migrate to a 
different site. I feel the fewer places I have to go to discuss 
important issues the better. Perhaps that you may want to discuss a 
topic that others object to sometime in the future.

Cheers,

Martin

* This is a project to research children's cognitive ability to 
understand the biological basis (natural selection, eg) of evolution. 
If you want more information about the project please contact me 
offline.

>
>The discussion on this list has been interesting, and mirrors what 
>the general public
>thinks about evolution. Many accept evolution, the majority with 
>some faithful caveat, but
>many want it to sit politely in the corner and not speak or even hum 
>to itself.  It is a topic
>ripe for inclusion in natural history museums, science centers, and 
>zoos -- not only is it
>science, it is science the public misunderstands, with a passion. 
>And there is plenty of
>practical issues to discuss on the topic here in the listserv, so 
>banishing the discussion to
>an ASTC-sponsored, back room philosophy book club will only confirm 
>the subtext that
>evolution and the origin of life are just too controversial for even 
>science centers.  What
>if all the science museums and listservs during Galileo's time 
>refused to discuss
>heliocentrism?  "I grow weary of all this planet stuff. Can't we 
>just agree to disagree?"
>
>Does anyone have a _list_ of centers that have evolution or origin 
>of life exhibits?  If not,
>mail me off-list and I'll compile it.  (For example, the St. Louis 
>Zoo has a talking Darwin
>robot.  Now that's a good start!)  Has your institution _considered_ 
>an evolution exhibit
>but decided against it, in the end? It would be a good resource to 
>turn to when one of you
>is interested in making a new exhibit.
>
>-Colin Purrington
>- - - - -
>Department of Biology,  Swarthmore College
>500 College Avenue, Swarthmore, PA  19081
>tel. (610) 328-8621; fax (610) 328-8663
>http://www.swarthmore.edu/NatSci/cpurrin1/index.html
>
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-- 
Martin Weiss, Ph.D
Vice President, Science
New York Hall of Science
47-01 111 th Street
Corona, New York 11368
718 699 0005 x 356

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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]