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Of course, describing science as a systematic search for truth is very
different than calling a particular scientific theory truth itself, but
that distinction is sometimes lost on the public.

It's not easy to communicate the statistical nature of evidence, and
degrees of uncertainty.  Illusions and other perceptual phenomena raise
these same issues, which is one reason they're so well suited for science
centers.  I agree that Michotte's work on causality perception [which
Stephen mentioned], especially his rotating discs of illusory causality, is
very relevant to understanding science.  Even more basically, Ames showed
that a clever arrangement of disconnected strings can look just like a
chair [from a specific viewpoint].  But just as that demonstrated
fallibility of chair perception doesn't paralyze us from ever sitting
again, anecdotes about the fallibility of scientists mustn't deter us from
acting on climate change.

-Richard

On Wed, Nov 21, 2012 at 9:30 AM, Martin Weiss <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

> 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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>
> Berly
>
> Yes, "A Question of Truth" by Hooley McLaughlin, Ontario Science Center
> which ruffled a lot of scientists feathers by looking at the perceived
> "truth" of western science compared to the perceived  "non truth" of non
> western science. It is permanent at OSC and is a traveling exhibition.
>
> Martin
>
>
>
>
>
>
> --
> –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
> Martin Weiss, PhD
> Senior Scientist
> New York Hall of Science
> mweiss at nyscience.org
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> desk 718 595 9156
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