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   Congratulations, Hall of Science, on provoking Mr. Rothstein and the 
editors of the NY Times to bring these discussions to a wider audience. 
  It's really something--from a designer-standpoint-- to get a major 
press review, versus the typical puff piece.

   He certainly waxes nostalgic a bit, perhaps predictably for a NYTimes 
writer, in adulation of all things within six degrees of the Golden 
days of Modernism. That's okay, the Old can use all of the defense it 
can get, assuming a small fraction of the public is aware of the 
cultural gravity of the Eames.  Interestingly, he draws a a dotted line 
between Mathematica and Connections, which I suspect is a relationship 
worth continued examination.

   I love his use of the term "participatory," as in participatory 
display, participatory technology, and so on; I'm so burnt out on 
ye'olde "interactive," it being in the same lump of over-saturated 
words that "morality" recently fell into.
Did you folks seed him that word?, or is it his own?

   He grasps the diametric between education and entertainment (which he 
confuses with the word "experience") easily enough, but provides no 
breakthrough--for me anyhow.  I think we, in the field, are all in a 
process of balancing this duality--aye, tension--in every project we 
do.  Some find one functional balance and adhere to the mission of 
upholding it, others experiment with different balances.  He divides 
the Hall of Science's differing balancing techniques into four 
examples.  Short of revealing himself to be one who prefers reading to 
tossing basketballs, he doesn't take it much deeper. & that doesn't 
help me much as an exhibit designer.

   The big missing point, for me, in his review, I think is integral to 
understanding the evolution of pedagogical approach over the last fifty 
years.  Whereas Mathematica derives its content (by&large) from the 
formal educational canon, the way many early Exploratorium exhibits 
come from the less-formal traditions of demos and illusions, many newer 
exhibitions deal with new content and/or new contexts.  There is no 
textbook, per se, that I know of, on the search for extraterrestrial 
life.  I don't remember even a chapter on that in school, yet many 
principles from grade school science are there in the exhibition.  
Clever recontextualization.  In the case of Connections, the content is 
highly contemporary and arguably experimental to the point of daring.  
The presentation, therefore, is unprecedented.  As an exhibit designer, 
that's what I see.

   I also see the World's Fair without the crass commercialism.  Not 
that I ever attended a World's Fair-- but my neighbor claims he became 
a high energy physicist because of a laser exhibit he saw in Flushing 
Meadows back in '64--you may never know how many lives you touch in the 
coming years.

   It must be great to start getting reviews like this.  Here, you were 
feeling like the project was finally being wrapped up, and the journey 
has just begun!  Many happy revelations for your visitors and your 
staff alike!

--Jason


JasonJayStevens
exhibits . annArborHands-OnMuseum . [log in to unmask]
art . potterBelmarLabs . [log in to unmask]


On 28 Nov 2004, at 4:55 PM, Eric Siegel wrote:
> The New York Times printed a thought provoking review of the 
> exhibitions in our new wing, which was received with mixed feelings by 
> the Hall's staff.  As Mr. Rothstein addressed some points that have 
> been discussed on ISEN and at ASTC conferences, and only rarely 
> discussed in the general media, I thought it might be interesting to 
> post it here and solicit your responses.

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