- Science museums, tamed by agendas.
- Lutheran principal fired for suggesting women are equal.
- The claim of the Shroud of Turin’s authenticity is “impossible to judge.” (From James.)
- If you put your mind to it, you can believe anything. (From jes3ica and James.)
Try as I might, I can’t make myself believe I can believe anything I want to.
Wow, it seems like the commenters from the Shroud of Turin article used the technique described in the Onion article in order to come to their conclusions.
Seriously, History Channel: using a 13th century hoax to create the image of a tall, white, European man and claiming it may be Jesus is a little silly, even for you.
@mikespeir: “Try as I might, I can’t make myself believe I can believe anything I want to.”
Actually, you can. I just convinced myself of that.
Hands up if you’ve given up on the History Channel.
Come on, I know I’m not the only one.
@busterggi:
Not on all of their programs, but on most.
Dang, DataJack. Just like that, blew me outta the water!
Well, duh. When it comes to gender equality, women are clearly a biased party with an ax to grind. Had they been allowed to speak, they’d have used the meeting as a platform to force their views on others.
[/snark]
Boo History Channel, but yay Joe Nickell!
I wondered about science museum exhibit goals when I noticed a very different treatment of the uncertainties of science in different exhibits at AMNH a little while ago. They come through subtly, even unintentionally, in the display text. (Yes, I stand there and read EVERYTHING!) I don’t think you can ever divorce science collections completely from personal viewpoints, and still teach something. Everyone has their own educational agenda.
I disliked the museum article because the author seemed to hold the notion that the older way of museums operated was better. The problem with the traditional model is that it only appeals to a small portion of the public. Which is not a good model if the organization wants to promote science beyond those who already have an interest in the subject. Yes, perhaps many museums could improve their strategies, but to bemoan the fact that museums are trying to focus on the end user is a step backwards.